The Online Library of Liberty

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• 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 III.

EnterIthamore.1

Itha.

• Why, was there ever seen such villainy,
• So neatly plotted, and so well performed?
• Both held in hand,2 and flatly both beguiled?
• EnterAbigail.

Abig.

• Why, how now, Ithamore, why laugh'st thou so?

Itha.

• O mistress, ha! ha! ha!

Abig.

• Why, what ail'st thou?

Itha.

• O my master!

Abig.

• Ha!

Itha.

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

  11

Abig.

• Say, knave, why rail'st upon my father thus?

Itha.

• O, my master has the bravest policy.

Abig.

• Wherein?

Itha.

• Why, know you not?

Abig.

• Why, no.

Itha.

• Know you not of Mathia[s'] and Don Lodo-wick['s] disaster?

Abig.

• No, what was it?

Itha.

• Why, the devil invented a challenge, my master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, and imprimis to Mathia[s].

  22

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

Abig.

• And was my father furtherer of their deaths?

Itha.

• Am I Ithamore?

Abig.

• Yes.

Itha.

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

Abig.

• Well, Ithamore, let me request thee this,

  30

• Go to the new-made nunnery, and inquire
• For any of the Friars of St. Jaques,1
• And say, I pray them come and speak with me.

Itha.

• I pray, mistress, will you answer me but one question?

Abig.

• Well, sirrah, what is't?

Itha.

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

Abig.

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

  40

Itha.

• I will, forsooth, mistress.
• [Exit.

Abig.

• Hard-hearted father, unkind Barabas!
• Was this the pursuit of thy policy!
• To make me show them favour severally,
• That by my favour they should both be slain?
• Admit thou lov'dst not Lodowick for his sire,2
• Yet Don Mathias ne'er offended thee:
• But thou wert set upon extreme revenge,
• Because the Prior1 dispossessed thee once,
• And could'st not 'venge it, but upon his son;

  50

• Nor on his son, but by Mathias' means;
• Nor on Mathias, but by murdering me.
• But I perceive there is no love on earth,
• Pity in Jews, or piety in Turks.
• But here comes cursed Ithamore, with the friar.
• EnterIthamoreandFriar Jacomo.
• F. Jac. Virgo, salve.

Itha.

• When! duck you!2

Abig.

• Welcome, grave friar; Ithamore, begone.
• [ExitIthamore.
• Know, holy sir, I am bold to solicit thee.

F. Jac.

• Wherein?

  60

Abig.

• To get me be admitted for a nun.

F. Jac.

• Why, Abigail, it is not yet long since
• That I did labour thy admission,
• And then thou did'st not like that holy life.

Abig.

• Then were my thoughts so frail and unconfirmed,
• And I was chained to follies of the world:
• But now experience, purchasèd with grief,
• Has made me see the difference of things.
• My sinful soul, alas, hath paced too long
• The fatal labyrinth of misbelief,

  70

• Far from the sun that gives eternal life.

F. Jac.

• Who taught thee this?

Abig.

• The abbess of the house,
• Whose zealous admonition I embrace:
• O, therefore, Jacomo, let me be one,

F. Jac.

• Abigail, I will, but see thou change no more,
• For that will be most heavy to thy soul.

Abig.

• That was my father's fault.

F. Jac.

• Thy father's! how?

Abig.

• Nay, you shall pardon me.—O Barabas,
• Though thou deservest hardly at my hands,

  80

• Yet never shall these lips bewray thy life.
• [Aside

F. Jac.

• Come, shall we go?

Abig.

• My duty waits on you.
• [Exeunt.

[1]Scene: a room in Barabas' house.

[2]“Kept in expectation, having their hopes flattered.”-Dyce.

[1]Old ed. “Iaynes.”

[2]Dyce's correction; old ed. “sinne.”

[1]So the old ed. Cunningham boldly reads “Governor,” which is certainly the word we should have expected.

[2]Dyce and the other editors give “When duck you?” I take “when” to be an abrupt exclamation denoting impatience, in which sense the word is often found (see Dyce's Shakespeare Glossary).