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In L'île de Merlin, the spectator is transported to the desert island of the sorcerer Merlin, where Pierrot and Scapin have been shipwrecked. Argentine and Diamantine, both nieces of Merlin, explain to the two survivors that, on this island, unfaithful men are thrown into prison. Gradually the two heroes meet other denizens of this upside-down world. An elegant cavalier turns out to be a philosopher who far outshines his narrow-minded French colleagues. He explains that there are no villains on the island: court cases are tried on the basis of common sense, notaries are honest and upright, and merchants are fair dealers. The physician Hippocratine espouses the teachings of nature, and Chevalier de Catonville reports that love on this island means lifelong fidelity. - Dr. Thomas Hauschka
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