The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Publisher's Notice
• To My Worthy Friend , Master Thomas Hammon, of Gray's Inn , &c.
• Persons Represented.
• The Jew of Malta.
• Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Edward the Second.
• Act the First.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act the Second.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Act the Third.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Act the Fourth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Act the Fifth.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• The Massacre At Paris.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Scene V.
• Scene VI.
• Scene VII.
• Scene VIII.
• Scene IX.
• Scene X.
• Scene XI.
• Scene XII.
• Scene XIII.
• Scene XIV.
• Scene XV.
• Scene XVI.
• Scene XVII.
• Scene XVIII.
• Scene XIX.
• Scene XX.
• Scene XXI.
• Scene XXII.
• Scene XXIII.
• Scene XXIV.
• The Tragedy of Dido, Queen of Carthage.
• Act I.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Act II.
• Scene I.
• Act III.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene III.
• Scene IV.
• Act IV.
• Scene I.
• Scene II.
• Scene Iii
• Scene IV.
• Scene V
• Act V.
• Scene I.

SCENE I.

Enter1Barabaswith a light.

Bar.

• Thus,2 like the sad presaging raven, that tolls
• The sick man's passport in her hollow beak,
• And in the shadow of the silent night
• Doth shake contagion from her sable wings;
• Vexed and tormented runs poor Barabas
• With fatal curses towards these Christians.
• The uncertain pleasures of swift-footed time
• Have ta'en their flight, and left me in despair;
• And of my former riches rests no more
• But bare remembrance, like a soldier's scar,

  10

• That has no further comfort for his maim.
• O thou, that with a fiery pillar led'st
• The sons of Israel through the dismal shades,
• Light Abraham's offspring; and direct the hand
• Of Abigail this night; or let the day
• Turn to eternal darkness after this!
• No sleep can fasten on my watchful eyes,
• Nor quiet enter my distempered thoughts,
• Till I have answer of my Abigail.
• EnterAbigailabove.

Abig.

• Now have I happily espied a time

  20

• To search the plank my father did appoint;
• And here behold, unseen, where I have found

Bar.

• Now I remember those old women's words,
• Who in my wealth would tell me winter's tales,1
• And speak of spirits and ghosts that glide by night
• About the place where treasure hath been hid:2
• And now methinks that I am one of those:
• For whilst I live, here lives my soul's sole hope,
• And, when I die, here shall my spirit walk.

  30

Abig.

• Now that my father's fortune were so good
• As but to be about this happy place;
• Tis not so happy: yet when we parted last,
• He said he would attend me in the morn.
• Then, gentle sleep, where'er his body rests,
• Give charge to Morpheus that he may dream
• A golden dream, and of the sudden wake,1
• Come and receive the treasure I have found.

Bar.

• Bueno para todos mi ganado no era:2
• As good go on as sit so sadly thus.

  40

• But stay, what star shines yonder in the east?3
• The loadstar of my life, if Abigail.
• Who's there?

Abig.

• Who's that?

Bar.

• Peace, Abigail, 'tis I.

Abig.

• Then, father, here receive thy happiness.
• [Throws down bags.

Bar.

• Hast thou't?

Abig.

• Here, [Throws down the bags] hast thou't?
• There's more, and more, and more.

Bar.

• O my girl,
• My gold, my fortune, my felicity!
• Strength to my soul, death to mine enemy!
• Welcome the first beginner of my bliss!
• O Abigail, Abigail, that I had thee here too!

  50

• Then my desires were fully satisfied:
• But I will practise thy enlargement thence:
• O girl! O gold! O beauty! O my bliss!
• [Hugs his bags.

Abig.

• Father, it draweth towards midnight now,
• And about this time the nuns begin to wake;
• To shun suspicion, therefore, let us part.

Bar.

• Farewell, my joy, and by my fingers take
• A kiss from him that sends it from his soul.
• [ExitAbigailabove.
• Now Phœbus ope the eyelids1 of the day,
• And for the raven wake the morning lark,

  60

• That I may hover with her in the air;
• Singing o'er these, as she does o'er her young.
• Hermoso2Piarer de les Denirch.
• [Exit.

[1]Scene: before Barabas' house.

[2]Collier notices that Il. 1, 2, are found (with slight variation) in Guilpin's Skialetheia, 1598. Cf. Peele's David and Bethsabe.—

• “Like as the fatal raven, that in his voice
• Carries the dreadful summons of our death.”

[1]Cf. Dido, iii. 3 —

• “Who would not undergo all kind of toil
• To be well stored with such a winter's tale?”

The words “in my wealth” have little meaning; I suspect that we should read “in my youth.”

[2]Cf. Hamlet, i. 1:—

• “Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life
• Extorted treasure in the womb of earth,
• For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death,
• Speak of it.”

[1]Old ed. “walke.”

[2]Old ed. “Birn para todos, my ganada no er.” I have adopted Dyce's reading.

[3]Dyce thinks that Shakespeare recollected this passage when he wrote:—

• “But soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
• It is the East, and Juliet is the sun.”

[1]Cf. Fob xli. 18.—“By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.” So Sophocles in the Antigone speaks of the sun as άμέραδ βλέΦoν. The reader will remember the line in Lycidas:—

• “Under the opening eyelids of the morn.”

[2]“Perhaps what is meant here is an exclamation on the beautiful appearance of money, Hermoso parecer de los dinos, but it is questionable whether this would be good Spanish.”—Collier. Dyce gives “Hermoso Placer.”