The White Devil

The White Devil

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The White Devil, by John Webster
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Title: The White Devil
Author: John Webster
Release Date: July 16, 2004 [EBook #12915]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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WHITE DEVIL ***

Produced by Julie C. Sparks

THE WHITE DEVIL

TO THE READER

In publishing this tragedy, I do but challenge myself that liberty, which
other men have taken before me; not that I affect praise by it, for, nos
hæc novimus esse nihil, only since it was acted in so dull a time of
winter, presented in so open and black a theatre, that it wanted (that
which is the only grace and setting-out of a tragedy) a full and
understanding auditory; and that since that time I have noted, most of
the people that come to that playhouse resemble those ignorant asses
(who, visiting stationers' shops, their use is not to inquire for good
books, but new books), I present it to the general view with this
confidence:
Nec rhoncos metues maligniorum, Nec scombris tunicas dabis
molestas.
If it be objected this is no true dramatic poem, I shall easily confess it,
non potes in nugas dicere plura meas, ipse ego quam dixi; willingly,
and not ignorantly, in this kind have I faulted: For should a man present
to such an auditory, the most sententious tragedy that ever was written,
observing all the critical laws as height of style, and gravity of person,
enrich it with the sententious Chorus, and, as it were Life and Death, in
the passionate and weighty Nuntius: yet after all this divine rapture, O
dura messorum ilia, the breath that comes from the incapable multitude
is able to poison it; and, ere it be acted, let the author resolve to fix to
every scene this of Horace:
--Hæc hodie porcis comedenda relinques.
To those who report I was a long time in finishing this tragedy, I
confess I do not write with a goose-quill winged with two feathers; and
if they will need make it my fault, I must answer them with that of
Euripides to Alcestides, a tragic writer: Alcestides objecting that
Euripides had only, in three days composed three verses, whereas
himself had written three hundred: Thou tallest truth (quoth he), but
here 's the difference, thine shall only be read for three days, whereas
mine shall continue for three ages.
Detraction is the sworn friend to ignorance: for mine own part, I have
ever truly cherished my good opinion of other men's worthy labours,

especially of that full and heightened style of Mr. Chapman, the
laboured and understanding works of Mr. Johnson, the no less worthy
composures of the both worthily excellent Mr. Beaumont and Mr.
Fletcher; and lastly (without wrong last to be named), the right happy
and copious industry of Mr. Shakespeare, Mr. Dekker, and Mr.
Heywood, wishing what I write may be read by their light: protesting
that, in the strength of mine own judgment, I know them so worthy,
that though I rest silent in my own work, yet to most of theirs I dare
(without flattery) fix that of Martial:
--non norunt hæc monumenta mori.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ
MONTICELSO, a Cardinal; afterwards Pope PAUL the Fourth.
FRANCISCO DE MEDICIS, Duke of Florence; in the 5th Act
disguised for a Moor, under the name of MULINASSAR.
BRACHIANO, otherwise PAULO GIORDANO URSINI, Duke of
Brachiano, Husband to ISABELLA, and in love with VITTORIA.
GIOVANNI--his Son by ISABELLA. LODOVICO, an Italian Count,
but decayed. ANTONELLI, | his Friends, and Dependants of the Duke
of Florence. GASPARO, | CAMILLO, Husband to VITTORIA.
HORTENSIO, one of BRACHIANO's Officers. MARCELLO, an
Attendant of the Duke of Florence, and Brother to VITTORIA.
FLAMINEO, his Brother; Secretary to BRACHIANO. JACQUES, a
Moor, Servant to GIOVANNI. ISABELLA, Sister to FRANCISCO DE
MEDICI, and Wife to BRACHIANO. VITTORIA COROMBONA, a
Venetian Lady; first married to CAMILLO, afterwards to
BRACHIANO. CORNELIA, Mother to VITTORIA, FLAMINEO, and
MARCELLO. ZANCHE, a Moor, Servant to VITTORIA.
Ambassadors, Courtiers, Lawyers, Officers, Physicians, Conjurer,
Armourer, Attendants.
THE SCENE--ITALY
ACT I

SCENE I
Enter Count Lodovico, Antonelli, and Gasparo
Lodo. Banish'd!
Ant. It griev'd me much to hear the sentence.
Lodo. Ha, ha, O Democritus, thy gods That govern the whole world!
courtly reward And punishment. Fortune 's a right whore: If she give
aught, she deals it in small parcels, That she may take away all at one
swoop. This 'tis to have great enemies! God 'quite them. Your wolf no
longer seems