The Devil's Charter is an early Jacobean era stage play, a tragedy written by Barnabe Barnes. The play recounts the story of Pope Alexander VI. Date, performance, publication The Devil's Charter dates from 1607; it was acted by the King's Men at Court before King James I on Candlemas (2 February) of that year. The play was entered into the Stationers' Register on 16 October 1607, and published before the end of the year, in a quarto printed by George Eld for the bookseller John Wright. Barnes dedicated the play to Sir William Pope and to William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke. The 1607 quarto is the sole edition of the play prior to the 20th century. Plot synopsis The play opens with a dumbshow prologue that shows Roderigo making a deal with the devil to become Pope Alexander VI. Lodowick convinces Charles of France to go to war against Italy on religious grounds. Two gentlemen lambast the pope's corruption. Gismond and Barbarossa intercept some slander against the pope and are both upset, promising to find and punish the writer. The Pope soliloquizes about how he made this deal with the devil for the betterment of his sons, Candy and Caesar. He divides Italy and the surrounding territories between them and gives them each a swath to rule. Caesar and the Pope pontificate about ruling well and fighting wars in the name of religion. Candy leaves to go deal with the ambassador come to make a marriage with the Lady Saunce. Lucretia prepares to murder her husband Gismond for keeping her shut away. They trade barbs about jealousy and virtue. She ties him up, makes him sign a statement that he slandered her, her father the pope, her brothers Caesar and Candy, and also Sforza, and then stabs him many times. She then stages it to look like he killed himself out of regret over locking her up and retires to bed. A servant and Barbarossa discover the body and she feigns shock and grief. She makes a scene and threatens to kill herself as well. The Chorus tells us that King Charles is marching on Italy with about 20000 troops. Alexander, Caesar, and Candy prepare for battle against King Charles. Alexander and Charles parley and can't come to an agreement—Charles wants to conquer Rome, and Alexander won't yield the Castell Angelo. Charles's companions call Alexander the antichrist and call