A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
ARTIFEX
An artificer. He hopes to be hired by Fraud and Dissimulation, but they spurn him because he is poor.
BEADLE
The officer who whips Simplicity is also refereed to as a Beadle.
BIFRONS
Only mentioned by Serviceable Diligence, who compares the deformed Love to "Bifrons the base daughter of Juno."
BRIBERY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
CLERK of the 'SIZE
The Clerk of the Assizes officiates in the trial of Conscience, Love and Lucre.
COGGIN
Coggin is Dissimulation's man. He reads the guest-list for Dissimulation's wedding, and fetches Doctor Hypocrisy.
CONSCIENCE
Conscience is, along with Love and Lucre, one of the eponymous ladies of London. She and Love are fearful that Lucre will take over London. They refuse to take on Dissimulation, Simony, Usury and Fraud as servants. Conscience is dragged into poverty by Lucre. She is unable to help Sincerity in his search for a benefice but writes a letter to Lucre asking her to help him. Her house is taken over by Lucre's agent Usury. She is unable to prevent Usury from murdering Hospitality. Conscience is eventually forced to become a broom-seller. She is then ready for corruption by Lucre, who buys all her brooms, and asks her to spend the money on beautifying up her house so that they can have frivolous fun together. In the final scene, Conscience is brought before Judge Nemo, who accuses her of being Lucre's bawd. Conscience admits that she has been corrupted, and the Judge then spots a letter, hidden in her bosom. The letter is from Lucre, ordering Conscience not to give her away. Lucre is thus symbolically unmasked by Conscience. Conscience is punished for her corruption by being sent to prison.
CRACKO
A "ghost character." A parishioner of Sir Peter Please-Man, who defended Simony in a debate with Presco.
CRETICUS
A lawyer whom Lucre is accused of adultery with. Possibly the same character as the unnamed Lawyer in a previous scene.
CRIER
A Crier announces the beginning of the trial of Love, Conscience and Lucre.
CRUELTY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
DECEIT
A "ghost character." Fraud's brother, who, according to Simplicity, bears the same coat-of-arms as Fraud.
DEEP DECEIT
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
DISSIMULATION
Sometimes referred to as 'Davy Dissimulation.' He wears "a farmer's long coat, and a cap and pole, and beard painted motley" in order to make people think he is an honest farmer. However, he does not fool Simplicity. Neither does he fool Love or Conscience when he, Fraud, Usury and Simony ask to become their servants. They eventually find service with Lucre who makes Dissimulation her steward. When Lucre is forcing Conscience and Love into poverty, Dissimulation gives money to Love, but does nothing to help Conscience. This is because he wants to marry Love, to improve his reputation. Dissimulation and Love are married with a huge party. He escapes trial at the end of the play, and is last heard of walking the streets in a citizen's gown.
DOCTOR HYPOCRISY
A "ghost character." The priest who marries Dissimulation and Love.
FAME
At the beginning of the play, Fame assures Love and Conscience that they will be rewarded as long as they steer clear of Lucre. Sadly, they fail to do so.
FARDINANDO FALSE-WEIGHT
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love. He is the husband of Frissit False-Measure.
FLATTERY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
FORGERY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
FORNICATION'S WIFE
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
FRAUD
Fraud carries "a sword and buckler like a ruffian." He meets Dissimulation, Simony and Usury on the way to London, as well as Simplicity, who annoys him by recounting his misdeeds. The four wicked characters fail to persuade Love and Conscience to hire them as servants, but they are accepted by Lucre, who makes Fraud her rent-gatherer. Lucre orders Fraud to rob Mercadore, which he does, aided by Tom Beggar and Wily Will. When Simplicity is whipped for presumed complicity in the robbery, Fraud refuses to help him.
FRISSIT FALSE-MEASURE
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love. She is the wife of Fardinando False-Weight.
GERONTUS
A Jewish moneylender and merchant in Turkey with whom Mercadore deals. When Mercadore fails to repay his debts, Gerontus takes him to court. But Mercadore outwits him by converting to Islam; under Turkish law, converts do not have to repay any debts they have incurred.
HEADSTRONG
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
HOSPITALITY
An old man who invites Love and Conscience to dinner when they are suffering poverty. When Simplicity complains about the simple food, Hospitality reminds him that he is trying to help the poor, not lay on a banquet. Hospitality says bad things about Usury, who murders him in revenge.
INJURY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
JUDGE NEMO
The Judge who tries Love, Conscience and Lucre and sends them to prison.
JUDGE of TURKEY
The Turkish judge tries Mercadore for his refusal to repay debts to Gerontus. But Mercadore outwits them by converting to Islam; under Turkish law, converts do not have to repay any debts they have incurred.
LAWYER
The Lawyer is hired by Lucre after being preferred by Fraud and Dissimulation. He may be the same character as 'Creticus the Lawyer' with whom Lucre is later accused of adultery.
LOVE
Love is, along with Conscience and Lucre, one of the eponymous ladies of London. She and Conscience are fearful that Lucre will take over London. They refuse to take on Dissimulation, Simony, Usury and Fraud as servants. Love is brought into poverty by Lucre, and becomes her waiting-maid. She then agrees to marry Dissimulation. After the marriage she regrets it, because she has turned into 'lascivious Lust.' Lucre tries to cheer her up with frivolous pleasures. When Love appears in court, she is deformed, and protests that Lucre has corrupted her. For her punishment, Judge Nemo sends her to the same place as Lucre.
LUCAR
The original text's spelling of 'Lucre.'
LUCRE
Lucre is, along with Love and Conscience, one of the eponymous ladies of London. She has taken over the city, and all manner of allegorical figures are hurrying to London to get their hands on the spoils. She hires Dissimulation, Fraud, Usury and Simony to be her servants. She also hires Mercadore to smuggle foreign goods into England. When Sincerity begs for assistance, she offers him the worthless parish of St. Nihil's. She drags Conscience and Love into poverty, and then corrupts them by giving them money to spend on frivolities. She orders Fraud to rob Mercadore. In the final scene she is brought to trial by Judge Nemo, who accuses her of adultery with Mercadore and Creticus; of the robbery of Mercadore; and of consenting to the murder of Hospitality. She is found guilty when a letter from Lucre ordering her silence is found in Conscience's bosom. Lucre is punished with being sent to a "place of darkness."
MERCADORE
An Italian merchant with a comedy accent. He bribes Dissimulation to prefer him to Lucre, who hires him to smuggle foreign goods into England and flood the country with overpriced trinkets. Mercadore reports to Usury that Hospitality has said bad things about him. In Turkey, he borrows money from Gerontus the Jew and does not pay it back. Gerontus takes him to court, but Mercadore outwits him by converting to Islam; under Turkish law, converts do not have to repay any debts they have incurred. On his return to England, Mercadore is robbed on the orders of Lucre.
OFFICER
An Officer ("or two if you can") whips Simplicity. The Officer is also referred to as a Beadle.
OLD LADY LUCRE
A "ghost character." The mother of Lucre. Old Lady Lucre used to live in Venice, where Usury was her servant. Now she is dead, Usury has come to work for her daughter in London.
PERJURY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
PICKARIE
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
PLAIN-DEALING
A "ghost character." Simplicity's father, who was undone by Usury.
PRESCO
A "ghost character." A parishioner of Sir Peter Please-Man, who condemned Simony in a debate with Presco.
PRIVY-THEFT
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
RICH MAN
A "ghost character." Usury hides at the home of a rich man after murdering Hospitality.
SERVICABLE DILIGENCE
A constable. He orders Simplicity to be whipped on suspicion of complicity in the robbery of Mercadore. He also brings Love, Conscience and Lucre before Judge Nemo.
SIMONY
Simony travels to London hand in hand with Usury. Lucre makes him her servant, putting him in charge of "such matters as are ecclesiastical." He encourages Lucre to aid his friend, Sir Peter Please-Man. He helps Usury to escape the law after murdering Hospitality. Simony escapes trial by Judge Nemo, and is last heard of chatting with the clergy in St Paul's.
SIMPLICITY
Simplicity is dressed "like a miller, all mealy, with a wand in his hand." He has come to London to become a servant because all the girls laugh at millers. He meets Dissimulation, Fraud, Usury and Simony on the way, but he is shrewd enough to recognize them all. He is accepted by Love as her servant. He tries to help his friend Sincerity to gain preferment as a priest, but although Conscience writes a letter, Simplicity fails to get him anything from Lucre except a parish called St. Nihil's. He takes Conscience's and Love's gowns to Usury to help pay their rent. When Hospitality is murdered, Simplicity does not lament, because he disliked the food at his house. Simplicity is disappointed when he and Sincerity visit Sir Nicholas Nemo's house and find there is nothing there. He decides to become a beggar with Tom Beggar and Wily Will, and they sing a song together. But the two beggars always con Simplicity out of the best takings, and when Tom and Will rob Mercadore, Simplicity is whipped by Serviceable Diligence's men on suspicion of complicity.
SINCERITY
Sincerity is a poor cousin of Simplicity. He studied to be a preacher, but cannot find work. He asks Simplicity to prefer him to Love and Conscience. They have no money to help him, but Conscience writes a letter to Lucre asking for help. Sincerity hopes Lucre will find him a benefice or parsonage, but all she offers is the worthless parish of St. Nihil's. Sir Nicholas Nemo then offers to help and invites him to his house, but Sincerity can see that he is a nonentity. Sure enough, when Sincerity and Simplicity visit Nemo's house, there is nothing there.
SIR NICHOLAS NEMO
Sir Nicholas Nemo offers to help Sincerity and invites him to his house, but Sincerity can see that he is a nonentity. Sure enough, when Sincerity and Simplicity visit Nemo's house, there is nothing there.
SIR PETER PLEASE-MAN
A superficial parson, who asks Simony to prefer him to Lucre as her chaplain. His only desire is to speak whatever pleases his listeners, and he is not even sure what religion he represents.
TOM BEGGAR
Tom Beggar and Wily Will are an efficient begging team. Simplicity joins them and they sing a song together. But they fool Simplicity out of all the best takings. On the orders of Fraud, they rob Mercadore the merchant.
TREACHERY
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.
USURY
Usury was formerly the servant of Old Lady Lucre in Venice, but on her death he has come to London to be the servant of her daughter, Lucre. He enters hand-in-hand with Simony. Lucre makes him her secretary. On her orders he drags Love and Conscience into poverty, takes over Conscience's house, and puts up the rents. He murders Hospitality. He escapes trial by Judge Nemo, and is last heard of at the Exchange.
WILY WILL
Wily Will and Tom Beggar are an efficient begging team. Simplicity joins them and they sing a song together. But they fool Simplicity out of all the best takings. On the orders of Fraud, they rob Mercadore the merchant.
WINK-AT-WRONG
A "ghost character." A guest at the wedding of Dissimulation and Love.