[10] The Witch of Edmonton was revived under my direction for two performances at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, 24 and 26 April, 1921. Sybil Thorndike played the Witch, Russell Thorndike, the Familiar; Ion Swinley, Frank Thorney; Edith Evans, Ann Ratcliffe; and Frank Cochrane, Cuddy Banks.

[11] 4to 1634: Stationers’ Register, 28 October.

[12] In a famous Scotch trial for witchcraft, 1661, Jonet Watson of Dalkeith confessed “that the Deivill apeired vnto her in the liknes of ane prettie boy, in grein clothes.”

[13] Liber III. De Magis et Maleficis Finnorum.

[14] Tegue o’ Divelly was acted by Antony Leigh, the most famous comedian of his day, and an intimate friend of Shadwell.

[15] Curiously enough Halliwell in The Poetry of Witchcraft, a private reprint of Heywood and Shadwell’s plays, 80 copies only, 1853, has not reproduced the italic letter but gives all the dialogue in roman to the great detriment of this edition.

[16] Licensed for printing 2 November, 1672, and published quarto with date 1673.

[17] At a later revival Ismeron’s recitative “Ye twice ten hundred Deities” was set by Purcell.

[18] Dryden’s. He wrote the first scene of the first act, the whole of the fourth act, rather more than one-half of act five, and Lee is responsible for the rest of the tragedy.

[19] For a full analysis and critical examination of Zoroastres see my article in the Modern Language Review, XII, Jan., 1917.

[20] The title-rôle Dame Dobson was played by Mrs. Corey, a mistress of broad comedy, who was much admired for her humour by Samuel Pepys.

[21] Mrs. Behn owes a hint to Shirley’s The Lady of Pleasure, licensed by Sir Henry Herbert, 15 October, 1635; 4to. 1637. It must be confessed that she has managed her scenes with more wit and spirit than the older dramatist, whose charming verse is perhaps too seriously poetical for the actual situation.

[22] George Sinclar, Satan’s Invisible World Discovered, 1685. Reprint, Edinburgh, 1871. Supplement, I, p. xii.

[23] The Maid’s Revenge, acted 1626, printed 1639.

[24] Compare Mopus in Wilson’s The Cheats (acted in 1662); Stargaze in The City Madam; Rusee, Norbrett, and their accomplices in Rollo; Iacchelino in Ariosto’s Il Negromante; and a score beside.

[25] Sir Adolphus Ward, English Dramatic Literature, 1899, II, 465, says that Langbaine wrongly supposed the source of this play to be “Machiavelli’s celebrated Novella on the marriage of Belphegor.” But this is hardly correct. Langbaine wrote: “The beginning of his Play seems to be writ in imitation of Matchiavel’s Novel of Belphegor: where Pluto summons the Devils to Councel.”

[26] For a fitting account of Alexander VI see Le Pape Alexandre VI et les Borgia, Paris, 1870, by Père Ollivier, O.P.; also Leonetti Papa Alessandro VI secondo documenti e carteggi del tempo, 3 vols., Bologna, 1880. Chronicles of the House of Borgia, by Frederick, Baron Corvo, 1901, may be studied with profit. Monsignor de Roo’s Material for a History of Pope Alexander VI, 5 vols., Bruges, 1924, is of the greatest value, and completely authoritative.

[27] The murderer of the Duke of Gandia is unknown to history, if not to historians.

[28] The songs only are printed, 8vo, 1783.

[29] Fosbrooke, British Monachism, says that in the reign of Henry VI one Isolde de Heton petitioned the King to let her be admitted as an anchoress in the Abbey of Whalley. But afterwards she left the enclosure and broke her vows, whereupon the King dissolved the hermitage.

[30] The incidents are historically correct. See Cotton Mather’s Wonders of the Invisible World. Corey refusing to plead was pressed to death.

[31] Originally produced 10 October, 1910, at the Royalty, Glasgow: in London, 31 January, 1911, at the Court. Revived at the Court, 29 October, 1913, when it ran for a month, and was afterwards included in the subsequent three weeks’ repertory season.