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.

Enter1BarabasandIthamore. Bells within.

Bar.

• There is no music to2 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.

Itha.

• That's brave, master, but think you it will not be known?

Bar.

• How can it, if we two be secret?

Itha.

• For my part fear you not.

  10

Bar.

• I'd cut thy throat if I did.

Itha.

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

Bar.

• Thou shalt not need, for now the nuns are dead They'll die with grief.

Itha.

• Do you not sorrow for your daughter's death?

Bar.

• No, but I grieve because she lived so long.
• An Hebrew born, and would become a Christian!
• Cazzo,1diabolo.

  20

• Enter the two Friars.

Itha.

• Look, look, master, here come two religious caterpillars.

Bar.

• I smelt 'em ere they came.

Itha.

• God-a-mercy, nose! come, let's begone.

F. Barn.

• Stay, wicked Jew, repent, I say, and stay.

Bar.

• I fear they know we sent the poisoned broth.

Itha.

• And so do I, master; therefore speak 'em fair.

F. Barn.

• Barabas, thou hast—

F. Jac.

• Ay, that thou hast—

  30

Bar.

• True, I have money, what though I have?

F. Barn.

• Thou art a—

F. Jac.

• Ay, that thou art, a—

Bar.

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

F. Barn.

• Thy daughter—

F. Jac.

• Ay, thy daughter—

Bar.

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

F. Barn.

• Remember that—

F. Jac.

• Ay, remember that—

  39

Far.

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

F. Barn.

• Thou hast committed—

Bar.

• Fornication—but that
• Was in anothen country: and besides,
• The wench is dead.

F. Barn.

• Ay, but, Barabas,
• Remember Mathias and Don Lodowick.

Bar.

• Why, what of them?

F. Barn.

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

Bar.

• She has confest, and we are both undone,
• My bosom inmate!1 but I must dissemble.—
• [Aside.

  50

• O holy friars, the burthen of my sins
• Lie heavy 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.

  60

• Would penance serve for this my sin,
• I could afford to whip myself to death—

Itha.

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

Bar.

• To fast, to pray, and wear a shirt of hair,
• And on my knees creep to Jerusalem.
• Cellars of wine, and sollers2 full of wheat,
• Warehouses stuft 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;

  70

• At Alexandria, merchandise unsold:1
• 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 baptized, and live therein.

F. Jac.

• O good Barabas, come to our house.

  80

F. Barn.

• O no, good Barabas, come to our house;
• And, Barabas, you know—

Bar.

• I know that I have highly sinned.

F. Jac.

• O Barabas, their laws are strict.

Bar.

• I know they are, and I will be with you.
• [To F. Jac.

F Barn.

• They wear no shirts, and they go barefoot too.

Bar.

• Then 'tis not for me; and I am resolved
• [To F. Barn.
• You shall confess me, and have all my goods.

F. Jac.

• Good Barabas, come to me.

  90

Bar.

• You see I answer him, and yet he stays;
• [To F. Barn.
• Rid him away, and go you home with me.

F. Jac.

• I'll be with you to-night.

Bar.

• Come to my house at one o'clock this night.
• [To F. Jac.

F. Jac.

• You hear your answer, and you may be gone.

F. Barn.

• Why, go get you away.

F. Jac.

• I will not go for thee.

F. Barn.

• Not! then I'll make thee go.

F. Jac.

• How, dost call me rogue?
• [They fight.

Itha.

• Part 'em, master, part 'em.

  100

Bar.

• This is mere frailty, brethren; be content.
• Friar Barnardine, go you with Ithamore:
• You1 know my mind, let me alone with him.
• [Aside to F. Barn.

F. Jac.

• Why does he go to thy house? let him begone.

Bar.

• I'll give him something and so stop his mouth.
• [ExitIthamorewith F. Barn.
• I never heard of any man but he
• Maligned 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,

  110

• And so I will. O Jacomo, fail not, but come.

F. Jac.

• But, Barabas, who shall be your godfathers,
• For presently you shall be shrived.

Bar.

• Marry, the Turk2 shall be one of my godfathers,
• But not a word to any of your covent.3

F. Jac.

• I warrant thee, Barabas.
• [Exit.

Bar.

• So, now the fear is past, and I am safe:
• For he that shrived her is within my house,
• What if I murdered him ere Jacomo comes?
• Now I have such a plot for both their lives

  120

• As never Jew nor Christian knew the like;
• One turned my daughter, therefore he shall die;
• The other knows enough to have my life,
• Therefore 'tis not requisite he should live.
• 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 words,
• And after that, I and my trusty Turk—

  130

• No more but so: it must and shall be done.
• [Exit.

[1]Scene: a street.

[2]I.e., compared to.

[1]A vulgar Italian oath. (Old ed. “Catho diabola.”)

[1]Old ed. “inmates.”

[2]Upper rooms; lofts. The word is still used in some parts of the country.

[1]Dyce reads “untold,”

[1]This line and the next are given to Ithamore in the old copy.

[2]Ithamore.

[3]The old form (preserved in “Covent Garden”) of “convent”