Note 25 — Chapter VII · The Witch in Dramatic Literature

Sir Adolphus Ward, English Dramatic Literature, 1899, II, 465, says that Langbaine wrongly supposed the source of this play to be “Machiavelli’s celebrated Novella on the marriage of Belphegor.” But this is hardly correct. Langbaine wrote: “The beginning of his Play seems to be writ in imitation of Matchiavel’s Novel of Belphegor: where Pluto summons the Devils to Councel.”