Detailed Summary - The Alchemist by Ben Johnson

 

[alert-success] The Alchemist by Ben Johnson [/alert-success]

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           When an outbreak of the plague forces Master Lovewit to leave the city, his butler, Face, invites Subtle, a con artist who pretends to be an alchemist, and Dol Common, a prostitute, to use the house as a base for their cons and scams. Face has already agreed that Dapper, a gullible lawyer's clerk who likes to gamble, will be the first person to call.        Dapper wants to know how to win at all games of chance from Doctor Subtle. All of Dapper's cash is taken by the two thieves. In exchange, they promise to give him a "familiar," which is a tiny spirit in the form of a fly that will help him win at gambling and betting. To trick Dapper even more, Subtle tells him to come back later to talk to the Queen of the Fairies, who he says is Dapper's aunt and may give him money.  

        Face has also gotten young druggist and tobacconist Abel Drugger interested in him. He is the next person to enter the house. To his delight, Subtle, who knows a lot about medicine and astrology, tells him that he will be rich in the future. 

        Next, a wealthy knight named Sir Epicure Mammon and his friend Pertinax Surly arrive. Subtle told Mammon that he would give him the Philosopher's Stone, so he has crazy ideas about turning everything he owns into gold. 

        During the interview, Dol looks like a wealthy woman. Mammon sees her and is very interested in her. Face tells Mammon that Dol is a rich lady who is crazy and in Doctor Subtle's care. Face is asked by Mammon to set up a way for him to meet the strange woman. Before he leaves the house, Mammon says he will send Subtle some of his base metal household items so that they can be turned into gold. 

        The victims just keep coming. Ananias, a member of the exiled Anabaptist community in Amsterdam, comes to talk to the church elders about the Philosopher's Stone. Face acts as Subtle's assistant and helps him shower Ananias with fancy alchemy jargon. Ananias says that the brothers are getting tired of how slow the experiment is going. Subtle scares Ananias by pretending to be angry at work and threatening to stop the project. 

        When the drug dealer comes back, he is tricked again. When he tells Subtle and Face that a rich young widow has moved in near him and that her brother, who just got an inheritance, went to London to learn how to fight like a rake, they are very happy. The two crooks are busy making plans to catch brother and sister. 

        Ananias comes back with Tribulation Wholesome, his pastor. Ananias and Tribulation are willing to do anything to get the Philosopher's Stone. They agree to buy Mammon's household items, which Subtle says are orphans' goods and needed for the experiment. Subtle says the money from the sale will go toward taking care of orphans.
        In the meantime, Face meets someone on the street who he thinks is a Spanish don, but is actually Surly dressed up in a clever way. Face tries to get the Don to follow him by telling him about Subtle's famous "healing baths" and prostitute services. Dapper goes back to meet the Fairy Queen. 

        At the same time, Drugger brings Master Kastril to the house. He is a young man who is angry and wants to learn how to fight. Kastril is completely fooled by Subtle, who tells him he will make him the perfect London gentleman and sets him up with Face, who acts like a rakish captain, to teach him. Kastril is so happy with his new friends that he goes to get his sister and bring her back to the house. 

        Dol, Subtle, and Face take all of Dapper's money as part of a silly ritual in which Dapper is supposed to meet the Queen of the Fairies and talk to her. During all of this, Mammon knocks on the door. Dapper is blindfolded, gagged, and rushed into a bathroom in the back of the house. Mammon comes in and starts to court Dol, who he thinks is a busy noblewoman. Face moves the couple in love to another part of the house so that the front of the house is free for more scams. 

        Both young Kastril and his sister, Dame Pliant, who is now a widow, are very impressed by the way Subtle talks and acts. When the Spanish don comes, Subtle takes Kastril and Dame Pliant to another part of the house. Both Subtle and Face want to marry Dame Pliant, who has a lot of money. Face must, however, introduce the Spaniard to Dame Pliant and make him think she is the famous prostitute who works for Subtle, since Dol is already busy with Mammon. Dame Pliant doesn't know what's going on, of course. She thinks they are trying to set her up with a rich Spaniard to marry. Even though she doesn't like Spaniards in general for no good reason, she agrees to go to a room with the don to be wooed. 

        In the next scene, we see Dol acting like he's going crazy. Subtle finds a sad Mammon with her and says that Mammon's lack of morals will definitely slow down the work on the Philosopher's Stone. Face tells them that the lab has been destroyed after a loud explosion. Mammon leaves the house in a bad mood, and Doctor Subtle fakes a breakdown. 

        Surly tells Dame Pliant who he really is and warns the young widow to stay away from the thieves. Face tells Kastril, in a last-ditch effort, that Surly is a fake who is trying to steal Dame Pliant when he shows himself to the rogues and confronts them. Drugger comes in and says that he knows Surly is a crook because he is Face's friend. Surly runs away because he can't handle the attack. Kastril follows him. 

        Subtle gives Dame Pliant to Dol to take care of, and he and Face keep plotting. However, when Master Lovewit, the owner of the house, shows up out of the blue, they are thrown back into chaos. Face quickly goes back to being Jeremy, the butler, and goes to the door to try to keep his master there long enough for Subtle and Dol to get away.
Lovewit has already heard from his neighbours that strange things have been going on in the house for weeks. When Mammon and Surly come back to expose Subtle and Face, Lovewit is even more sure that something is wrong. Kastril, Ananias, and Tribulation all say that what they said is true. After getting rid of his gag, Dapper cries out from inside the house. Face can't refute the strong evidence against him, so he tells his master part of the truth and promises to find him a rich young widow to marry if Lovewit will forgive him. 

        In the meantime, Subtle finishes fooling Dapper in the house and sends the young clerk away, convinced that he will win at all games of chance. Then, Subtle and Dol try to get away with the three of them's loot, but Face, who is back in Lovewit's good graces, stops them. They have to leave with nothing by the back gate. 

        Lovewit gets Dame Pliant's hand, and in a good mood, he forgives his sneaky butler. When people who have been tricked ask for justice, they don't get it. Surly, the only honest man, is also stopped, but he swears revenge and plans to bring Face to justice in the future.

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