THE ENGLISH TRAVELER

1621–1633

BESSE
Wife's chambermaid. Tells Young Geraldine that Wife and Dalavill have been in Wife's bedroom together.

BLANDA
A whore. Daughter of Scapha Girlfriend of Young Lionell. Though a prostitute, and the daughter of a prostitute, Blanda still believes in love.

CLOWN
Clown and messenger of Wincott's household. Involved in the riotous parties at Young Lionell's. Tells Young Geraldine that his friend Master Wincott misses him and wants to see him, though Old Geraldine has asked Young Geraldine not to go near Wincott's Wife.

DALAVILL
Scholar friend of Young Geraldine Secret lover of Wife of Wincott. He pretends to be courting Prudentilla in order to deflect suspicion. After Young Geraldine confronts him, Wife faints in Dalavill's arms. He runs away, and she later dies.

GERALDINE, OLD
Father of Young Geraldine, neighbor of Wincott, Old Lionell, and Ricot, and a widower. Dalavill tells him that people are talking about Young Geraldine and Wincott's Wife, so he tells his son that he should stay away from Wincott's house where he has been a frequent visitor. Seeing that Wife is finding ways to be near Young Geraldine, Old Geraldine tells him that he should get married, unaware that Young Geraldine has vowed not to marry until Wincott is dead and he and Wife are free to marry.

GERALDINE, YOUNG
Traveller and soldier, has been away from home having adventures. Son of Old Geraldine. He is close to Wincott and is indebted to him for his kindness and friendship. He is also in love with Wincott's Wife, who was a childhood playmate. Not wanting to betray Wincott's trust, Geraldine and Wife vow to marry when Wincott dies. Geraldine vows to woo no other before then. When he finds out that his friend Dalavill has been Wife's lover, he vows to leave the country. Wincott is dismayed that he is leaving, and plans a banquet in his honor. Just before the feast, Young Geraldine angrily confronts Wife. She confesses to him, faints, writes a note of confession to Wincott, then dies.

LIONELL, OLD
Father of Young Lionell; neighbor of Old Geraldine, Wincott, and Ricot. A merchant seaman, he has just come home from a long voyage to find his house locked. His servant Reignald tells him that it is haunted by the ghost of someone murdered by the former Owner of the house. Reignald is trying to keep him away from the house while Young Lionell and his friends try to cover up the damage done by three years of wild living. Old Lionell becomes suspicious when he hears the Usurer demanding the return of the money that Reignald and Young Lionell have borrowed. After learning the truth, he forgives them both, resigned to the idea that youths will behave foolishly.

LIONELL, YOUNG
Son of Old Lionell. He and the servant Reignald have been using up his father's estate with raucous living and wild parties while Old Lionell was at sea. He pretends to return Blanda's love, while enjoying himself with various wenches. He knows that what he does is wrong, but blames his behavior on youthful foolishness.

OWNER
Former Owner of Old Lionell's house. Reignald tells Old Lionell that Owner has murdered someone who is haunting the house as part of his plan to keep Old Lionell away from the house while Young Lionell and the others try to mask the damage they've done in three years of wild living. Owner assures Old Lionell that he has murdered no one and the house is not haunted.

PRUDENTILLA
Sister to Wife of Wincott Attracted to Young Geraldine. Dalavill pretends to court her, though he is Wife's secret lover.

REIGNALD
Servant to Old Lionell, who has been using his Master's house as a brothel in his 2-year absence. He and Young Lionell have been using up Old Lionell's money in wild living, and have had to borrow from the Usurer. Reignald creates a complicated ruse to fool Old Lionell when he returns from sea.

RICOT
Neighbor of Old Lionell, Old Geraldine, and Wincott. Reignald tells Old Lionell that Young Lionell has spent the Usurer's money to buy Ricot's house because a murdered ghost haunts his. He tells Ricot that Old Lionell wants to see his house because he is thinking of doing some remodeling to his own house similar to that done at Ricot's. As a close neighbor, Ricot is aware of the wild parties that have been taking place at Old Lionell's.

RIOTER
Playboy friend of Reignald and Young Lionell. Listens to Young Lionell's complaints about Scapha. Attends Young Lionell's wild parties.

ROBIN
Servant to Old Lionell. Cares for the livestock. Scandalized by Reignald and Young Lionell's misuse of Old Lionell's estate in his absence. Tells Old Lionell about it when he returns from a long merchant voyage.

SCAPHA
A whore, mother of Blanda. Scapha scolds her daughter for loving only one man, telling her that there is more profit in "loving" many men. She sees men as things to be used, telling Blanda not to trust in her lover, Young Lionell, who becomes angry when he hears this and vows retribution against Scapha.

USURER
A moneylender. Loudly demands from Reignald the money that Young Lionell has borrowed from him to finance his parties. Overhearing this, Old Lionell becomes suspicious, knowing that he had left his son sufficient funds to run the estate in a responsible manner during his absence.

USURER'S MAN
Short inconsequential walk-on with Usurer.

WIFE
Young wife of old Master Wincott (Wife and Young Geraldine grew up together as playmates). They are secretly in love and have promised to marry when Wincott dies. She is also secretly sleeping with Dalavill, a guest in the Wincott house and a friend of Young Geraldine. When Young Geraldine confronts her, she confesses then faints. After writing a note of confession to Wincott, she dies.

WINCOTT
Older man married to young Wife. Friend and neighbor of Old Lionell, Old Geraldine and Ricot. Very fond of Young Geraldine. He has no children himself. He has not been abroad, and loves to hear the tales of Young Geraldine's travels. Wincott is oblivious to the romance between Young Geraldine and his Wife, and the tryst between Dalavill and his Wife. Devastated by Young Geraldine's plan to leave again, he plans a banquet in his honor. Just before the feast begins, Young Geraldine angrily confronts Wife for her infidelity to him with Dalavill. She confesses to Young Geraldine, faints, writes a note of confession to Wincott, then dies. Wincott seems more pleased that Young Geraldine is staying after all than he is saddened by his Wife's death.