The Adventures of David Simple (1904)/Dramatis Personae

by Henry Fielding

Dramatis Personae

David Simple, elder son and rightful heir of Daniel Simple, mercer of Ludgate Hill.
Daniel Simple, his wicked brother.
John and Peggy:	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	two servants suborned by Daniel to witness the forged will disinheriting his brother.
Mr. Johnson, a jeweller.
His elder daughter, who marries a rich Jew.
Nancy, his second daughter, who jilts David and marries Mr. Nokes
Betty Trusty, her maid.
A Carpenter, who extols his ugly and lazy spouse as the best wife in the world.
Another man, with a patient and industrious wife, whom he abuses.
Mr. Orgueil, the censorious critic, who introduces David to the various sorts of life in London.
Mr. Spatter, who introduces David to the fashionable coteries, and pulls to pieces, ridicules and abuses all the people they meet with.
Mr. Varnish, who sings the praises of everybody, and has "the appearance of good-nature, but is not at all affected with the sufferings of others."
Lady———, Cynthia's tyrannical protectress.
Cynthia, an unfortunate young lady, loved by David. "After being hated by her family as a wit (she) is insulted as a fool by her patroness."
The Earl of———, Lady———'s nephew, who proposes to Cynthia.
Valentine, an unfortunate young man, befriended by David.
Camilla, his more unfortunate sister, whom David loves.
Mr.———, their father, deceived by Livia.
Livia, his second wife, whose beauty belies her odious disposition, and who drives Valentine and Camilla from their father's house by her remorseless persecution.
A Clergyman	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$	Cynthia's fellow-travellers in the coach.
An Atheist
A Butterfly, "as he had neither profession nor characters, I know not what other name to give him",
The Marquis of Stainville, a chivalrous French gentleman.
Isabelle, another unfortunate young lady, his sister.
Julie, her friend, a passionate girl, who dies of a broken heart.
Monsieur Le Buisson, who loves Isabelle, and is loved by Julie.
The Chevalier Dumont, a French Adonis, irresistible to the ladies, but of invincible virtue; Stainville's friend.
Monsieur Le Neuf, a villainous friend of Stainville and Dumont.
Dorimene, Stainville's wife, who falls uncontrollably in love with Dumont.
The Comte de———, her father.
Vieuville, Dorimene's brother. He is madly in love with Isabelle, but fortunately falls still more madly in love with some one else.
Pandolph, an old servant of Stainville's.
Sacharissa and Corinna	$\scriptstyle {\left\{{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right.}$	Two English young ladies at Paris, whose contrasts of character point the moral of Cynthia's story.
Monsieur Le Vive, a man who always acts according to his passions.
The Balancer, a man who finds every act in life as difficult as an abstruse mathematical problem.