The Ancient British Drama ...

He will tell all he knows, and I shall die for't.
I have it;

I will in some disguise go see the slave,
And how the villain revels with my gold. [Exit.
Enter Courtezan, ITHAMORE, PHILIA BORZA.
Cour. I'll pledge thee, love, and therefore
drink it off.

Itha. Say'st thou me so? have at it; and do
you hear?
[Whispers.

Cour. Go to, it shall be so.

Itha. Of that condition I will drink it up; here's to thee.

P. Bor. Nay, I'll have all or none.

Itha. There, if thou lovest me do not leave a
drop.

Cour. Love thee! fill me three glasses.
Itha. Three and fifty dozen, I'll pledge thee.
P. Bor. Knavely spoke, and like a knight at

Bar. Must tuna my lute for sound, twang twang, first.

Itha. Wilt drink, Frenchman? here's to thee with a .....

Pox on this drunken hickup.
Bar. Gramercy, monsieur.

Cour. Pr'ythee, Philia Borzo, bid the fiddler give me

The posey in his hat there.

P. Bor. Sirrah, you must give my mistress your posey.

Bar. A voustre commandemente, madam. Cour. How sweet, my Ithamore, the flowers smell.

Itha. Like thy breath, sweetheart, no violet like them.

P. Bor. Foh, methinks they stink like a holly hoke, 45

Bar. So now I am revenged upon them all. The scent thereof was death, I poisoned it. Itha. Play, fiddler, or I'll cut your cat's guts into chitterlings.

Bar. Pardona moy, be no in tune yet: so now, now all be in.

Itha. Give him a crown, and fill me out more wine.

P. Bor. There's two crowns for thee; play. Bar. How liberally the villain gives me nine own gold!

[Aside.

P. Bor. Methinks he fingers very well. Bar. So did you when you stole my gold.

42 Rivo Castiliano.-See notes to the First Part of King Henry IV, A. 2. S. 4.

43 Snicle hand too fast.-I believe this passage to be corrupt. It is certainly obscure. We suppose snicle, like snailes, to be a corrupted oath, and read hand to fisi, instead of too fast.

In thy incony lap.-Kony or incony is fine, delicate. See note to Love's Labour Lost, vol. 2. p. 417.

edition 1768.

45 Like a holly hoke.-i. e. holly hock, Malva Hortensis. This flower however has no offensive smell.

Cour. Pr'ythee, sweet love, one more, and write it sharp.

Itha. No, I'll send by word of mouth now; Bid him deliver thee a thousand crowns, By the same token that the nuus loved rice, That friar Barnardine slept in his own clothes; Any of them will do it.

P. Bor. Let ne alone to urge it, now I know the meaning.

Itha. The meaning has a meaning; come let's in; To undo a Jew is charity, and not sin. [Exeunt.

ACT V.

Enter Governor, Knights, MARTIN DEL BOSCO. Gov. Now, gentlemen, betake you to your

arms,

And see that Malta be well fortified;
And it behoves you to be resolute;
For Calymath having hover'd here so long,
Will win the town, or die before the walls.
Knights. And die he shall, for we will never
yield.

Enter Courtezan, PHILIA BORZO.

Cour. Oh bring us to the governor.
Gov. Away with her, she is a courtezan.
Cour. Whate'er I am, yet, governor, hear me
speak;

I bring the news by whom thy son was slain :
Mathias did it not, it was the Jew.

P. Bor. Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen,

Poison'd his own daughter, and the nuns,
Strangled a friar, and I know not what
Mischief beside.

Goz. Had we but proof of this!

Cour. Strong proof, my lord; his man's now

at my

Lodging, that was his agent; he'll confess it all. Gov. Go fetch him straight, I always fear'd that Jew.

Enter Jew and ITHAMORE.

Bar. I'll go alone: dogs, do not hale me thus. Itha. Nor me neither, I cannot outrun-you, constable: oh my belly!

Bar. One dram of powder more had made all sure;

What a damn'd slave was I!

Gov. Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetch'd.

Knights. Nay stay, my lord, 't may be he will

confess.

Bar. Devils, do your worst, I live in spite of you.

As these have spoke, so be it to their souls:
I hope the poison'd flowers will work anon.

[Exeunt BARABAS, ITHAMORE, &c. Enter Mother of MATHIAS.

Moth. Was my Mathias murdered by the Jew?

Ferneze, it was thy son that murdered him.

Gov. Be patient, gentle madam, it was he, Ile forged the daring challenge made them fight.

Moth. Where is the Jew? where is that mur

dérer?

Gov. In prison, till the law has past on him. Enter Officer.

Offi. My lord, the courtezan and her man are dead;

So is the Turk, and Barabas the Jew.
Gov. Dead!

Offi. Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body.

Del. Bos. This sudden death of his is very

strange.

I'll be revenged on this accursed town;
For by my means Calymath shall enter in.
I'll help to slay their children and their wives,
To fire the churches, pull their houses down;
Take my goods too, and seize upon my lands?
I hope to see the governor a slave,
And, rowing in a galley, whipt to death.

Enter CALYMATH, Bashaws, and Turks.
Caly. Whom have we there, a spy?

Bar. Yes, my good lord, one that can spy a
place

Where you may enter, and surprise the town:
My name is Barabas; I am a Jew.

Caly. Art thou that Jew whose goods we heard

were sold

For tribute-money?

Bar. The very same, my lord:

Bar. May all good fortune follow Calymath.—
And now, as entrance to our safety,

To prison with the governor and these
Captains, his consorts and confederates.
Gov. Oh villain! Heaven will be revenged on
thee.
[Exeunt.
Bar. Away, no more, let him not trouble me.-

And since that time they have hired a slave, my Thus hast thou gotten, by thy policy,

man,

To accuse me of a thousand villanies :

I was imprisoned, but escaped their hands.
Caly. Didst break prison?

Bar. No, no:

I drank of poppy and cold mandrake juice;
And being asleep, belike they thought me dead,
And threw me o'er the walls: so, or how else,
The Jew is here, and rests at your command.
Caly. 'Twas bravely done; but tell me, Ba-
rabas,

Can'st thou, as thou report'st make Malta ours?
Bar. Fear not, my lord; for here against the
truce,

The rock is hollow, and of purpose digg'd,
To make a passage for the running streams
And common channels of the city.

Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls,
I'll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault,
And rise with them i' the middle of the town;
Open the gates for you to enter in,
And by this means the city is your own.

Caly. If this be true I'll make thee governor.
Bar. And if it be not true, then let me die.

No simple place, no small authority.
I now am governor of Malta; true,
But Malta hates me, and, in hating me,
My life's in danger; and what boots it thee,
Poor Barabas, to be the governor,
When as thy life shall be at their command?
No, Barabas, this must be looked into;
And, since by wrong thou got'st authority,
Maintain it bravely by firm policy,
At least, unprofitably lose it not;
For he that liveth in authority,
And neither gets him friends, nor fills his bags,
Lives like the ass that Æsop speaketh of,
That labours with a load of bread and wine,
And leaves it off to snap on thistle tops:
But Barabas will be more circumspect.
Begin betimes, occasion's bald behind;
Slip not thine opportunity, for fear too late
Thou seek'st for much, but canst not compass it.
Within here!

Caly. Thou'st doom'd thyself; assault it pre-Now, sently. [Exeunt. Alarms. Enter Turks, BARABAS; Governor and Knights prisoners.

Caly. Now vail your pride, you captive Chris-
tians,

And kneel for mercy to your conquering foe.
Now where's the hope you had of haughty Spain?
Ferneze, speak, had it not been much better
To kept thy promise, than be thus surprised?
Gov. What should I say; we are captives,
and must yield.

Caly. Ave, villains, you must yield, and under
Turkish yokes

Shall groaning bear the burden of our ire;
And, Barabas, as erst we promised thee,
For thy desert we make thee governor;
Use them at thy discretion.

Enter Governor, with a Guard.
Gov. My lord!
Governor,-stand by there, wait within,
Bar. Aye, lord, thus slaves will learn.
[To the Guard.
This is the reason that I sent for thee;
Thou seest thy life, and Malta's happiness,
Are at my arbitrament; aud Barabas,
At his discretion, may dispose of both:
Now tell me, governor, and plainly too,
What think'st thou shall become of it and thee?
Gov. This, Barabas; since things are in thy
power,

I see no reason but of Malta's wreck,
Nor hope of thee, but extreme cruelty;
Nor fear I death, nor will I flatter thee.

Bar. Governor, good words; be not so furious;
'Tis not thy life which can avail me aught,
Yet you do live, and live for me you shall:
And as for Malta's ruin, think you not
'Twere slender policy for Barabas
To dispossess himself of such a place?

For sith, as once you said, within this isle
In Malta here, that I have got my goods,
And in this city still have had success,
And now at length am grown your governor,
Yourselves shall see it shall not be forgot;
For, as a friend not known but in distress,
I'll rear up Malta, now remediless.

Gov. Will Barabas recover Malta's loss?
Will Barabas be good to Christians?

Bar. What wilt thou give me, governor, to pro

cure

A dissolution of the slavish bands

And then, to make provision for the feast, That at one instant all things may be done; My policy detests prevention :

To what event my secret purpose drives,

I know; and they shall witness with their lives.
[Exit:

Enter CALYMATH, Bashaws.

Caly. Thus have we viewed the city, seen the
sack,

And caused the ruins to be new repaired,
Which with our bombards, shot, and basilisk,

Wherein the Turk hath yoked your land and you? We rent in sunder at our entry:

What will you give me if I render you
The life of Calymath, surprize his men,
And in an out-house of the city shut

His soldiers, till I have consumed them all with fire?

What will you give him that procureth this? Gov. Do but bring this to pass which thou pre

tendest;

Deal truly with us as thou intimatest,
And I will send amongst the citizens,
And, by my letters, privately procure
Great sums of money for thy recompence:
Nay more, do this, and live thou governor still.
Bur. Nay, do thou this, Ferneze, and be free:
Governor, I enlarge thee, live with me,
Go walk about the city, see thy friends:
Tush, send not letters to them, go thyself,
And let me see what money thou canst make;
Here is my hand, that I'll set Malta free;
And thus we cast it: To a solemn feast
I will invite young Selim Calymath,
Where be thou present, only to perform
One stratagem that I'll impart to thee,
Wherein no danger shall betide thy life,
And I will warrant Malta free for ever.

Gov. Here is my hand; believe me, Barabas,
I will be there, and do as thou desirest.
When is the time?

Bar. Governor, presently;

For Calymath, when he hath viewed the town, Will take his leave, and sail toward Ottoman.

Gov. Then will I, Barabas, about this coin, And bring it with me to thee in the evening. Bar. Do so, but fail not; now farewell, Fer[Exit Governor. And thus far roundly goes the business: Thus, loving neither, will I live with both, Making a profit of my policy;

neze :

And he from whom my most advantage comes,
Shall be my friend.

This is the life we Jews are used to lead;
And reason too, for Christians do the like.
Well, now about effecting this device;
First, to surprize great Selim's soldiers,

And, now I see the situation,

And how secure this conquered island stands
Environed with the Mediterranean Sea,
Strong countermined with other petty isles;
And toward Calabria backed by Sicily,
Two lofty turrets that command the town,
When Siracusian Dionysius reigned,

I wonder how it could be conquered thus.

Enter a Messenger.

Mes. From Barabas, Malta's governor, I bring A message unto mighty Calymath; Hearing his sovereign was bound for sea, To sail to Turkey, to great Ottoman, He humbly would intreat your majesty To come and see his homely citadel, And banquet with him ere thou leav'st the isle, Caly. To banquet with him in his citadel? I fear me, messenger, to feast my train Within a town of war so lately pillaged, ' Will be too costly and too troublesome : Yet would I gladly visit Barabas,

For well has Barabas deserved of us.

Mes. Selim, for that, thus sayeth the governor, That he hath in store a pearl so big, So precious, and withal so orient, As, be it valued but indifferently, The price thereof will serve to entertain Selim and all his soldiers for a month; Therefore he humbly would intreat your highness Not to depart till he has feasted you.

Caly. I cannot feast my men in Malta walls, Except he place his tables in the streets.

Mes. Know, Selim, that there is a monastery, Which standeth as an out-house to the town; There will he banquet them, but thee at home, With all thy bashaws and brave followers.

[Erit:

Caly. Well, tell the governor we grant his suit; We'll in this summer evening feast with him. Mes. I shall, my lord. Caly.And now, bold bashaws, let us to our tents, And meditate how we may grace us best To solemnize our governor's great feast.

[Exeunt,

46 Bombards, basilisk-Different names of pieces of ordnance formerly in use. S.

Enter Governor, Knights, DEL Bosco:
Gov. In this, my countrymen, be ruled by me;
Have special care that no man sally forth
Till you shall hear a culverin discharged
By him that bears the linstock,47 kindled thus:
Then issue out, and come to rescue me;
For happily I shall be in distress,

Or you released of this servitude.

Whence none can possibly escape alive,
Now, as for Calymath and his consorts,
Here have I made a dainty gallery;
The floor whereof, this cable being cut,
Doth fall asunder, so that it doth sink
Into a deep pit past recovery.

Here, hold that knife, and when thou seest he
comes,

And with his bashaws shall be blithely set,

1 Knight. Rather than thus to live as Turkish A warning-piece shall be shot off from the tower,

thralls,

What will we not adventure?

Gov. On then, be gone.

Knights. Farewell, grave governor.

Enter BARABAS with a hammer above, very busy. Bar. How stand the cords? how hang these hinges, fast?

Are all the cranes and pullies sure?

Serv. All fast.

To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord,
And fire the house: say, will not this be brave?
Gov. Oh excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas,
I trust thy word, take what I promised thee.
Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing.
Bar. No, governor, I'll satisfy thee first;
Stand close, for here they come.--Why, is not this
A kingly kind of trade, to purchase towns
By treachery, and sell them by deccit?
Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sun,

Bar. Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my If greater falsehood ever has been done.

mind.

Why now I see that you have art indeed.

There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you:
Go, swill in bowls of sack and muscadine;
Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.
Carp. We shall, my lord, and thank you.

[Exeunt.

Gov. With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds.

Bar. Pounds! sayest thou, governor? well,
since it is no more,

I'll satisfy myself with that;-nay, keep it still;
For if I keep not promise, trust not me:
And, governor, now partake my policy;
First, for his army, they are sent before,
Entered the monastery, and underneath,
In several places are field-pieces pitched,
Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder,
That on the sudden shall dissever it,

And batter all the stones about their ears,

Enter CALYMATH and Bashaws.
Caly.Come, my companion-bashaws, see, I pray,
How busy Barabas is there above
To entertain us in his gallery;

Let us salute him :-Save thee, Barabas.
Bar. Welcome, great Calymath.

Gov. How the slave jeers at him!
Bar. Will't please thee, mighty Selim Caly-
math,

To ascend our homely stairs?

Caly. Aye, Barabas.-Come, bashaws, attend.
Gov. Stay, Calymath;

For I will shew thee greater courtesy
Than Barabas would have afforded thee.
Knights. Sound a charge there.

[A Charge, the Cable cut, a Caldron dis

covered.

Caly. How now! what means this?
Bur. Help, help me, Christians, help!
Gov. See, Calymath, this was devised for thee.
Caly. Treason, treason, bashaws! fly.
Gov. No, Selim, do not fly;

See his end first, and fly then if thou canst.

Bar. Oh help me, Selim, help me, Christians!
Governor, why stand you all so pitiless?

Gov. Should I in pity of thy plaints or thee,
Accursed Barabas, base Jew, relent?
No, thus I'll see thy treachery repaid,
But wish thou hadst behaved thee otherwise.
Bur. You will not help me then?
Gov. No, villain, no.

Bar. And, villains, know you cannot help me

now.

Then, Barabas, breathe forth thy latest fate,
And in the fury of thy torments strive
To end thy life with resolution.-

47 The linstock-i. e. the long match with which cannon are fired. See note on Shakespeare's King Henry VIII. Vol. VI. p. 67, edit. 1778. S.

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