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 V.

Enter,1above, Barabas, with a hammer, very busy; and Carpenters.

Bar.

• How stand the cords? How hang these hinges? fast?
• Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?

First Carp.2

• All fast.

Bar.

• Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.
• Why now I see that you have art indeed.
• There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you:
• Go swill in bowls of sack and muscadine!

First Carp.

• We shall, my lord, and thank you.
• [Exeunt.

Bar.

• And, if you like them, drink your fill and die:
• For so I live, perish may all the world.

  10

• Now Selim Calymath return me word
• That thou wilt come, and I am satisfied.
• Now, sirrah, what, will he come?
• Enter Messenger.

Mess.

• He will; and has commanded all his men
• To come ashore, and march through Malta-streets,
• That thou mayest feast them in thy citadel.

Bar.

• Then now are all things as my wish would have 'em,
• There wanteth nothing but the Governor's pelf,
• And see, he brings it.
• Enter Governor.
• Now, Governor, the sum.

Gov.

• With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds.

Bar.

• Pounds say'st thou, Governor? well, since it is no more,

  21

• I'll satisfy myself with that; nay, keep it still,
• For if I keep not promise, trust not me.
• And, Governor, now take my policy:
• First, for his army, they are sent before,
• Entered the monastery, and underneath
• In several places are field-pieces pitched,
• Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder,
• That on the sudden shall dissever it,
• And batter all the stones about their ears,

  30

• Whence none can possibly escape alive:
• Now as for Calymath and his consorts,
• Here have I made a dainty gallery,
• The floor whereof, this cable being cut,
• Doth fall asunder; so that it doth sink
• Into a deep pit past recovery.
• Here, hold that knife, and when thou seest he comes,
• And with his bassoes shall be blithely set,
• A warning-piece shall be shot off from the tower,
• To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord

  40

• And fire the house; say, will not this be brave?

Gov.

• O excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas,
• I trust thy word, take what I promised thee.

Bar.

• No, Governor, I'll satisfy thee first,
• Thou shalt not live in doubt of anything.
• Stand close, for here they come [Governor retires]. Why, is not this
• A kingly kind of trade to purchase towns
• By treachery and sell 'em by deceit?
• Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sun1
• If greater falsehood ever has been done?

  50

• EnterCalymathand Bassoes.

Caly.

• Come, my companion bassoes; see, I pray,
• How busy Barabas is there above
• To entertain us in his gallery;
• Let us salute him. Save thee, Barabas!

Bar.

• Welcome, great Calymath!

Gov.

• How the slave jeers at him.
• [Aside.

Bar.

• Will't please thee, mighty Selim Calymath,
• To ascend our homely stairs?

Caly.

• Ay, Barabas;
• Come, bassoes, attend.2

Gov.

• Stay, Calymath!

  60

• For I will show thee greater courtesy

Knight [within].

• Sound a charge there!
• [A charge; the cable cut. Barabasfalls into a caldron. EnterMartindelBoscoand Knights.3

Caly.

• How now, what means this?

Bar.

• Help, help me, Christians, help!

Gov.

• See, Calymath, this was devised for thee.

Caly.

• Treason! treason! bassoes, fly!

Gov.

• No, Selim, do not fly!
• See his end first, and fly then if thou canst.

Bar.

• O help me, Selim, help me, Christians!

  70

• Governor, why stand you all so pitiless?

Gov.

• Should I in pity of thy plaints or thee,
• Accursèd Barabas, base Jew, relent?
• No, thus I'll see thy treachery repaid,

Bar.

• You will not help me, then?

Gov.

• No, villain, no.

Bar.

• And, villains, know you cannot help me now—
• Then, Barabas, breathe forth thy latest hate,1
• And in the fury of thy torments strive
• To end thy life with resolution.

  80

• Know, Governor, 'twas I that slew thy son;
• I framed the challenge that did make them meet:
• Know, Calymath, I aimed thy overthrow,
• And had I but escaped this stratagem,
• I would have brought confusion on you all,
• Damned Christians! dogs! and Turkish infidels!
• But now begins the extremity of heat
• To pinch me with intolerable pangs:
• Die life, fly soul, tongue curse thy fill, and die!
• [Dies.

Caly.

• Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?

  90

Gov.

• This train he laid to have entrapped thy life;
• Now, Selim, note the unhallowed deeds of Jews:
• Thus he determined to have handled thee,

Caly.

• Was this the banquet he prepared for us?
• Let's hence, lest further mischief be pretended.1

Gov.

• Nay, Selim, stay, for since we have thee here,
• We will not let thee part so suddenly;
• Besides, if we should let thee go, all's one,
• For with thy galleys could'st thou not get hence,

  100

• Without fresh men to rig and furnish them.

Caly.

• Tush, Governor, take thou no care for that,
• My men are all aboard,
• And do attend my coming there by this.

Gov.

• Why, heard'st thou not the trumpet sound a charge?

Caly.

• Yes, what of that?

Gov.

• Why then the house was fired,
• Blown up, and all thy soldiers massacred.

Caly.

• O monstrous treason!

Gov.

• A Jew's courtesy:
• For he that did by treason work our fall,
• By treason hath delivered thee to us:

  110

• Know, therefore, till thy father hath made good
• The ruins done to Malta and to us,
• Thou canst not part: for Malta shall be freed,
• Or Selim ne'er return to Ottoman.

Caly.

• Nay, rather, Christians, let me go to Turkey,
• In person there to mediate1 your peace;
• To keep me here will not advantage you.

Gov.

• Content thee, Calymath, here thou must stay,
• And live in Malta prisoner; for come all2 the world
• To rescue thee, so will we guard us now,

  120

• As sooner shall they drink the ocean dry
• Than conquer Malta, or endanger us.
• So march away, and let due praise be given
• Neither to Fate nor Fortune, but to Heaven.
• [Exeunt.

EDWARD THE SECOND.

Edward II. was entered in the Stationers' Books 6th July 1593. In the Dyce Library at South Kensington there is a 4to. with a MS. title-page (in a hand of the late seventeenth century) dated 1593. Without doubt the date 1593 is a copyist's mistake for 1598. In the first leaf, which is in MS., there are a few textual differences, due to the copyist's carelessness; but the printed matter throughout (A. 3—K. 2) exhibits the text of ed. 1598.

In 1876 an edition of Edward II. in 8vo., dated 1594, was discovered in the library at Cassel. The title is:—The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England: with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer. As it was sundri times publiquely acted in the honourable citie of London, by the right honourable the Earl of Pembroke his servants. Written by Chri. Marlow Gent. Imprinted at London for William fones, dwelling neare Holborne conduit at the Signe of the Gunne, 1594.

The title of the 4to. of 1598 runs as follows:—The troublesome The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England, with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer. And also the life and death of Pers Gaueston, the great Earle of Cornewall, and mightly favorite of king Edward the second, as it was publiquely acted by the right honorable the Earle of Pembrooke his seruauntes. Written by Chri. Marlow Gent. Imprinted at London by Richard Bradocke, for William fones, dwelling neere Holbourne conduit, at the signe of the Gunne, 1598.

Another edition (in 4to,) appeared in 1612, with the following title:—The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England: with the tragicall fall of proud Mortimer. And also the life and death of Pers Gaueston, the great Earle of Cornewall, and mighty jauorite of King Edward the second, as it was publiquely acted by the right honorable the Earle of Pembrooke his seruants. Written by Christopher Marlow Gent. Printed at London for Roger Barnes, and are to be sould at his shop in Chauncere Lane ouer against the Rolles, 1612.

The last of the old editions is dated 1622:— The troublesome raigne and lamentable death of Edward the second, King of England: with the Tragicall fall of proud Mortimer. And also the life and death of Pers Gauestone, the great Earle of Cornewall, and mighty Fauorite of King Edward the second. As it was publikely Acted by the late Queenes Maiesties Seruants at the Red Bull in S. fohns streete. Written by Christopher Marlow Gent. London, Printed for Henry Bell, and are to be sold at his Shop, at the Lame-hospitall Gate, neere Smuthfield, 1622.

The text of the 1598 4to., which is fairly free from corruptions, differs but slightly from the texts of the two later 4tos. I have not had an opportunity of inspecting the 8vo. of 1594; but I suspect that it agrees very closely with the later copies.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

• Edward II.
• PrinceEdward, his son, afterwards Edward III.
• Gaveston.
• ElderSpencer.
• YoungSpencer.
• ElderMortimer.
• YoungMortimer.
• Berkeley.
• Lancaster.
• Leicester.
• Edmund, Earl of Kent.
• Arundel.
• Warwick.
• Pembroke.
• ArchbishopofCanterbury.
• BishopofWinchester.
• BishopofCoventry.
• Beaumont.
• Trussel.
• SirJohnHainault.
• Levune.
• Baldock.
• Matrevis.
• Gurney.
• RiceapHowell.
• Lightborn.
• Abbot.
• Lords, Messengers, Monks, James, &c., &c.,

• QueenIsabella.
• Niece to Edward II.
• Ladies.

EDWARD THE SECOND.

ACT THE FIRST.

[1]Scene: the hall of the Governor's house. Barabas is in the gallery.

[2]Old ed. “Serv.”

[1]Old ed. “summe.”

[2]Dyce reads “ascend.”

[3]The stage-direction in old ed. is “A charge, the cable cut. A caldron discovered.” In Scene 4 the Governor had directed the Knights and Del Bosco to issue out at the discharge of the culverin.

[1]Cunningham's correction for the old ed.'s “fate.”

[1]Intended.

[1]Old ed. “meditate.”

[2]Old ed. “call.”