Chapter III: Act I: The Blacksmith Shop of “Blacksmith Bess.” Dawn

ACTS II., III., and IV.—Justice Merton’s Parlor.
Morning, afternoon, and evening.

Produced under the direction of Edgar Selwyn

Incidental and entre’act music by Robert Hood Bowers
The portrait of Justice Merton, as a young man,
by John W. Alexander

Scenery designed and painted by H. Robert Law
Costumes by Darian, from designs by Byron Nestor

All of the music composed especially for this production,
by ROBERT HOOD BOWERS

OVERTURE—Devil’s Motif; Hymn; Love Motif;
Ravensbane’s Minuet, etc.

FIRST ENTRE’ACT—Ravensbane goes a-wooing.
He is instructed in the art by the Devil.
He aspires to Rachel’s hand.

SECOND ENTRE’ACT—The challenge to the duel.
The squire sends his second, the town dandy,
to wait upon Ravensbane.

THIRD ENTRE’ACT—Ravensbane’s crow song with
its tragic ending. His despair.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

JUSTICE GILEAD MERTON.
GOODY RICKBY (“_Blacksmith Bess_”).
LORD RAVENSBANE (“_Marquis of Oxford, Baron of Wittenberg,
Elector of Worms, and Count of Cordova_”),
_their hypothetical son_.
DICKON, _a Yankee improvisation of the Prince of Darkness_.
RACHEL MERTON, _niece of the Justice_.
MISTRESS CYNTHIA MERTON, _sister of the Justice_.
RICHARD TALBOT, _Esquire_, _betrothed to Rachel_.
SIR CHARLES REDDINGTON, _Lieutenant Governor_.
MISTRESS REDDINGTON }
} _his daughters_.
AMELIA REDDINGTON }
CAPTAIN BUGBY, _the Governor’s Secretary_.
MINISTER DODGE.
MISTRESS DODGE, _his wife_.
REV. MASTER RAND, _of Harvard College_.
REV. MASTER TODD, _of Harvard College_.
MICAH, _a servant of the Justice_.

TIME.—_Late Seventeenth Century._
PLACE.—_A town in Massachusetts._