The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe (read e books online free TXT) 📖

>FERNEZE. Desire of gold, great sir! That’s to be gotten in the Western Inde: In Malta are no golden minerals.

BASSO. To you of Malta thus saith Calymath: The time you took for respite is at hand For the performance of your promise pass’d; And for the tribute-money I am sent.

FERNEZE. Basso, in brief, shalt have no tribute here, Nor shall the heathens live upon our spoil: First will we raze the city-walls ourselves, Lay waste the island, hew the temples down, And, shipping off our goods to Sicily, Open an entrance for the wasteful sea, Whose billows, beating the resistless banks,<118> Shall overflow it with their refluence.

BASSO. Well, governor, since thou hast broke the league By flat denial of the promis’d tribute, Talk not of razing down your city-walls; You shall not need trouble yourselves so far, For Selim Calymath shall come himself, And with brass bullets batter down your towers, And turn proud Malta to a wilderness, For these intolerable wrongs of yours: And so, farewell.

FERNEZE. Farewell. [Exit BASSO.] And now, you men of Malta, look about, And let’s provide to welcome Calymath: Close your port-cullis, charge your basilisks,<119> And, as you profitably take up arms, So now courageously encounter them, For by this answer broken is the league, And naught is to be look’d for now but wars, And naught to us more welcome is than wars. [Exeunt.]

Enter FRIAR JACOMO<120> and FRIAR BARNARDINE.

FRIAR JACOMO. O brother, brother, all the nuns are sick, And physic will not help them! they must die.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. The abbess sent for me to be confess’d: O, what a sad confession will there be!

FRIAR JACOMO. And so did fair Maria send for me: I’ll to her lodging; hereabouts she lies. [Exit.]

Enter ABIGAIL.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. What, all dead, save only Abigail!

ABIGAIL. And I shall die too, for I feel death coming. Where is the friar that convers’d with me?<121>

FRIAR BARNARDINE. O, he is gone to see the other nuns.

ABIGAIL. I sent for him; but, seeing you are come, Be you my ghostly father: and first know, That in this house I liv’d religiously, Chaste, and devout, much sorrowing for my sins; But, ere I came—

FRIAR BARNARDINE. What then?

ABIGAIL. I did offend high heaven so grievously As I am almost desperate for my sins; And one offense torments me more than all. You knew Mathias and Don Lodowick?

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Yes; what of them?

ABIGAIL. My father did contract me to ‘em both; First to Don Lodowick: him I never lov’d; Mathias was the man that I held dear, And for his sake did I become a nun.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. So: say how was their end?

ABIGAIL. Both, jealous of my love, envied<122> each other; And by my father’s practice,<123> which is there [Gives writing.] Set down at large, the gallants were both slain.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. O, monstrous villany!

ABIGAIL. To work my peace, this I confess to thee: Reveal it not; for then my father dies.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Know that confession must not be reveal’d; The canon-law forbids it, and the priest That makes it known, being degraded first, Shall be condemn’d, and then sent to the fire.

ABIGAIL. So I have heard; pray, therefore, keep it close. Death seizeth on my heart: ah, gentle friar, Convert my father that he may be sav’d, And witness that I die a Christian! [Dies.]

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Ay, and a virgin too; that grieves me most. But I must to the Jew, and exclaim on him, And make him stand in fear of me.

Re-enter FRIAR JACOMO.

FRIAR JACOMO. O brother, all the nuns are dead! let’s bury them.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. First help to bury this; then go with me, And help me to exclaim against the Jew.

FRIAR JACOMO. Why, what has he done?

FRIAR BARNARDINE. A thing that makes me tremble to unfold.

FRIAR JACOMO. What, has he crucified a child?<124>

FRIAR BARNARDINE. No, but a worse thing: ‘twas told me in shrift; Thou know’st ‘tis death, an if it be reveal’d. Come, let’s away. [Exeunt.]

 

ACT IV.

Enter BARABAS<125> and ITHAMORE. Bells within.

BARABAS. There is no music to<126> a Christian’s knell: How sweet the bells ring, now the nuns are dead, That sound at other times like tinkers’ pans! I was afraid the poison had not wrought, Or, though it wrought, it would have done no good, For every year they swell, and yet they live: Now all are dead, not one remains alive.

ITHAMORE. That’s brave, master: but think you it will not be known?

BARABAS. How can it, if we two be secret?

ITHAMORE. For my part, fear you not.

BARABAS. I’d cut thy throat, if I did.

ITHAMORE. And reason too. But here’s a royal monastery hard by; Good master, let me poison all the monks.

BARABAS. Thou shalt not need; for, now the nuns are dead, They’ll die with grief.

ITHAMORE. Do you not sorrow for your daughter’s death?

BARABAS. No, but I grieve because she liv’d so long, An Hebrew born, and would become a Christian: Cazzo,<127> diabolo!

ITHAMORE. Look, look, master; here come two religious caterpillars.

Enter FRIAR JACOMO and FRIAR BARNARDINE.

BARABAS. I smelt ‘em ere they came.

ITHAMORE. God-a-mercy, nose!<128> Come, let’s begone.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Stay, wicked Jew; repent, I say, and stay.

FRIAR JACOMO. Thou hast offended, therefore must be damn’d.

BARABAS. I fear they know we sent the poison’d broth.

ITHAMORE. And so do I, master; therefore speak ‘em fair.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Barabas, thou hast—

FRIAR JACOMO. Ay, that thou hast—

BARABAS. True, I have money; what though I have?

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Thou art a—

FRIAR JACOMO. Ay, that thou art, a—

BARABAS. What needs all this? I know I am a Jew.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Thy daughter—

FRIAR JACOMO. Ay, thy daughter—

BARABAS. O, speak not of her! then I die with grief.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Remember that—

FRIAR JACOMO. Ay, remember that—

BARABAS. I must needs say that I have been a great usurer.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Thou hast committed—

BARABAS. Fornication: but that was in another country; And besides, the wench is dead.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Ay, but, Barabas, Remember Mathias and Don Lodowick.

BARABAS. Why, what of them?

FRIAR BARNARDINE. I will not say that by a forged challenge they met.

BARABAS. She has confess’d, and we are both undone, My bosom inmate!<129> but I must dissemble.— [Aside to ITHAMORE.] O holy friars, the burden of my sins Lie heavy<130> on my soul! then, pray you, tell me, Is’t not too late now to turn Christian? I have been zealous in the Jewish faith, Hard-hearted to the poor, a covetous wretch, That would for lucre’s sake have sold my soul; A hundred for a hundred I have ta’en; And now for store of wealth may I compare With all the Jews in Malta: but what is wealth? I am a Jew, and therefore am I lost. Would penance serve [to atone] for this my sin, I could afford to whip myself to death,—

ITHAMORE. And so could I; but penance will not serve.

BARABAS. To fast, to pray, and wear a shirt of hair, And on my knees creep to Jerusalem. Cellars of wine, and sollars<131> full of wheat, Warehouses stuff’d with spices and with drugs, Whole chests of gold in bullion and in coin, Besides, I know not how much weight in pearl Orient and round, have I within my house; At Alexandria merchandise untold;<132> But yesterday two ships went from this town, Their voyage will be worth ten thousand crowns; In Florence, Venice, Antwerp, London, Seville, Frankfort, Lubeck, Moscow, and where not, Have I debts owing; and, in most of these, Great sums of money lying in the banco; All this I’ll give to some religious house, So I may be baptiz’d, and live therein.

FRIAR JACOMO. O good Barabas, come to our house!

FRIAR BARNARDINE. O, no, good Barabas, come to our house! And, Barabas, you know—

BARABAS. I know that I have highly sinn’d: You shall convert me, you shall have all my wealth.

FRIAR JACOMO. O Barabas, their laws are strict!

BARABAS. I know they are; and I will be with you.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. They wear no shirts, and they go bare-foot too.

BARABAS. Then ‘tis not for me; and I am resolv’d You shall confess me, and have all my goods.

FRIAR JACOMO. Good Barabas, come to me.

BARABAS. You see I answer him, and yet he stays; Rid him away, and go you home with me.

FRIAR JACOMO. I’ll be with you to-night.

BARABAS. Come to my house at one o’clock this night.

FRIAR JACOMO. You hear your answer, and you may be gone.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Why, go, get you away.

FRIAR JACOMO. I will not go for thee.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. Not! then I’ll make thee go.

FRIAR JACOMO. How! dost call me rogue?

[They fight.]

ITHAMORE. Part ‘em, master, part ‘em.

BARABAS. This is mere frailty: brethren, be content.— Friar Barnardine, go you with Ithamore: You know my mind; let me alone with him.

FRIAR JACOMO. Why does he go to thy house? let him be gone.<133>

BARABAS. I’ll give him something, and so stop his mouth. [Exit ITHAMORE with Friar BARNARDINE.] I never heard of any man but he Malign’d the order of the Jacobins: But do you think that I believe his words? Why, brother, you converted Abigail; And I am bound in charity to requite it, And so I will. O Jacomo, fail not, but come.

FRIAR JACOMO. But, Barabas, who shall be your godfathers? For presently you shall be shriv’d.

BARABAS. Marry, the Turk<134> shall be one of my godfathers, But not a word to any of your covent.<135>

FRIAR JACOMO. I warrant thee, Barabas. [Exit.]

BARABAS. So, now the fear is past, and I am safe; For he that shriv’d her is within my house: What, if I murder’d him ere Jacomo comes? Now I have such a plot for both their lives, As never Jew nor Christian knew the like: One turn’d my daughter, therefore he shall die; The other knows enough to have my life, Therefore ‘tis not requisite he should live.<136> But are not both these wise men, to suppose That I will leave my house, my goods, and all, To fast and be well whipt? I’ll none of that. Now, Friar Barnardine, I come to you: I’ll feast you, lodge you, give you fair<137> words, And, after that, I and my trusty Turk— No more, but so: it must and shall be done.<138>

Enter ITHAMORE.

Ithamore, tell me, is the friar asleep?

ITHAMORE. Yes; and I know not what the reason is, Do what I can, he will not strip himself, Nor go to bed, but sleeps in his own clothes: I fear me he mistrusts what we intend.

BARABAS. No; ‘tis an order which the friars use: Yet, if he knew our meanings, could he scape?

ITHAMORE. No, none can hear him, cry he ne’er so loud.

BARABAS. Why, true; therefore did I place him there: The other chambers open towards the street.

ITHAMORE. You loiter, master; wherefore stay we thus? O, how I long to see him shake his heels!

BARABAS. Come on, sirrah: Off with your girdle; make a handsome noose.— [ITHAMORE takes off his girdle, and ties a noose on it.] Friar, awake!<139> [They put the noose round the FRIAR’S neck.]

FRIAR BARNARDINE. What, do you mean to strangle me?

ITHAMORE. Yes, ‘cause you use to confess.

BARABAS. Blame not us, but the proverb,—Confess and be hanged.—Pull hard.

FRIAR BARNARDINE. What, will you have<140> my life?

BARABAS. Pull hard, I say.—You would have had my goods.

ITHAMORE. Ay, and our lives too:—therefore pull amain. [They strangle the FRIAR.] ‘Tis neatly done, sir; here’s no print at all.

BARABAS. Then is it as it should be. Take him up.

ITHAMORE. Nay, master, be ruled by me a little. [Takes the body, sets it upright against the wall, and puts