A love letter Cyrano writes charms the lovely Roxanne

CYRANO:
[taking out the letter he had written] Here it is! Here's your letter!
CHRISTIAN:
What?
CYRANO:
Take it! All it needs is your signature.
CHRISTIAN:
But I—
CYRANO:
Do not fear. Go ahead and send it. It's entirely suitable.
CHRISTIAN:
But how did you already—?
CYRANO:
Oh! We poets always have our pockets full of love letters, written to so many imaginary beauties.
Now, you can take this one and make the words ring true. Take this fictional letter, meant for no
particular lady, and put it to real use. Take all my insincere romantic lines and give them a direction.
Make it so these haphazard verses will come together and surround her like love birds coming home
to nest!
CHRISTIAN:
Should I change anything at all? If it wasn't written with Roxane in mind, then how will it fit her?
CYRANO:
It will fit her like a glove!
CHRISTIAN:
But—
CYRANO:
Love believes anything! Roxane will think each word was inspired by herself!

(Scene X, Page 78)

ROXANE:
[coming out of the house] Ah! How handsome he is, and how brilliant in wit! Oh, how I love him!
CYRANO:
[smiling] Christian has a brilliant wit?
ROXANE:
Brighter than even your own, cousin!
CYRANO:
I'm happy to hear it!
ROXANE:
I would have thought it impossible that here could be a man on this earth skilled enough to say so
sweetly all the pretty nothings that mean so much! At times it seems his mind is far away and his
inspiration is fading. But then, all of a sudden, he says such bewitching and enchanting things to me!
CYRANO:
[incredulously] No! It can't be true!
ROXANE:
Why must you think that? Just like a man! Because he's handsome, you assume he must be dull.
CYRANO:
Does he speak well about love?
ROXANE:
Not only does he speak superbly about it, but he teaches it!
CYRANO:
And how does he write?
ROXANE:
Even better! Listen to this! [reciting] “The more of my poor heart you take, the larger my heart
grows!” [triumphantly to CYRANO] How do you like those lines?
CYRANO:
Pooh!
ROXANE:
It goes on: “And, since I must show some target for Cupid's cruel dart, if you must keep mine, then
give me your heart!”
CYRANO:
Lord! First he has too much of a heart, then not enough! How much heart does the fellow want?
ROXANE:
Oh, you're being terrible! You're just jealous!
CYRANO:
[starting] What do you mean?
ROXANE:
It's your poet's jealousy! You envy that he writes so well! Listen to this, and tell me if it's not the
sweetest thing you've ever heard: “My heart to yours gives but one cry: if kisses by letter could fly,
then kisses would soar, my love, straight from my fingertips and on to your lovely lips, if kisses by
letter could fly!”
CYRANO:
[smiling approvingly in spite of himself] Well! Those last lines are— [correcting himself, and speaking
disdainfully] They are trite enough!
ROXANE:
And listen to this—
CYRANO:
[enchanted] Do you know all his letters by heart?
ROXANE:
Every one of them!
CYRANO:
How flattering that is!
ROXANE:
They are the words of a master!
CYRANO:
[modestly] Come, now—a master?
ROXANE:
Yes, a master!
CYRANO:
All right then. He's a master.

(Scene I, Page 81)