**SILVIO, King of Cups**, Monarch of an imaginary Kingdom, whose clothing imitated that of the Kings from playing cards, complained to Pantalone about the misfortune of his only son **Tartaglia**, the Crown Prince, who had fallen ill with an incurable disease ten years prior. The doctors had diagnosed it as an insurmountable hypochondriacal condition and had already abandoned him. He wept loudly. Pantalone suggested to the doctors some miraculous secrets of certain Charlatans who existed at that time. The King protested that everything had been tried in vain. Pantalone, speculating on the origin of the illness, secretly asked the King, so as not to be heard by the guards surrounding the Monarch, if His Majesty had acquired any disease in his youth that might have been transmitted to the blood of the Crown Prince, reducing him to this misery, and whether mercury could be beneficial. The King, with all seriousness, protested that he had always been entirely virtuous. Pantalone added that perhaps the Prince was hiding some contagious disease out of shame. The King solemnly assured him that from his fatherly examinations, he was certain that it was not so: that the illness of his son was nothing but a mortal hypochondriacal effect: that the doctors had prognosticated that if he did not laugh, he would soon be in the grave: that only laughter could be an evident sign of recovery. Something impossible. He added that seeing himself already decrepit, with his only son dying and his niece **Princess Clarice**, the necessary heir to his Kingdom, being young, capricious, strange, and cruel, distressed him. He pitied the subjects and wept bitterly, forgetting all majesty. Pantalone consoled him; reflecting that if the Prince's recovery depended on his laughter, the Court should not be kept in sadness. Let there be festivals, games, masks, and spectacles. Let **Truffaldino**, a meritorious person in making people laugh and a true remedy against hypochondriacal effects, be free to deal with the Prince. He had discovered in the Prince some inclination towards confidence in Truffaldino. It could happen that the Prince might laugh and recover. The King was persuaded and arranged to give appropriate orders. He left.
**Leandro, Knight of Cups**, Prime Minister. This character was also dressed as depicted in playing cards. Pantalone hinted at his suspicion of treason towards Leandro. The King ordered Leandro to arrange festivals, games, and bacchanals. He said that anyone who made the Prince laugh would receive a great reward. Leandro dissuaded the King from such a decision, judging it to be more harmful to the sick man. Pantalone insisted on his advice. The King reaffirmed the orders and departed. Pantalone rejoiced. He whispered aside that he suspected Leandro desired the Prince's death. He followed the King. Leandro remained dull; he expressed that he saw some opposition to his desire but did not know the origin. He exited.
**Princess Clarice**, the King's Niece. Never before had a Princess with such a strange, capricious, and resolute character as Clarice been seen on stage. I thank Mr. Chiari, who provided me with various mirrors in his works for making a parody laden with characters. She, in agreement with Leandro, intended to marry him and elevate him to the Throne, provided she became heir to the Kingdom upon the death of Tartaglia, her cousin. She scolded Leandro for his phlegmatic approach, waiting for her cousin to die from such a slow illness as hypochondria. Leandro justified himself with caution, saying that **Morgana**, his protectress, had given him some magical verses written in **martellian meter**, to be taken by Tartaglia in several doses, which would make him die slowly due to hypochondriacal effects. This was said to criticize the works of Mr. Chiari and Mr. Goldoni, who tired readers with the monotony of rhymed verses in martellian meter. Morgana was an enemy of the King of Cups for having lost many of her treasures due to that King’s portrait. She was friendly with the Knight of Cups for having recovered some of her wealth through his figure. She lived in a lake near the city. **Smeraldina**, a dark-haired servant in this exaggerated scenic parody, was the intermediary between Leandro and Morgana. Clarice was furious, hearing about the slow methods used for Tartaglia's death. Leandro expressed doubts about the usefulness of the verses in martellian meter. He saw a certain **Truffaldino** introduced at Court, sent by someone unknown, a person with a comic disposition; if Tartaglia laughed, he would be cured. Clarice was exasperated; she had seen Truffaldino, and it was impossible to hold back laughter at just seeing him. That the large-character verses in martellian meter would be useless. From such discussions, the reader will infer the defense of improvised comedies with masks against hypochondriacal effects, in contrast to the melancholy ones written in verse by the poets of that time. Leandro had sent **Brighella**, his messenger, to the dark-haired Smeraldina to find out what was intended by the appearance of Truffaldino and to ask for help. He exited.
Brighella reported secretly that Truffaldino had been sent to the Court by a certain **Celio the Magician**, Morgana's enemy and lover of the King of Cups, for reasons similar to those mentioned above. That Truffaldino was a remedy against the hypochondriacal effects caused by the verses in martellian meter, sent to the Court to preserve the King, his son, and all the people from the contagious disease of those verses.
It should be noted that the enmity between Morgana and Celio the Magician allegorically represented the theatrical battles between the two Poets, Goldoni and Chiari, and that the characters of Morgana and the Magician also caricatured the two Poets. Morgana was a caricature of Chiari; Celio was a caricature of Goldoni.
Brighella's report about Truffaldino's secret caused great confusion in Clarice and Leandro. They considered various means of secretly killing Truffaldino. Clarice suggested arsenic or musket shots. Leandro suggested mixing the verses in martellian meter into a panatella or using opium. Clarice remarked that martellian meter and opium were similar; that Truffaldino seemed to have a strong stomach for digesting such ingredients. Brighella added that Morgana, knowing about the spectacles ordered to entertain the Prince and make him laugh, had promised to appear and counteract his healthy laughter with a curse that would send him to death. Clarice left to prepare for the ordered spectacles. Leandro and Brighella left to arrange them.
The scene opened to the room of the hypochondriacal Prince. This comical Prince Tartaglia was dressed in the most comedic attire for a sick person. He sat on a large reclining chair. Next to him was a table on which he leaned, loaded with vials, ointments, spitting cups, and other items suitable for his condition. He lamented in a weak voice his unhappy case. He recounted the useless treatments he had undergone. He described the strange effects of his incurable disease, and since he was the only topic of the scene, this talented character could not present it with greater fertility. His buffoonish and natural speech caused a continuous burst of universal laughter among the audience. Then the facetious Truffaldino entered to make the sick man laugh. The improvised scene these two excellent comedians created was extremely joyful. The Prince looked kindly at Truffaldino, but despite all efforts, he could not laugh. He wanted to discuss his illness and sought Truffaldino's opinion. Truffaldino gave physical, satirical, and confusing dissertations, the most delightful that could be heard. Truffaldino sniffed the Prince's breath and detected the scent of undigested martellian meter verses. The Prince coughed and wanted to spit. Truffaldino offered the cup, collected the spit, examined it, and found rotten and smelly rhymes. This scene lasted for a third of an hour with continuous laughter from the audience. Instruments were heard, signaling the start of joyful spectacles in the great courtyard of the palace. Truffaldino wanted to lead the Prince to a balcony to see them. The Prince protested that it was impossible. They had a ridiculous argument. Truffaldino, in a fit of anger, threw vials, cups, and all items related to Tartaglia's illness out of a window, causing Tartaglia to scream and cry like a madman. Finally, Truffaldino carried the Prince on his shoulders to enjoy the spectacles, as the Prince screamed as if his insides were being torn apart.
The scene opened to the great courtyard of the palace. Leandro indicated that the orders for the spectacles had been executed; that the sad people, eager to laugh, had all disguised themselves; that they would come to the courtyard for the festivities; that he had taken the precaution of having many people disguise themselves in a gloomy manner to increase the melancholy of the Prince, the spectator; that it was time to open the courtyard to let the people in. He exited.
**Morgana**, transformed into an old woman with a caricature, entered. Leandro marveled that such a character had entered with the doors closed. Morgana revealed herself and said she had arrived in that figure to exterminate the Prince, as she would soon see; that the festivities should begin. Leandro thanked her, calling her a delightful friend. Morgana exited.
Princess Clarice entered disguised as a ballad-singer, a parody of the ridiculous scene in the Soldier for Love. She sang a verse in martellian meter in vulgar rhyme, with all the movement and affectation with which similar heroines of the time distinguished themselves. She was followed by other disguised characters, with short speeches taken from books.
The music began. The guards with lanterns, in grotesque disguise, entered and lit the courtyard. Many disguised characters came from all sides with instruments, vases, trays, and other cheerful items. A large table was set. Everything happened joyfully. Tartaglia arrived, supported by Truffaldino and a young courtier, a facetious figure. Truffaldino wanted to sit with the Prince at the table. Leandro opposed it. Tartaglia reluctantly agreed with Leandro. Truffaldino sat on the ground near the table, eating, drinking, and joking with the Prince. Finally, they brought a panatella on a platter. Leandro and the disguised Princess made various gestures. Brighella, with a large dagger, served the panatella to the Prince. Truffaldino intercepted it and wanted to taste it first. Brighella tried to stab him with the dagger. In that instance, **Celio the Magician** appeared, who, with his supernatural power, removed the blade from the villain's hand. Truffaldino mocked him. The disguised Princess, seeing the last resort had failed, threw off her disguise and revealed herself as the Prince's cruel cousin. She blamed Leandro for the fruitless idea of secretly killing the Prince. She shouted, "Truffaldino, make the Prince laugh!" and left, disdainful. Leandro was in a rage. Celio turned him into a small terracotta image, so weak and small that Truffaldino, with all his might, could not lift him; meanwhile, the Prince continued to weep with grief, and the people dispersed. A great wind extinguished all the lanterns; everything remained dark.
**End of Act One**