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balcony； holding on to the branch； which bends； dropping him between the
door and De Guiche； he pretends to fall heavily； as from a great height；
and lies flat on the ground； motionless； as if stunned。 De Guiche starts
back）： What's this？ （When he looks up； the branch has sprung back into
its place。 He sees only the sky； and is lost in amazement）： Where fell
that man from？
CYRANO （sitting up； and speaking with a Gascon accent）： From
the moon！
DE GUICHE： From？。 。 。
CYRANO （in a dreamy voice）： What's o'clock？
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
DE GUICHE： He's lost his mind； for sure！
CYRANO： What hour？ What country this？ What month？
What day？
DE GUICHE： But。 。 。
CYRANO： I am stupefied！
DE GUICHE： Sir！
CYRANO： Like a bomb I fell from the moon！
DE GUICHE （impatiently）： Come now！
CYRANO （rising； in a terrible voice）： I say；the moon！
DE GUICHE （recoiling）： Good； good！ let it be so！。 。 。He's raving
mad！
CYRANO （walking up to him）： I say from the moon！ I mean no
metaphor！。 。 。
DE GUICHE： But。 。 。
CYRANO： Was't a hundred yearsa minute； since？ I cannot
guess what time that fall embraced！ That I was in that saffron…colored
ball？
DE GUICHE （shrugging his shoulders）： Good！ let me pass！
CYRANO （intercepting him）： Where am I？ Tell the truth！ Fear
not to tell！ Oh； spare me not！ Where？ where？ Have I fallen like a
shooting star？
DE GUICHE： Morbleu！
CYRANO： The fall was lightning…quick！ no time to choose
Where I should fallI know not where it be！ Oh； tell me！ Is it on a
moon or earth； that my posterior weight has landed me？
DE GUICHE： I tell you； Sir。 。 。
CYRANO （with a screech of terror； which makes De Guiche start
back）： No？ Can it be？ I'm on A planet where men have black
faces？
DE GUICHE （putting a hand to his face）： What？
CYRANO （feigning great alarm）： Am I in Africa？ A native you？
DE GUICHE （who has remembered his mask）： This mask of
mine。 。 。
CYRANO （pretending to be reassured）： In Venice？ ha！or Rome？
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
DE GUICHE （trying to pass）： A lady waits。 。
CYRANO （quite reassured）： Oh…ho！ I am in Paris！
DE GUICHE （smiling in spite of himself）： The fool is comical！
CYRANO： You laugh？
DE GUICHE： I laugh； But would get by！
CYRANO （beaming with joy）： I have shot back to Paris！ （Quite at
ease； laughing； dusting himself； bowing）： Comepardon meby the
last water…spout； Covered with ether；accident of travel！ My eyes
still full of star…dust； and my spurs Encumbered by the planets'
filaments！ （Picking something off his sleeve）： Ha！ on my doublet？ah；
a comet's hair！。 。 。
（He puffs as if to blow it away。）
DE GUICHE （beside himself）： Sir！。 。 。
CYRANO （just as he is about to pass； holds out his leg as if to show
him something and stops him）： In my legthe calfthere is a tooth
Of the Great Bear； and； passing Neptune close； I would avoid his
trident's point； and fell； Thus sitting； plump； right in the Scales！ My
weight Is marked； still registered； up there in heaven！ （Hurriedly
preventing De Guiche from passing； and detaining him by the button of
his doublet）： I swear to you that if you squeezed my nose It would
spout milk！
DE GUICHE： Milk？
CYRANO： From the Milky Way！
DE GUICHE： Oh； go to hell！
CYRANO （crossing his arms）： I fall； Sir； out of heaven！ Now；
would you credit it； that as I fell I saw that Sirius wears a nightcap？
True！ （Confidentially）： The other Bear is still too small to bite。
（Laughing）： I went through the Lyre； but I snapped a cord；
（Grandiloquent）： I mean to write the whole thing in a book； The
small gold stars； that； wrapped up in my cloak； I carried safe away at no
small risks； Will serve for asterisks i' the printed page！
DE GUICHE： Come； make an end！ I want。 。 。
CYRANO： Oh…ho！ You are sly！
DE GUICHE： Sir！
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
CYRANO： You would worm all out of me！the way The moon
is made； and if men breathe and live In its rotund cucurbita？
DE GUICHE （angrily）： No； no！ I want。 。 。
CYRANO： Ha； ha！to know how I got up？ Hark； it was by a
method all my own。
DE GUICHE （wearied）： He's mad！
CYRANO（contemptuously）： No！ not for me the stupid eagle Of
Regiomontanus； nor the timid Pigeon of Archytasneither of those！
DE GUICHE： Ay； 'tis a fool！ But 'tis a learned fool！
CYRANO： No imitator I of other men！ （De Guiche has succeeded
in getting by； and goes toward Roxane's door。 Cyrano follows him； ready
to stop him by force）： Six novel methods； all； this brain invented！
DE GUICHE （turning round）： Six？
CYRANO （volubly）： First； with body naked as your hand；
Festooned about with crystal flacons； full O' th' tears the early morning
dew distils； My body to the sun's fierce rays exposed To let it suck
me up； as 't sucks the dew！ DE GUICHE （surprised； making one step
toward Cyrano）： Ah！ that makes one！
CYRANO （stepping back； and enticing him further away）： And
then； the second way； To generate windfor my impetus To rarefy
air； in a cedar case； By mirrors placed icosahedron…wise。
DE GUICHE （making another step）： Two！
CYRANO （still stepping backward）： Orfor I have some mechanic
skill To make a grasshopper； with springs of steel； And launch
myself by quick succeeding fires Saltpeter…fed to the stars' pastures
blue！
DE GUICHE （unconsciously following him and counting on his
fingers）： Three！
CYRANO： Or （since fumes have property to mount） To charge
a globe with fumes； sufficiently To carry me aloft！
DE GUICHE （same play； more and more astonished）： Well； that
makes four！
CYRANO： Or smear myself with marrow from a bull； Since； at
the lowest point of Zodiac； Phoebus well loves to suck that marrow up！
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CYRANO DE BERGERAC
DE GUICHE （amazed）： Five！
CYRANO （who； while speaking； had drawn him to the other side of
the square near a bench）： Sitting on an iron platformthence To
throw a magnet in the air。 This is A method well conceivedthe
magnet flown； Infallibly the iron will pursue： Then quick！ relaunch
your magnet； and you thus Can mount and mount unmeasured
distances！
DE GUICHE： Here are six excellent expedients！ Which of the
six chose you？
CYRANO： Why； none！a seventh！
DE GUICHE： Astonishing！ What was it？
CYRANO： I'll recount。
DE GUICHE： This wild eccentric becomes interesting！
CYRANO （making a noise like the waves； with weird gestures）：
Houuh！ Houuh！
DE GUICHE： Well。
CYRANO： You have guessed？
DE GUICHE： Not I！
CYRANO： The tide！ I' th' witching hour when the moon woos
the wave； I laid me； fresh from a sea…bath； on the shore And；
failing not to put head foremostfor The hair holds the sea…water in