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.

Enter1 Governor, Knights, andMartindelBosco.

Gov.

• Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms,
• And see that Malta be well fortified;
• And it behoves you to be resolute;
• For Calymath, having hovered here so long,
• Will win the town or die before the walls.

Knights.

• And die he shall, for we will never yield.
• EnterBellamiraandPilia-Borsa.

Bell.

• O, bring us to the Governor.

Gov.

• Away with her; she is a courtesan.

Bell.

• Whate'er I am, yet, Governor, hear me speak;
• I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain:

  10

• Mathias did it not; it was the Jew.

Pilia.

• Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen,
• Poisoned his own daughter and the nuns,
• Strangled a friar, and I know not what
• Mischief besides.

Gov.

• Had we but proof of this—

Bell.

• Strong proof, my lord; his man's now at my lodging,
• That was his agent; he'll confess it all.

Gov.

• Go fetch him straight [Exeunt Officers]. I always feared that Jew.
• Enter Officers withBarabasandIthamore.

Bar.

• I'll go alone; dogs, do not hale me thus.

Itha.

• Nor me neither, I cannot outrun you, constable:
• O my belly!

  21

Bar.

• One dram of powder more had made all sure;
• What a damned slave was I!
• [Aside.

Gov.

• Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetched.

Knights.

• Nay, stay, my lord,'t may be he will confess?

Bar.

• Confess! what mean you, lords? who should confess?

Gov.

• Thou and thy Turk; 'twas you that slew my son.

Itha.

• Guilty, my lord, I confess: your son and Mathias were both contracted unto Abigail; [he] forged a counter feit challenge.

  30

Bar.

• Who carried that challenge?

Itha.

• I carried it, I confess; but who writ it? Marry, even he that strangled Barnardine, poisoned the nuns and his own daughter.

Gov.

• Away with him, his sight is death to me.

Bar.

• For what, you men of Malta? hear me speak:
• She is a courtesan, and he a thief,
• And he my bondman. Let me have law,
• For none of this can prejudice my life.

  39

Gov.

• Once more, away with him; you shall have law.

Bar.

• Devils, do your worst, I live in spite of you.
• [Aside.
• As these have spoke, so be it to their souls!—
• I hope the poisoned flowers will work anon.
• [Aside.
• [Exeunt.
• Enter the Mother ofMathias.

Mother.

• Was my Mathias murdered by the Jew?
• Ferneze, 'twas thy son that murdered him.

Gov.

• Be patient, gentle madam, it was he.
• He forged the daring challenge made them fight.

Mother.

• Where is the Jew? where is that murderer?

Gov.

• In prison till the law has past on him.

  49

• Enter Officer.

Off.

• My lord, the courtesan and her man are dead:
• So is the Turk and Barabas the Jew.

Gov.

• Dead!

Off.

• Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body.

Bosco.

• This sudden death of his is very strange.
• Re-enter Officers carryingBarabasas dead.

Gov.

• Wonder not at it, sir, the heavens are just;
• Their deaths were like their lives, then think not of 'em;
• Since they are dead, let them be burièd.
• For the Jew's body, throw that o'er the walls,
• To be a prey for vultures and wild beasts.
• So now away, and fortify the town.

  60

• [Exeunt all, leavingBarabason the floor.1

Bar.

• [Rising.] What, all alone? well fare, sleepy drink.
• I'll be revenged on this accursèd town;
• For by my means Calymath shall enter in.
• I'll help to slay their children and their wives,
• To fire the churches, pull their houses down,
• Take my goods too, and seize upon my lands:
• I hope to see the Governor a slave,
• And, rowing in a galley, whipt to death.
• EnterCalymath, Bassoes, and Turks.

Caly.

• Whom have we here, a spy?

Bar.

• Yes, my good lord, one that can spy a place

  70

• Where you may enter, and surprise the town:
• My name is Barabas: I am a Jew.

Caly.

• Art thou that Jew whose goods we heard were sold
• For tribute-money?

Bar.

• The very same, my lord:
• And since that time they have hired a slave, my man,
• To accuse me of a thousand villanies:
• I was imprisoned, but escaped their hands.

Caly.

• Did'st break prison?

Bar.

• No, no;
• I drank of poppy and cold mandrake juice:1

  80

• And being asleep, belike they thought me dead,
• And threw me o'er the walls: so, or how else,
• The Jew is here, and rests at your command.

Caly.

• 'Twas bravely done: but tell me, Barabas,
• Canst thou, as thou report'st, make Malta ours?

Bar.

• Fear not, my lord, for here against the sluice,1
• The rock is hollow, and of purpose digged,
• To make a passage for the running streams
• And common channels of the city.
• Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls,

  90

• I'll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault,
• And rise with them i' the middle of the town,
• Open the gates for you to enter in,

Caly.

• If this be true, I'll make thee governor.

Bar.

• And if it be not true, then let me die.

Caly.

• Thou'st doomed thyself. Assault it presently.
• [Exeunt.

[1]Scene: the Senate-house.

[1]We are to suppose that Barabas' body had been thrown “o'er the walls,” according to the Governor's order. The scene is now changed from the Senate-house to the outside of the city.

[1]A herb of powerful soporific qualities. Shakespeare couples it with “poppy” in Othello:—

• “Not poppy nor mandragora,
• Nor all the powerful syrups of the world,
• Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
• Which thou ow'dst yesterday.”

[1]Old ed. “truce” The correction is Collier's. Dyce reads “trench.”