The Merry Devil of Edmonton

In Short

The Merry Devil of Edmonton is an anonymous late-sixteenth-century comedy that blends romantic trickery, magical folklore, and rustic farce. Set in the countryside near London, the plot follows the scholar Peter Fabell, who uses his cunning tricks to help his friend Raymond Mounchensey marry Milliscent Clare despite her father’s attempt to break their betrothal and lock her in a nunnery. Filled with nighttime chases, brawling poachers, and foolish tavern companions, the play has endured for centuries as one of the most vibrant, entertaining, and frequently performed rogue comedies of the English Renaissance.

The Story

The play opens with a striking, dark prologue introducing Peter Fabell, a scholar of Middlesex who once outsmarted the devil Coreb by tricking the fiend into granting him seven additional years of life. When that time expires, Fabell uses his wizardry to bind the devil to a chair, earning further freedom and swearing to dedicate his remaining time and intellect to serving his friends rather than dark arts.

The human conflict begins at an inn in Waltham, where Sir Arthur Clare decides to break the longstanding betrothal between his daughter, Milliscent, and her true love, Raymond Mounchensey. Because Raymond’s father has suffered severe financial losses, Sir Arthur deems the family too poor. He schemes to send Milliscent to the nunnery at Cheston under the guise of a temporary religious trial, secretly intending to marry her off to the wealthy young Frank Jerningham instead. Milliscent is horrified, swearing to remain faithful to Raymond even if it means ruining her own life.

Raymond falls into deep despair, but his loyal friend Fabell steps in to orchestrate a daring rescue. Together with Frank Jerningham—who has no interest in stealing his friend's bride—they hatch a plan. Disguised as a friar and visitor from Waltham, Raymond sneaks into the Cheston convent to hear Milliscent’s confession. He reveals his identity to her, gives her a penance of a thousand kisses, and instructs her to escape that evening to a rendezvous point near the local willow grounds.

The escape quickly devolves into nighttime chaos in the dark paths of Enfield Chase. While Raymond and Milliscent flee toward a keeper's lodge, a local parson named Sir John, the boisterous innkeeper Host Blague, and the drunken blacksmith Smug are out stealing the King's deer. The poachers, the fleeing lovers, and the angry fathers all cross paths in the pitch-black forest. Sir Arthur Clare and Sir Ralph Jerningham pursue the runaway couple, but they are delayed and confronted by Brian, the stern forest keeper, who accuses the noblemen of being venison thieves while the young lovers slip away under cover of darkness.

By morning, the confusion culminates at a neighboring inn. Fabell and his companions have secretly switched the inn's signboards to mislead the pursuing fathers, while the local parson swiftly performs a secret marriage ceremony for Raymond and Milliscent. When Sir Arthur and Sir Ralph finally corner the group, they realize they have been thoroughly outwitted by Fabell's clever tricks and the solidarity of the young generation. Accepting that the match cannot be undone by law or force, Sir Arthur yields, forgives the lovers, and joins the merry crowd for a celebratory breakfast.

How It Unfolds

The devil is outwitted When the fiend Coreb arrives to claim the soul of the scholar Peter Fabell, the cunning magician tricks the spirit into sitting in his magical chair, binding him until Coreb grants him seven more years of life on earth.

A father breaks his word Sir Arthur Clare decides to dissolve the match between his daughter Milliscent and Raymond Mounchensey due to the Mounchensey family's sudden poverty, plotting to send her to a nunnery so he can secretly wed her to a wealthier suitor.

A friend vows to help Refusing to let his friend suffer, Peter Fabell vows to use his scholarly wits and magic to thwart Sir Arthur's scheme, while Frank Jerningham selflessly refuses to marry Milliscent against Raymond's wishes.

A lover in disguise Disguised as a visiting friar, Raymond gains access to the convent at Cheston, hears Milliscent’s confession, and arranges a secret midnight escape in the forest.

Chaos in the forest Under cover of a pitch-black night in Enfield Chase, the escaping lovers, the pursuing fathers, and a group of drunken deer poachers all stumble into one another, leaving the forest keeper to mistake the knights for venison thieves.

A tricky wedding Having altered the town’s tavern signs to disorient the pursuers, Fabell ensures that a local parson quickly weds Raymond and Milliscent before the fathers can intervene.

Reconciliation at dawn Faced with a legally binding marriage and Fabell's clever contrivances, Sir Arthur accepts his new son-in-law, inviting everyone inside to feast and celebrate the triumphant union.

The People

• Peter Fabell: A brilliant scholar and magician who outsmarts the devil to save his own soul. He turns his formidable intelligence toward helping his young friend, using clever ruses rather than dark magic to orchestrate the happy marriage.
• Raymond Mounchensey: A devoted young lover driven to desperation when his betrothed is forced into a nunnery. He shows great courage by donning a disguise and sneaking into the convent to rescue her.
• Milliscent Clare: A brave and resolute young woman who flatly rejects her father's financial motives. She prefers to run away or turn mad rather than prove untrue to her real love.
• Sir Arthur Clare: A calculating and status-conscious father who puts money before his daughter's happiness. He uses the church as a convenient cover to break a binding pledge, though he ultimately yields to his daughter's choice.
• Frank Jerningham: Raymond's loyal companion who refuses to cooperate with his own father's scheme to marry Milliscent, prioritizing deep friendship over wealth and status.
• Host Blague: The eccentric, loud-mouthed innkeeper of the George who repeatedly boasts of serving the Duke of Norfolk while enthusiastically taking part in midnight poaching and romantic trickery.

In Its Own Voice

"His memory yet in the mouths of men, / That whilst he lived he could deceive the Devill."

Fabell’s legendary reputation as a cunning master of wizardry is established in the play's opening prologue.

"I have a plot, a trick, and this is it- / Under this colour I’ll break off the match: / I’ll tell the knight that now my mind is changd / For marrying of my daughter, for I intend / To send her unto Cheston Nunry."

Sir Arthur Clare cold-bloodedly reveals his scheme to sever his daughter's romance under the pretense of religious devotion.

"Smile, then, upon your daughter and kind son, / And let our toil to future ages prove, / The devil of Edmonton did good in Love."

Fabell steps forward in the final act to appeal to the fathers, asking them to forgive the young couple and celebrate the power of true love.

What It's Really About

Beneath its swift comedic pacing, the play examines the clash between mercenary parental ambition and the genuine affection of youth. Sir Arthur Clare views marriage purely as a financial transaction, willing to exploit holy institutions like the convent to break a contract once his prospective in-laws lose their wealth. Against this cold materialism stands a web of deep loyalty—not only between Raymond and Milliscent, but among their friends, who actively resist their parents' greed. The play also explores the boundary between dark magic and human ingenuity, showing how intellect and quick wits, when guided by love and loyalty, can disarm both literal demons and tyrannical fathers.

Why Read It Today

The Merry Devil of Edmonton is a delight for anyone who loves Elizabethan theater, romantic misadventures, and lively medieval folklore. The play moves at a brisk, energetic pace, combining clever domestic intrigue with colorful working-class comedy. Readers will enjoy the memorable dialogue of its lower-class characters—like the eccentric innkeeper Blague and the drunken, boisterous smith Smug—who bring the tavern life of historical England to vibrant light.

While readers should be prepared for archaic verse, early modern slang, and the occasional period stereotype, the drama remains remarkably accessible due to its direct plot and rich humor. It captures the charm of English country life, full of dark forests, glowing inns, and midnight escapades. Above all, it delivers a satisfying, heartwarming story where youth, cleverness, and love triumph over greed and authority.