tis Skinner.
PEPE,[1] _Malatesta's jester_ Mr. Louis James.
CARDINAL, _Friend to Guido_ Mr. Charles Rolfe.
RENE,[1] _A troubadour_ Mr. Percy Winter.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI, _Guido's daughter_ Miss Marie Wainwright.
RITTA, _Her maid_ Miss Rosie Batchelder.

_Lords, Ladies, Knights, Priests, Soldiers, Pages, Attendants, etc._

Grand Opera House, Chicago, August 26, 1901.

MALATESTA, _Lord of Rimini_ Mr. W.J. Constantine.
GUIDO DA POLENTA, _Lord of Ravenna_ Mr. E.A. Eberle.
LANCIOTTO, _Malatesta's son_ Mr. Otis Skinner.
PAOLO, _His brother_ Mr. Aubrey Boucicault.
PEPE, _Malatesta's jester_ Mr. William Norris.
CARDINAL, _Friend to Guido_ Mr. Frederick von Rensselar.
RENE, _A troubadour_ Mr. Fletcher Norton.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI, _Guido's daughter_ Miss Marcia Van Dresser.
RITTA, _Her maid_ Miss Gertrude Norman.

_Lords, Ladies, Knights, Priests, Soldiers, Pages, Attendants, etc._
SCENE. _Rimini, Ravenna, and the neighbourhood._
TIME. _About 1300 A.D._

[Footnote 1: In the original edition, the accents in the names of PEPE
and RENE are used only in the Dramatis Personae, and not in the body of
the book.]

FRANCESCA DA RIMINI

ACT I.

SCENE I. _Rimini. The Garden of the Palace. PAOLO and a number of
noblemen are discovered, seated under an arbour, surrounded by RENE,
and other troubadours, attendants, &c._

PAOLO. I prithee, Rene, charm our ears again
With the same song you sang me yesterday.
Here are fresh listeners.

RENE. Really, my good lord,
My voice is out of joint. A grievous cold--

[_Coughs._

PAOLO. A very grievous, but convenient cold,
Which always racks you when you would not sing.

RENE. O, no, my lord! Besides, I hoped to hear
My ditty warbled into fairer ears,
By your own lips; to better purpose, too.

[_The NOBLEMEN all laugh._

FIRST NOBLEMAN. Rene has hit it. Music runs to waste
In ears like ours.

SECOND NOBLEMAN. Nay, nay; chaunt on, sweet Count.

PAOLO. [_Coughing._] Alack! you hear, I've caught poor Rene's cough.

FIRST NOBLEMAN. That would not be, if we wore petticoats.

[_Th