Who is Scaramouche?
Scaramouche is the main character from a story by Rafael Sabatini. As the author describes him: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was
mad." Andrea-Louis Moreau (Scaramouche) is a man who unfortunately is able to see the falsity, corruption, and general crapulence of the world into which he was, without his consent, born. He is a man of noble ideals yet is unable to find anything in the world worthy of the application of any noble behaviour. The story is referred to as "a romance", but keep in mind the word "romance" does not mean what many today think it means, particularly at the time of this story's creation. For those curious about the book, it is available online in many places. Just search for Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini.
One of my other favourite stories, for those itnerested, is the story of Don Quixote; it is published under several names, most commonly, I find, "The Man Of La Mancha". Don Quixote is a man who sees himself as a knight of ages past, and sees the world as his quest, regardless of the realities of his situation. He walks his path of chivalry devoutly, refusing to bend. He does, in the end break. Yet he is an admirable figure, one who does not stray from what he believes is right. Below are the lyrics to two songs from the play, songs which I like very much.
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"Man of LaMancha (I Am I, Don Quixote)"
I shall impersonate ... a man.
Come, enter into my imagination, and see him:
Boney, hollow faced, eyes that burn with the fire of inner vision.
He conceives the strangest project ever imagined ...
To become a knight errant
And sally forth into the world, righting all wrongs!
Hear me now, oh thou bleak and unbearable world
Thou art base and debauched as can be!
And a knight with his valors all bravely unfurled
Now hurls down his gauntlet to thee!
I am I, Don Quixote,
The Lord of LaMancha,
My destiny calls, and I go!
And the wild winds of fortune
Shall carry me onward ... To wither so ever they blow ...
Wither so ever they blow ...
Onward to glory I go!
I'm Sancho, yes, I'm Sancho
I'll follow my master till the end ...
I'll tell all the world, proudly,
I'm his squire ... I'm his friend.
Hear me heathens, and wizards, and servants of sin:
All your dastardly doings are past!
For a holy endeavor is now to begin
And virtue shall triumph at last!
I am I, Don Quixote,
The Lord of LaMancha,
My destiny calls, and I go!
And the wild winds of fortune
Shall carry me onward ... To wither so ever they blow ...
Wither so ever they blow ...
Onward to glory I go!
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"The Impossible Dream (The Quest)"
To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...
And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...
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