They would have to imagine that individuals whose size does not vary in their eyes, are first dwarves at the beginning of the piece, and ordinary men and women at the end.

Marivaux wrote a preface in which he acknowledges that the piece is unplayable: I was wrong to give this comedy to the theaters.

I printed the play the day after the performance, because my friends, who were more upset than me about her failure, had advised me to do it in a way so urgent that I think that a refusal would have shocked them: I preferred to follow their opinion, than to reject it.

At the end, I did not cut off anything, not even the places that we blamed in the role of the peasant, because I did not know, and now that I know, I frankly confess that I don't feel what they have of bad in themselves.

I only understand the disgust we had for them being spoiled, plus they were in the mouth of an actor whose acting, naturally fine and free, didn't adjust perhaps to what they have of rustic.

As the sage Blectrue, advisor to the governor of the island, explains to newcomers, it is women who pay court to the men.

Eight French land in this island: a courtier, his gascon secretary, named Frontignac, a countess and her maid Spinette, a poet, a philosopher, a doctor and a farmer.

Blaise agrees frankly that he often overstepped the rules of temperance, and he often wanted to deceive the purchasers of his products.

The hardest conversion is the one of the courtier, whose secretary has the greatest difficulty in reminding him of his loans, left and right, never returned, his false protestations of friendship, his love of praise.