These charlatans, these public pietists
Whose sacrilegious and perfidious manners
Deliberately betray and parody
All that men hold most hallowed and most sacred.
These are the people who for mean advantage
Make piety their trade and merchandise,
And try to buy credit and offices,
Rolling their eyes and mouthing holy words
Their pilgrim’s progress take the road to heaven
As a short, easy way to wordily fortune.
We see them pray with one hand out for alms;
They preach of solitude, but stay at court
And with their holy zeal they keep their vices;
They’re vengeful, faithless, treacherous, and tricky.
And to destroy an enemy, they cover
Their savage hate with heaven’s interest.
And when they hate, they’re the more dangerous,
Because they take up weapons we revere,
Because their fury, to general applause,
Takes an anointed sword to stab our backs
–Molière
Tartuffe