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have a hand in this. Barabas

Ay, so thou shalt, ’tis thou must do the deed:
Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight, Gives a letter.
And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.

Ithamore

’Tis poisoned, is it not?

Barabas

No, no, and yet it might be done that way:
It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick.

Ithamore

Fear not; I will so set his heart afire,
That he shall verily think it comes from him.

Barabas

I cannot choose but like thy readiness:
Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.

Ithamore

As I behave myself in this, employ me hereafter.

Barabas

Away, then.

Exit Ithamore.

So; now will I go in to Lodowick,
And, like a cunning spirit, feign some lie.
Till I have set ’em both at enmity.

Exit. Act III Scene I Enter Bellamira.46 Bellamira

Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold:
The time has been, that but for one bare night,
A hundred ducats have been freely given:
But now against my will I must be chaste;
And yet I know my beauty doth not fail.
From Venice merchants, and from Padua
Were wont to come rare-witted gentlemen,
Scholars I mean, learned and liberal;
And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none,
And he is very seldom from my house;
And here he comes.

Enter Pilia-Borza. Pilia-Borza

Hold thee, wench, there’s something for thee to spend. Shews a bag of silver.

Bellamira

’Tis silver. I disdain it.

Pilia-Borza

Ay, but the Jew has gold,
And I will have it, or it shall go hard.

Bellamira

Tell me, how cam’st thou by this?

Pilia-Borza

‘Faith, walking the back-lanes, through the gardens, I chanced to cast mine eye up to the Jew’s counting-house, where I saw some bags of money, and in the night I clambered up with my hooks, and, as I was taking my choice, I heard a rumbling in the house; so I took only this, and run my way: but here’s the Jew’s man.

Bellamira

Hide the bag.

Enter Ithamore. Pilia-Borza

Look not towards him, let’s away; zoons, what a looking thou keep’st; thou’lt betray’s anon.

Exeunt Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. Ithamore

O, the sweetest face that ever I beheld! I know she is a courtesan by her attire: now would I give a hundred of the Jew’s crowns that I had such a concubine.

Well, I have delivered the challenge in such sort,
As meet they will, and fighting die; brave sport.

Exit. Scene II Enter Mathias.47 Mathias

This is the place; now Abigail shall see
Whether Mathias holds her dear or no.

Enter Lodowick.

What, dares the villain write in such base terms? Looking at a letter.

Lodowick

I did it; and revenge it, if thou dar’st!
They fight.

Enter Barabas above, on a balcony. Barabas

O! bravely fought; and yet they thrust not home.
Now, Lodovico! now, Mathias! So⁠—
Both fall.
So, now they have shewed themselves to be tall48 fellows.

Cries within. Part ’em, part ’em!

Barabas

Ay, part ’em now they are dead. Farewell, farewell!

Exit. Enter Ferneze, Katharine, and Attendants. Ferneze

What sight is this!⁠—my Lodovico slain!
These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre.

Katharine

Who is this? my son Mathias slain!

Ferneze

O Lodowick! hadst thou perished by the Turk,
Wretched Ferneze might have ’venged thy death!

Katharine

Thy son slew mine, and I’ll revenge his death.

Ferneze

Look, Katharine, look!⁠—thy son gave mine these wounds.

Katharine

O, leave to grieve me, I am grieved enough.

Ferneze

O! that my sighs could turn to lively breath;
And these my tears to blood, that he might live.

Katharine

Who made them enemies?

Ferneze

I know not, and that grieves me most of all.

Katharine

My son loved thine.

Ferneze

And so did Lodowick him.

Katharine

Lend me that weapon that did kill my son,
And it shall murder me.

Ferneze

Nay, madam, stay; that weapon was my son’s,
And on that rather should Ferneze die.

Katharine

Hold; let’s inquire the causers of their deaths,
That we may ’venge their blood upon their heads.

Ferneze

Then take them up, and let them be interred
Within one sacred monument of stone;
Upon which altar I will offer up
My daily sacrifice of sighs and tears,
And with my prayers pierce impartial heavens,
Till they reveal the causers of our smarts,
Which forced their hands divide united hearts:
Come, Katharine, our losses equal are;
Then of true grief let us take equal share.

Exeunt with the bodies. Scene III Enter Ithamore.49 Ithamore

Why, was there ever seen such villany,
So neatly plotted, and so well performed?
Both held in hand, and flatly both beguiled?

Enter Abigail. Abigail

Why, how now, Ithamore, why laugh’st thou so?

Ithamore

O mistress, ha! ha! ha!

Abigail

Why, what ail’st thou?

Ithamore

O, my master!

Abigail

Ha!

Ithamore

O mistress! I have the bravest, gravest, secret, subtle, bottle-nosed knave to my master, that ever gentleman had!

Abigail

Say, knave, why rail’st upon my father thus?

Ithamore

O, my master has the bravest policy.

Abigail

Wherein?

Ithamore

Why, know you not?

Abigail

Why, no.

Ithamore

Know you not of Mathias’ and Don Lodowick’s disaster?

Abigail

No, what was it?

Ithamore

Why, the devil inverted a challenge, my master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, and imprimis to Mathias.

And then they met, and, as the story says,
In doleful wise they ended both their days.

Abigail

And was my father furtherer of their deaths?

Ithamore

Am I Ithamore?

Abigail

Yes.

Ithamore

So sure did your father write, and I carry the challenge.

Abigail

Well, Ithamore, let me request thee this,
Go to the new-made nunnery, and inquire
For any of the friars of Saint Jaques,
And say, I pray them come and speak with me.

Ithamore

I pray, mistress, will you answer me to one question?

Abigail

Well, sirrah, what is’t?

Ithamore

A very feeling one; have not the nuns fine sport with the friars now and then?

Abigail

Go to, sirrah sauce! is this your question? get ye gone.

Ithamore

I will, forsooth,

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