Venice Preserved

Venice Preserved, by Thomas
Otway

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Title: Venice Preserved A Tragedy in Five Acts
Author: Thomas Otway
Editor: Dion Boucicault
Release Date: May 17, 2007 [EBook #21515]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VENICE
PRESERVED ***

Produced by David Widger

TRAGEDY OF VENICE PRESERVED,
BY THOMAS OTWAY

PRODUCED AT BOOTH'S THEATRE SEPTEMBER 7TH, 1874.
REVISED BY DIO BOUCICAULT

A TRAGEDY IN FIVE ACTS
WITH THE STAGE BUSINESS, CAST OF CHARACTER,
COSTUMES. RELATIVE POSITIONS. &c.
HENRY L. HINTON & CO., 744 Broadway.
1874.

COSTUMES.
DUKE-Crimson velvet dress, with purple robe, richly embroidered
with gold.
PRIULI-Purple velvet dress, scarlet mantle, black trunks puffed with
buck satin, black silk stockings, shoes and roses, black sword, round
black hat, and black plumes.
BEDAMAR-Purple doublet and breeches, embroidered, russet boots,
round black hat, and plumes.
JAFFIER-Same as Priuli--except mantle.
PIERRE-White doublet and blue Venetian fly, embroidered, white
pantaloons, russet boots, black sword, round black hat, and scarlet
plumes.
RENAULT-Black velvet doublet and trunks, buff pantaloons, russet
boots, dark cloak, embroidered, round black hat, and plumes.
SENATORS-Black gowns trimmed with ermine, and black caps.

CONSPIRATORS-Rich Venetian dresses.
GUARDS-Grey doublets, breeches, and hats.
BELVIDERA-First dress: White satin, trimmed with silver, long purple
robe, richly embroidered with gold. Second dress: White muslin.
EXITS AND ENTRANCES. R. means Right; L. Left: R. D. Right
Door; L. D. Left Door; & B. Second Entrance; U. E. Upper Entrance;
M. D. Middle Door.
RELATIVE POSITIONS. R., means Right; L.,Left; C, Centre; R. C,
Right of Centre h. C, Left of Centre.

EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION.
The story of "Venice Preserved" is partly founded upon St. Real's
History of the Conspiracy of the Spaniards against the Republic of
Venice, in 1618. Voltaire compares the author of this History to Sallust;
and pronounces it superior to the English tragedy--an assertion, which,
like many others from the same source, was the convenient sentence of
an adroit but reckless ignorance. The merits of St. Real are undoubtedly
great; but Otway's indebtedness to him is exceedingly slight; and it is
remarkable to see how ingeniously, from a few meagre historical
details, the great dramatist has constructed one of the noblest
imaginative works of which literature can boast. The names of nearly
all the dramatis personæ with the exception of Belvidera, are taken
from St. Real; but their characters are Otway's, and his plot is almost
wholly original. The true Pierre was a Norman corsair, who had
accumulated a fortune by plundering ships in the Mediterranean. He
was eventually strangled on board his own ship by order of the
Venetian Senate. Jaffier was of Provence, and appears to have engaged
in the plot against the state from his friendship for Pierre, and the
prospect of gain. History says nothing of his wrongs, or his love for the
daughter of Priuli; and he was shaken in his faith to the conspiracy, not
by the tears of a woman, but partly by nis detestation of the sanguinary

speech of Renault (in which Otway follows the history), and partly
from being struck with compunction during the spectacle of the Doge's
wedding the Adriatic, when his imagination contrasted the public
rejoicings with the desolation which was to follow. After disclosing the
plot, and experiencing the perfidy of the Senate, who had promised him
the lives of his friends, he was made captive while bearing arms against
Venice, and drowned the day after his arrival in the city. Renault,
according to St. Real, was an old French gentleman, who had fled to
Venice for some unknown cause, and there became acquainted with the
Marquis de Bedmar. Though poor, he esteemed virtue more than riches,
and glory more than virtue. He had abilities, courage, a contempt for
life, and a passion for distinction. The affront towards Belvidera, of
which Otway makes him guilty, was a pure invention of the author,
unsupported by any trait which history ascribes to Renault.
Few plays owe so much to the pruning-knife for their success as this. In
its unexpurgated state, "Venice Preserved" leaves an impression far less
favorable to the genius, as well as the moral sense of the author, than in
its present abridged and rectified shape. In the language of Campbell,
"never were beauties and faults more easily separated than those of this
tragedy. The latter, in its purification for the stage, came off like dirt
from a fine statue, taking away nothing from its symmetrical surface,
and leaving us only to wonder how