A Maidenhead Well Lost

A Pleasant Comedy, called A Maidenhead Well Lost is a dark comedy set in Italy; it was written and published by Thomas Heywood in 1634 and performed at The Cockpit by Queen Henrietta's Men in that same year. The plot centres on Julia, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, who finds herself pregnant before she is officially married to the Prince of Parma. A sub-plot of the play is the story of Lauretta, who finds herself banished from the court of Milan and ends up falling in love with the Prince of Florence. Synopsis Actus Primus The first act of the play opens with the Duke of Milan's secretary, Stroza, having a conversation with Julia. During this conversation, Stroza hints very broadly that the Prince of Parma, Julia's fiancé, has taken Lauretta as his mistress. Although she does not, at first, believe him, Stroza manages to convince her that it is true and Julia goes off lamenting that she ever slept with the Prince. Stroza then encounters the Prince of Parma, who is looking for Julia, and takes the opportunity to suggest to Parma that Julia has not been faithful to him. Lauretta is then confronted by Julia, who has her and her mother banished from the court of Milan for her alleged crime of sleeping with Parma. She and Parma fight about it, and the Act ends with Lauretta and her mother discovering the death of General Sforza and realising that they are now destitute. Actus Secundus Act two begins with Parma receiving a letter from Julia, in which she reveals to him that she is with child. Parma, believing her to be unfaithful, refuses to believe the child is his and calls off their engagement. Julia is then forced to reveal her condition to her father, and he tells her not to tell anyone else. Meanwhile, Lauretta, her mother, and the Clown have made their way into the forest near Florence, and they are found by the Prince of Florence who sets them up in a nearby hunting lodge. The Prince of Florence falls in love with Lauretta at first sight, and vows to take care of them. At the end of this act, a dumb show is put on, depicting the birth of Julia and Parma's son, who is then given to Stroza. He takes it into the woods and leaves it there to die, but Parma finds the child and cares for it, beginning to suspect Stroza of orchestrating the problems.