第2章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"The Jew of Malta",免费读到尾

  [ExeuntKATHARlNEandMATHIAS。]

  FIRSTOFFICER。Come,Ihavemadeareasonablemarket;let’saway。

  [ExeuntOFFICERSwithSLAVES。]

  BARABAS。Nowletmeknowthyname,andtherewithalThybirth,condition,andprofession。

  ITHAMORE。Faith,sir,mybirthisbutmean;myname’sIthamore;

  myprofessionwhatyouplease。

  BARABAS。Hastthounotrade?thenlistentomywords,AndIwillteach[thee]thatshallstickbythee:

  First,bethouvoidoftheseaffections,Compassion,love,vainhope,andheartlessfear;

  Bemov’datnothing,seethoupitynone,ButtothyselfsmilewhentheChristiansmoan。

  ITHAMORE。O,brave,master!Iworshipyournoseforthis。

  BARABAS。Asformyself,Iwalkabroado’nights,Andkillsickpeoplegroaningunderwalls:

  SometimesIgoaboutandpoisonwells;

  Andnowandthen,tocherishChristianthieves,Iamcontenttolosesomeofmycrowns,ThatImay,walkinginmygallery,See’emgopinion’dalongbymydoor。

  Beingyoung,Istudiedphysic,andbeganTopracticefirstupontheItalian;

  ThereIenrich’dthepriestswithburials,Andalwayskeptthesexton’sarmsinure

  Withdigginggravesandringingdeadmen’sknells:

  And,afterthat,wasIanengineer,Andinthewars’twixtFranceandGermany,UnderpretenceofhelpingCharlestheFifth,Slewfriendandenemywithmystratagems:

  Then,afterthat,wasIanusurer,Andwithextorting,cozening,forfeiting,Andtricksbelonginguntobrokery,Ifill’dthegaolswithbankruptsinayear,Andwithyoungorphansplantedhospitals;

  Andeverymoonmadesomeorothermad,Andnowandthenonehanghimselfforgrief,PinninguponhisbreastalonggreatscrollHowIwithinteresttormentedhim。

  ButmarkhowIamblestforplaguingthem;——

  Ihaveasmuchcoinaswillbuythetown。

  Buttellmenow,howhastthouspentthytime?

  ITHAMORE。Faith,master,InsettingChristianvillagesonfire,Chainingofeunuchs,bindinggalley—slaves。

  OnetimeIwasanhostlerinaninn,Andinthenight—timesecretlywouldIstealTotravellers’chambers,andtherecuttheirthroats:

  OnceatJerusalem,wherethepilgrimskneel’d,Istrewedpowderonthemarblestones,Andtherewithaltheirkneeswouldrankleso,ThatIhavelaugh’da—goodtoseethecripplesGolimpinghometoChristendomonstilts。

  BARABAS。Why,thisissomething:makeaccountofmeAsofthyfellow;wearevillainsboth;

  Bothcircumcised;wehateChristiansboth:

  Betrueandsecret;thoushaltwantnogold。

  Butstandaside;herecomesDonLodowick。

  EnterLODOWICK。

  LODOWICK。O,Barabas,wellmet;

  Whereisthediamondyoutoldmeof?

  BARABAS。Ihaveitforyou,sir:pleaseyouwalkinwithme。——

  What,ho,Abigail!openthedoor,Isay!

  EnterABIGAIL,withletters。

  ABIGAIL。Ingoodtime,father;hereareletterscome>FromOrmus,andthepoststaysherewithin。

  BARABAS。Givemetheletters。——Daughter,doyouhear?

  EntertainLodowick,thegovernor’sson,Withallthecourtesyyoucanafford,Providedthatyoukeepyourmaidenhead:

  UsehimasifhewereaPhilistine;

  Dissemble,swear,protest,vowlovetohim:

  HeisnotoftheseedofAbraham。——

  [Asidetoher。]

  Iamalittlebusy,sir;pray,pardonme。——

  Abigail,bidhimwelcomeformysake。

  ABIGAIL。Foryoursakeandhisownhe’swelcomehither。

  BARABAS。Daughter,awordmore:kisshim,speakhimfair,AndlikeacunningJewsocastabout,Thatyebebothmadesureereyoucomeout。

  [Asidetoher。]

  ABIGAIL。Ofather,DonMathiasismylove!

  BARABAS。Iknowit:yet,Isay,makelovetohim;

  Do,itisrequisiteitshouldbeso。——

  [Asidetoher。]

  Nay,onmylife,itismyfactor’shand;

  Butgoyouin,I’llthinkupontheaccount。

  [ExeuntABIGAILandLODOWICKintothehouse。]

  Theaccountismade,forLodovicodies。

  Myfactorsendsmewordamerchant’sfledThatowesmeforahundredtunofwine:

  Iweighitthusmuch[snappinghisfingers]!Ihavewealthenough;

  Fornowbythishashekiss’dAbigail,Andshevowslovetohim,andhetoher。

  Assureasheavenrain’dmannafortheJews,SosureshallheandDonMathiasdie:

  Hisfatherwasmychiefestenemy。

  EnterMATHIAS。

  WhithergoesDonMathias?stayawhile。

  MATHIAS。Whither,buttomyfairloveAbigail?

  BARABAS。Thouknow’st,andheavencanwitnessitistrue,ThatIintendmydaughtershallbethine。

  MATHIAS。Ay,Barabas,orelsethouwrong’stmemuch。

  BARABAS。O,heavenforbidIshouldhavesuchathought!

  PardonmethoughIweep:thegovernor’ssonWill,whetherIwillorno,haveAbigail;

  Hesendsherletters,bracelets,jewels,rings。

  MATHIAS。Doesshereceivethem?

  BARABAS。She!no,Mathias,no,butsendsthemback;

  And,whenhecomes,shelocksherselfupfast;

  Yetthroughthekey—holewillhetalktoher,Whilesherunstothewindow,lookingoutWhenyoushouldcomeandhalehimfromthedoor。

  MATHIAS。OtreacherousLodowick!

  BARABAS。Evennow,asIcamehome,hesliptmein,AndIamsureheiswithAbigail。

  MATHIAS。I’llrousehimthence。

  BARABAS。NotforallMalta;thereforesheatheyoursword;

  Ifyouloveme,noquarrelsinmyhouse;

  Butstealyouin,andseemtoseehimnot:

  I’llgivehimsuchawarningerehegoes,AsheshallhavesmallhopesofAbigail。

  Away,forheretheycome。

  Re—enterLODOWICKandABIGAIL。

  MATHIAS。What,handinhand!Icannotsufferthis。

  BARABAS。Mathias,asthoulov’stme,notaword。

  MATHIAS。Well,letitpass;anothertimeshallserve。

  [Exitintothehouse。]

  LODOWICK。Barabas,isnotthatthewidow’sson?

  BARABAS。Ay,andtakeheed,forhehathswornyourdeath。

  LODOWICK。Mydeath!what,isthebase—bornpeasantmad?

  BARABAS。No,no;buthappilyhestandsinfearOfthatwhichyou,Ithink,ne’erdreamupon,——

  Mydaughterhere,apaltrysillygirl。

  LODOWICK。Why,lovessheDonMathias?

  BARABAS。Dothshenotwithhersmilingansweryou?

  ABIGAIL。Hehasmyheart;Ismileagainstmywill。

  [Aside。]

  LODOWICK。Barabas,thouknow’stIhavelov’dthydaughterlong。

  BARABAS。Andsohasshedoneyou,evenfromachild。

  LODOWICK。AndnowIcannolongerholdmymind。

  BARABAS。NorItheaffectionthatIbeartoyou。

  LODOWICK。Thisisthydiamond;tellme,shallIhaveit?

  BARABAS。Winit,andwearit;itisyetunsoil’d。

  O,butIknowyourlordshipwoulddisdainTomarrywiththedaughterofaJew:

  AndyetI’llgivehermanyagoldencross

  WithChristianposiesroundaboutthering。

  LODOWICK。’Tisnotthywealth,butherthatIesteem;

  YetcraveIthyconsent。

  BARABAS。Andmineyouhave;yetletmetalktoher。——

  ThisoffspringofCain,thisJebusite,ThatnevertastedofthePassover,Nore’ershallseethelandofCanaan,NorourMessiasthatisyettocome;

  Thisgentlemaggot,Lodowick,Imean,Mustbedeluded:lethimhavethyhand,ButkeepthyhearttillDonMathiascomes。

  [Asidetoher。]

  ABIGAIL。What,shallIbebetroth’dtoLodowick?

  BARABAS。It’snosintodeceiveaChristian;

  Fortheythemselvesholditaprinciple,Faithisnottobeheldwithheretics:

  ButallarehereticsthatarenotJews;

  Thisfollowswell,andtherefore,daughter,fearnot。——

  [Asidetoher。]

  Ihaveentreatedher,andshewillgrant。

  LODOWICK。Then,gentleAbigail,plightthyfaithtome。

  ABIGAIL。Icannotchoose,seeingmyfatherbids:

  Nothingbutdeathshallpartmyloveandme。

  LODOWICK。NowhaveIthatforwhichmysoulhathlong’d。

  BARABAS。SohavenotI;butyetIhopeIshall。

  [Aside。]

  ABIGAIL。OwretchedAbigail,whathastthoudone?

  [Aside。]

  LODOWICK。Whyonthesuddenisyourcolourchang’d?

  ABIGAIL。Iknownot:butfarewell;Imustbegone。

  BARABAS。Stayher,butlethernotspeakonewordmore。

  LODOWICK。Muteo’thesudden!here’sasuddenchange。

  BARABAS。O,musenotatit;’tistheHebrews’guise,Thatmaidensnew—betroth’dshouldweepawhile:

  Troublehernot;sweetLodowick,depart:

  Sheisthywife,andthoushaltbemineheir。

  LODOWICK。O,is’tthecustom?thenIamresolv’d:

  Butratherletthebrightsomeheavensbedim,Andnature’sbeautychokewithstiflingclouds,ThanmyfairAbigailshouldfrownonme。——

  Therecomesthevillain;nowI’llbereveng’d。

  Re—enterMATHIAS。

  BARABAS。Bequiet,Lodowick;itisenoughThatIhavemadetheesuretoAbigail。

  LODOWICK。Well,lethimgo。

  [Exit。]

  BARABAS。Well,butforme,asyouwentinatdoorsYouhadbeenstabb’d:butnotawordon’tnow;

  Heremustnospeechespass,norswordsbedrawn。

  MATHIAS。Sufferme,Barabas,buttofollowhim。

  BARABAS。No;soshallI,ifanyhurtbedone,Bemadeanaccessaryofyourdeeds:

  Revengeitonhimwhenyoumeethimnext。

  MATHIAS。ForthisI’llhavehisheart。

  BARABAS。Doso。Lo,hereIgivetheeAbigail!

  MATHIAS。WhatgreatergiftcanpoorMathiashave?

  ShallLodowickrobmeofsofairalove?

  MylifeisnotsodearasAbigail。

  BARABAS。Myheartmisgivesme,that,tocrossyourlove,He’swithyourmother;thereforeafterhim。

  MATHIAS。What,ishegoneuntomymother?

  BARABAS。Nay,ifyouwill,staytillshecomesherself。

  MATHIAS。Icannotstay;for,ifmymothercome,She’lldiewithgrief。

  [Exit。]

  ABIGAIL。Icannottakemyleaveofhimfortears。

  Father,whyhaveyouthusincens’dthemboth?

  BARABAS。What’sthattothee?

  ABIGAIL。I’llmake’emfriendsagain。

  BARABAS。

  You’llmake’emfriends!aretherenotJewsenowinMalta,ButthoumustdoteuponaChristian?

  ABIGAIL。IwillhaveDonMathias;heismylove。

  BARABAS。Yes,youshallhavehim。——Go,putherin。

  ITHAMORE。Ay,I’llputherin。

  [PutsinABIGAIL。]

  BARABAS。Nowtellme,Ithamore,howlik’stthouthis?

  ITHAMORE。Faith,master,IthinkbythisYoupurchaseboththeirlives:isitnotso?

  BARABAS。True;anditshallbecunninglyperform’d。

  ITHAMORE。O,master,thatImighthaveahandinthis!

  BARABAS。Ay,sothoushalt;’tisthoumustdothedeed:

  Takethis,andbearittoMathiasstraight,[Givingaletter。]

  AndtellhimthatitcomesfromLodowick。

  ITHAMORE。’Tispoison’d,isitnot?

  BARABAS。No,no;andyetitmightbedonethatway:

  Itisachallengefeign’dfromLodowick。

  ITHAMORE。Fearnot;Iwillsosethishearta—fire,Thatheshallverilythinkitcomesfromhim。

  BARABAS。Icannotchoosebutlikethyreadiness:

  Yetbenotrash,butdoitcunningly。

  ITHAMORE。AsIbehavemyselfinthis,employmehereafter。

  BARABAS。Away,then!

  [ExitITHAMORE。]

  So;nowwillIgointoLodowick,And,likeacunningspirit,feignsomelie,TillIhaveset’embothatenmity。

  [Exit。]

  ACTIII。

  EnterBELLAMIRA。

  BELLAMIRA。Sincethistownwasbesieg’d,mygaingrowscold:

  Thetimehasbeen,thatbutforonebarenightAhundredducatshavebeenfreelygiven;

  ButnowagainstmywillImustbechaste:

  AndyetIknowmybeautydothnotfail。

  >FromVenicemerchants,andfromPaduaWerewonttocomerare—wittedgentlemen,ScholarsImean,learnedandliberal;

  Andnow,savePilia—Borza,comestherenone,Andheisveryseldomfrommyhouse;

  Andherehecomes。

  EnterPILIA—BORZA。

  PILIA—BORZA。

  Holdthee,wench,there’ssomethingfortheetospend。

  [Shewingabagofsilver。]

  BELLAMIRA。’Tissilver;Idisdainit。

  PILIA—BORZA。Ay,buttheJewhasgold,AndIwillhaveit,oritshallgohard。

  BELLAMIRA。Tellme,howcam’stthoubythis?

  PILIA—BORZA。Faith,walkingtheback—lanes,throughthegardens,IchancedtocastmineeyeuptotheJew’scounting—house,whereIsawsomebagsofmoney,andinthenightIclamberedupwithmyhooks;and,asIwastakingmychoice,Iheardarumblinginthehouse;soItookonlythis,andrunmyway。——Buthere’stheJew’sman。

  BELLAMIRA。Hidethebag。

  EnterITHAMORE。

  PILIA—BORZA。Looknottowardshim,let’saway。Zoons,whatalookingthoukeepest!thou’ltbetray’sanon。

  [ExeuntBELLAMIRAandPILIA—BORZA。]

  ITHAMORE。O,thesweetestfacethateverIbeheld!Iknowsheisacourtezanbyherattire:nowwouldIgiveahundredoftheJew’scrownsthatIhadsuchaconcubine。

  Well,Ihavedeliver’dthechallengeinsuchsort,Asmeettheywill,andfightingdie,——bravesport!

  [Exit。]

  EnterMATHIAS。

  MATHIAS。Thisistheplace:nowAbigailshallseeWhetherMathiasholdsherdearorno。

  EnterLODOWICK。

  What,daresthevillainwriteinsuchbaseterms?

  [Lookingataletter。]

  LODOWICK。Ididit;andrevengeit,ifthoudar’st!

  [Theyfight。]

  EnterBARABASabove。

  BARABAS。O,bravelyfought!andyettheythrustnothome。

  Now,Lodovico!now,Mathias!——So;

  [Bothfall。]

  So,nowtheyhaveshew’dthemselvestobetallfellows。

  [Crieswithin]Part’em,part’em!

  BARABAS。Ay,part’emnowtheyaredead。Farewell,farewell!

  [Exitabove。]

  EnterFERNEZE,KATHARINE,andATTENDANTS。

  FERNEZE。Whatsightisthis!myLodovicoslain!

  Thesearmsofmineshallbethysepulchre。

  KATHARINE。Whoisthis?mysonMathiasslain!

  FERNEZE。OLodowick,hadstthouperish’dbytheTurk,WretchedFernezemighthaveveng’dthydeath!

  KATHARINE。Thysonslewmine,andI’llrevengehisdeath。

  FERNEZE。Look,Katharine,look!thysongaveminethesewounds。

  KATHARINE。O,leavetogrieveme!Iamgriev’denough。

  FERNEZE。O,thatmysighscouldturntolivelybreath,Andthesemytearstoblood,thathemightlive!

  KATHARINE。Whomadethemenemies?

  FERNEZE。Iknownot;andthatgrievesmemostofall。

  KATHARINE。Mysonlov’dthine。

  FERNEZE。AndsodidLodowickhim。

  KATHARINE。Lendmethatweaponthatdidkillmyson,Anditshallmurderme。

  FERNEZE。Nay,madam,stay;thatweaponwasmyson’s,AndonthatrathershouldFernezedie。

  KATHARINE。Hold;let’sinquirethecausersoftheirdeaths,Thatwemayvengetheirbloodupontheirheads。

  FERNEZE。Thentakethemup,andletthembeinterr’dWithinonesacredmonumentofstone;

  UponwhichaltarIwillofferupMydailysacrificeofsighsandtears,Andwithmyprayerspierceimpartialheavens,Tillthey[reveal]thecausersofoursmarts,Whichforc’dtheirhandsdivideunitedhearts。

  Come,Katharine;ourlossesequalare;

  Thenoftruegriefletustakeequalshare。

  [Exeuntwiththebodies。]

  EnterITHAMORE。

  ITHAMORE。Why,wasthereeverseensuchvillany,Soneatlyplotted,andsowellperform’d?

  Bothheldinhand,andflatlybothbeguil’d?

  EnterABIGAIL。

  ABIGAIL。Why,hownow,Ithamore!whylaugh’stthouso?

  ITHAMORE。Omistress!ha,ha,ha!

  ABIGAIL。Why,whatail’stthou?

  ITHAMORE。O,mymaster!

  ABIGAIL。Ha!

  ITHAMORE。Omistress,Ihavethebravest,gravest,secret,subtle,bottle—nosedknavetomymaster,thatevergentlemanhad!

  ABIGAIL。Say,knave,whyrail’stuponmyfatherthus?

  ITHAMORE。O,mymasterhasthebravestpolicy!

  ABIGAIL。Wherein?

  ITHAMORE。Why,knowyounot?

  ABIGAIL。Why,no。

  ITHAMORE。

  KnowyounotofMathia[s’]andDonLodowick[’s]disaster?

  ABIGAIL。No:whatwasit?

  ITHAMORE。Why,thedevilinvertedachallenge,mymasterwritit,andIcarriedit,firsttoLodowick,andimprimistoMathia[s];

  Andthentheymet,[and],asthestorysays,Indolefulwisetheyendedboththeirdays。

  ABIGAIL。Andwasmyfatherfurthereroftheirdeaths?

  ITHAMORE。AmIIthamore?

  ABIGAIL。Yes。

  ITHAMORE。

  Sosuredidyourfatherwrite,andIcarrythechallenge。

  ABIGAIL。Well,Ithamore,letmerequesttheethis;

  Gotothenew—madenunnery,andinquireForanyofthefriarsofSaintJaques,

  Andsay,Ipraythemcomeandspeakwithme。

  ITHAMORE。Ipray,mistress,willyouanswermetoonequestion?

  ABIGAIL。Well,sirrah,whatis’t?

  ITHAMORE。Averyfeelingone:havenotthenunsfinesportwiththefriarsnowandthen?

  ABIGAIL。Goto,SirrahSauce!isthisyourquestion?getyegone。

  ITHAMORE。Iwill,forsooth,mistress。

  [Exit。]

  ABIGAIL。Hard—heartedfather,unkindBarabas!

  Wasthisthepursuitofthypolicy,Tomakemeshewthemfavourseverally,Thatbymyfavourtheyshouldbothbeslain?

  Admitthoulov’dstnotLodowickforhissire,

  YetDonMathiasne’eroffendedthee:

  Butthouwertsetuponextremerevenge,Becausethepriordispossess’dtheeonce,Andcouldstnotvengeitbutuponhisson;

  NoronhissonbutbyMathias’means;

  NoronMathiasbutbymurderingme:

  ButIperceivethereisnoloveonearth,PityinJews,norpietyinTurks。——

  ButherecomescursedIthamorewiththefriar。

  Re—enterITHAMOREwithFRIARJACOMO。

  FRIARJACOMO。Virgo,salve。

  ITHAMORE。Whenduckyou?

  ABIGAIL。Welcome,gravefriar。——Ithamore,begone。

  [ExitITHAMORE。]

  Know,holysir,Iamboldtosolicitthee。

  FRIARJACOMO。Wherein?

  ABIGAIL。Togetmebeadmittedforanun。

  FRIARJACOMO。Why,Abigail,itisnotyetlongsinceThatIdidlabourthyadmission,Andthenthoudidstnotlikethatholylife。

  ABIGAIL。Thenweremythoughtssofrailandunconfirm’dAsIwaschain’dtofolliesoftheworld:

  Butnowexperience,purchasedwithgrief,Hasmademeseethedifferenceofthings。

  Mysinfulsoul,alas,hathpac’dtoolongThefatallabyrinthofmisbelief,Farfromthesunthatgiveseternallife!

  FRIARJACOMO。Whotaughttheethis?

  ABIGAIL。Theabbessofthehouse,WhosezealousadmonitionIembrace:

  O,therefore,Jacomo,letmebeone,Althoughunworthy,ofthatsisterhood!

  FRIARJACOMO。Abigail,Iwill:butseethouchangenomore,Forthatwillbemostheavytothysoul。

  ABIGAIL。Thatwasmyfather’sfault。

  FRIARJACOMO。Thyfather’s!how?

  ABIGAIL。Nay,youshallpardonme。——OBarabas,Thoughthoudeservesthardlyatmyhands,Yetnevershalltheselipsbewraythylife!

  [Aside。]

  FRIARJACOMO。Come,shallwego?

  ABIGAIL。Mydutywaitsonyou。

  [Exeunt。]

  EnterBARABAS,readingaletter。

  BARABAS。What,Abigailbecomeanunagain!

  Falseandunkind!what,hastthoulostthyfather?

  And,allunknownandunconstrain’dofme,Artthouagaingottothenunnery?

  Nowhereshewrites,andwillsmetorepent:

  Repentance!Spurca!whatpretendeththis?

  Ifearsheknows——’tisso——ofmydeviceInDonMathias’andLodovico’sdeaths:

  Ifso,’tistimethatitbeseeninto;

  Forshethatvariesfrommeinbelief,Givesgreatpresumptionthatshelovesmenot,Or,loving,dothdislikeofsomethingdone。——

  Butwhocomeshere?

  EnterITHAMORE。

  OIthamore,comenear;

  Comenear,mylove;comenear,thymaster’slife,Mytrustyservant,nay,mysecondself;

  ForIhavenownohopebuteveninthee,Andonthathopemyhappinessisbuilt。

  Whensaw’stthouAbigail?

  ITHAMORE。To—day。

  BARABAS。Withwhom?

  ITHAMORE。Afriar。

  BARABAS。Afriar!falsevillain,hehathdonethedeed。

  ITHAMORE。How,sir!

  BARABAS。Why,mademineAbigailanun。

  ITHAMORE。That’snolie;forshesentmeforhim。

  BARABAS。Ounhappyday!

  False,credulous,inconstantAbigail!

  Butlet’emgo:and,Ithamore,fromhenceNe’ershallshegrievememorewithherdisgrace;

  Ne’ershallshelivetoinheritaughtofmine,Bebless’dofme,norcomewithinmygates,Butperishunderneathmybittercurse,LikeCainbyAdamforhisbrother’sdeath。

  ITHAMORE。Omaster——

  BARABAS。Ithamore,entreatnotforher;Iammov’d,Andsheishatefultomysoulandme:

  And,’lessthouyieldtothisthatIentreat,Icannotthinkbutthatthouhat’stmylife。

  ITHAMORE。Who,I,master?why,I’llruntosomerock,Andthrowmyselfheadlongintothesea;

  Why,I’lldoanythingforyoursweetsake。

  BARABAS。OtrustyIthamore!noservant,butmyfriend!

  Ihereadopttheeformineonlyheir:

  AllthatIhaveisthinewhenIamdead;

  And,whilstIlive,usehalf;spendasmyself;

  Here,takemykeys,——I’llgive’emtheeanon;

  Gobuytheegarments;butthoushaltnotwant:

  Onlyknowthis,thatthusthouarttodo——

  ButfirstgofetchmeinthepotofriceThatforoursupperstandsuponthefire。

  ITHAMORE。Iholdmyhead,mymaster’shungry[Aside]。——Igo,sir。

  [Exit。]

  BARABAS。Thuseveryvillainamblesafterwealth,Althoughhene’erbericherthaninhope:——

  But,husht!

  Re—enterITHAMOREwiththepot。

  ITHAMORE。Here’tis,master。

  BARABAS。Wellsaid,Ithamore!What,hastthoubroughtTheladlewiththeetoo?

  ITHAMORE。Yes,sir;theproverbsays,hethateatswiththedevilhadneedofalongspoon;Ihavebroughtyoualadle。

  BARABAS。Verywell,Ithamore;thennowbesecret;

  And,forthysake,whomIsodearlylove,NowshaltthouseethedeathofAbigail,Thatthoumaystfreelylivetobemyheir。

  ITHAMORE。Why,master,willyoupoisonherwithamessofrice—

  porridge?thatwillpreservelife,makeherroundandplump,andbattenmorethanyouareaware。

  BARABAS。Ay,but,Ithamore,seestthouthis?

  ItisapreciouspowderthatIboughtOfanItalian,inAncona,once,Whoseoperationistobind,infect,Andpoisondeeply,yetnotappearInfortyhoursafteritista’en。

  ITHAMORE。How,master?

  BARABAS。Thus,Ithamore:

  ThiseventheyuseinMaltahere,——’tiscall’dSaintJaques’Even,——andthen,Isay,theyuseTosendtheiralmsuntothenunneries:

  Amongtherest,bearthis,andsetitthere:

  There’sadarkentrywheretheytakeitin,Wheretheymustneitherseethemessenger,Normakeinquirywhohathsentitthem。

  ITHAMORE。Howso?

  BARABAS。Belikethereissomeceremonyin’t。

  There,Ithamore,mustthougoplacethispot:

  Stay;letmespiceitfirst。

  ITHAMORE。Pray,do,andletmehelpyou,master。

  Pray,letmetastefirst。

  BARABAS。Prithee,do。[ITHAMOREtastes。]Whatsay’stthounow?

  ITHAMORE。Troth,master,I’mloathsuchapotofpottageshouldbespoiled。

  BARABAS。Peace,Ithamore!’tisbettersothanspar’d。

  [Putsthepowderintothepot。]

  Assurethyselfthoushalthavebrothbytheeye:

  Mypurse,mycoffer,andmyselfisthine。

  ITHAMORE。Well,master,Igo。

  BARABAS。Stay;firstletmestirit,Ithamore。

  AsfatalbeittoherasthedraughtOfwhichgreatAlexanderdrunk,anddied;

  AndwithherletitworklikeBorgia’swine,WhereofhissirethePopewaspoisoned!

  Infew,thebloodofHydra,Lerna’sbane,Thejuiceofhebon,andCocytus’breath,AndallthepoisonsoftheStygianpool,Breakfromthefierykingdom,andinthisVomityourvenom,andenvenomherThat,likeafiend,hathleftherfatherthus!

  ITHAMORE。Whatablessinghashegiven’t!waseverpotofrice—porridgesosauced?[Aside]。——WhatshallIdowithit?

  BARABAS。OmysweetIthamore,gosetitdown;

  Andcomeagainsosoonasthouhastdone,ForIhaveotherbusinessforthee。

  ITHAMORE。Here’sadrenchtopoisonawholestableofFlandersmares:I’llcarry’ttothenunswithapowder。

  BARABAS。Andthehorse—pestilencetoboot:away!

  ITHAMORE。Iamgone:

  Paymemywages,formyworkisdone。

  [Exitwiththepot。]

  BARABAS。I’llpaytheewithavengeance,Ithamore!

  [Exit。]

  EnterFERNEZE,MARTINDELBOSCO,KNIGHTS,andBASSO。

  FERNEZE。Welcome,greatbasso:howfaresCalymath?

  WhatwinddrivesyouthusintoMalta—road?

  BASSO。Thewindthatblowethalltheworldbesides,Desireofgold。

  FERNEZE。Desireofgold,greatsir!

  That’stobegottenintheWesternInde:

  InMaltaarenogoldenminerals。

  BASSO。ToyouofMaltathussaithCalymath:

  ThetimeyoutookforrespiteisathandFortheperformanceofyourpromisepass’d;

  Andforthetribute—moneyIamsent。

  FERNEZE。Basso,inbrief,shalthavenotributehere,Norshalltheheathensliveuponourspoil:

  Firstwillwerazethecity—wallsourselves,Laywastetheisland,hewthetemplesdown,And,shippingoffourgoodstoSicily,Openanentranceforthewastefulsea,Whosebillows,beatingtheresistlessbanks,

  Shalloverflowitwiththeirrefluence。

  BASSO。Well,governor,sincethouhastbroketheleagueByflatdenialofthepromis’dtribute,Talknotofrazingdownyourcity—walls;

  Youshallnotneedtroubleyourselvessofar,ForSelimCalymathshallcomehimself,Andwithbrassbulletsbatterdownyourtowers,AndturnproudMaltatoawilderness,Fortheseintolerablewrongsofyours:

  Andso,farewell。

  FERNEZE。Farewell。

  [ExitBASSO。]

  Andnow,youmenofMalta,lookabout,Andlet’sprovidetowelcomeCalymath:

  Closeyourport—cullis,chargeyourbasilisks,

  And,asyouprofitablytakeuparms,Sonowcourageouslyencounterthem,Forbythisanswerbrokenistheleague,Andnaughtistobelook’dfornowbutwars,Andnaughttousmorewelcomeisthanwars。

  [Exeunt。]

  EnterFRIARJACOMOandFRIARBARNARDINE。

  FRIARJACOMO。Obrother,brother,allthenunsaresick,Andphysicwillnothelpthem!theymustdie。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Theabbesssentformetobeconfess’d:

  O,whatasadconfessionwilltherebe!

  FRIARJACOMO。AndsodidfairMariasendforme:

  I’lltoherlodging;hereaboutsshelies。

  [Exit。]

  EnterABIGAIL。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。What,alldead,saveonlyAbigail!

  ABIGAIL。AndIshalldietoo,forIfeeldeathcoming。

  Whereisthefriarthatconvers’dwithme?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。O,heisgonetoseetheothernuns。

  ABIGAIL。Isentforhim;but,seeingyouarecome,Beyoumyghostlyfather:andfirstknow,ThatinthishouseIliv’dreligiously,Chaste,anddevout,muchsorrowingformysins;

  But,ereIcame——

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Whatthen?

  ABIGAIL。IdidoffendhighheavensogrievouslyAsIamalmostdesperateformysins;

  Andoneoffensetormentsmemorethanall。

  YouknewMathiasandDonLodowick?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Yes;whatofthem?

  ABIGAIL。Myfatherdidcontractmeto’emboth;

  FirsttoDonLodowick:himIneverlov’d;

  MathiaswasthemanthatIhelddear,AndforhissakedidIbecomeanun。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。So:sayhowwastheirend?

  ABIGAIL。Both,jealousofmylove,enviedeachother;

  Andbymyfather’spractice,whichisthere[Giveswriting。]

  Setdownatlarge,thegallantswerebothslain。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。O,monstrousvillany!

  ABIGAIL。Toworkmypeace,thisIconfesstothee:

  Revealitnot;forthenmyfatherdies。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Knowthatconfessionmustnotbereveal’d;

  Thecanon—lawforbidsit,andthepriestThatmakesitknown,beingdegradedfirst,Shallbecondemn’d,andthensenttothefire。

  ABIGAIL。SoIhaveheard;pray,therefore,keepitclose。

  Deathseizethonmyheart:ah,gentlefriar,Convertmyfatherthathemaybesav’d,AndwitnessthatIdieaChristian!

  [Dies。]

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Ay,andavirgintoo;thatgrievesmemost。

  ButImusttotheJew,andexclaimonhim,Andmakehimstandinfearofme。

  Re—enterFRIARJACOMO。

  FRIARJACOMO。Obrother,allthenunsaredead!let’sburythem。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Firsthelptoburythis;thengowithme,AndhelpmetoexclaimagainsttheJew。

  FRIARJACOMO。Why,whathashedone?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Athingthatmakesmetrembletounfold。

  FRIARJACOMO。What,hashecrucifiedachild?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。No,butaworsething:’twastoldmeinshrift;

  Thouknow’st’tisdeath,anifitbereveal’d。

  Come,let’saway。

  [Exeunt。]

  ACTIV。

  EnterBARABASandITHAMORE。Bellswithin。

  BARABAS。ThereisnomusictoaChristian’sknell:

  Howsweetthebellsring,nowthenunsaredead,Thatsoundatothertimesliketinkers’pans!

  Iwasafraidthepoisonhadnotwrought,Or,thoughitwrought,itwouldhavedonenogood,Foreveryyeartheyswell,andyettheylive:

  Nowallaredead,notoneremainsalive。

  ITHAMORE。

  That’sbrave,master:butthinkyouitwillnotbeknown?

  BARABAS。Howcanit,ifwetwobesecret?

  ITHAMORE。Formypart,fearyounot。

  BARABAS。I’dcutthythroat,ifIdid。

  ITHAMORE。Andreasontoo。

  Buthere’saroyalmonasteryhardby;

  Goodmaster,letmepoisonallthemonks。

  BARABAS。Thoushaltnotneed;for,nowthenunsaredead,They’lldiewithgrief。

  ITHAMORE。Doyounotsorrowforyourdaughter’sdeath?

  BARABAS。No,butIgrievebecausesheliv’dsolong,AnHebrewborn,andwouldbecomeaChristian:

  Cazzo,diabolo!

  ITHAMORE。

  Look,look,master;herecometworeligiouscaterpillars。

  EnterFRIARJACOMOandFRIARBARNARDINE。

  BARABAS。Ismelt’emeretheycame。

  ITHAMORE。God—a—mercy,nose!Come,let’sbegone。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Stay,wickedJew;repent,Isay,andstay。

  FRIARJACOMO。Thouhastoffended,thereforemustbedamn’d。

  BARABAS。Ifeartheyknowwesentthepoison’dbroth。

  ITHAMORE。AndsodoI,master;thereforespeak’emfair。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Barabas,thouhast——

  FRIARJACOMO。Ay,thatthouhast——

  BARABAS。True,Ihavemoney;whatthoughIhave?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Thouarta——

  FRIARJACOMO。Ay,thatthouart,a——

  BARABAS。Whatneedsallthis?IknowIamaJew。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Thydaughter——

  FRIARJACOMO。Ay,thydaughter——

  BARABAS。O,speaknotofher!thenIdiewithgrief。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Rememberthat——

  FRIARJACOMO。Ay,rememberthat——

  BARABAS。ImustneedssaythatIhavebeenagreatusurer。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Thouhastcommitted——

  BARABAS。Fornication:butthatwasinanothercountry;

  Andbesides,thewenchisdead。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Ay,but,Barabas,RememberMathiasandDonLodowick。

  BARABAS。Why,whatofthem?

  FRIARBARNARDINE。

  Iwillnotsaythatbyaforgedchallengetheymet。

  BARABAS。Shehasconfess’d,andwearebothundone,Mybosominmate!butImustdissemble。——

  [AsidetoITHAMORE。]

  Oholyfriars,theburdenofmysinsLieheavyonmysoul!then,prayyou,tellme,Is’tnottoolatenowtoturnChristian?

  IhavebeenzealousintheJewishfaith,Hard—heartedtothepoor,acovetouswretch,Thatwouldforlucre’ssakehavesoldmysoul;

  AhundredforahundredIhaveta’en;

  AndnowforstoreofwealthmayIcompareWithalltheJewsinMalta:butwhatiswealth?

  IamaJew,andthereforeamIlost。

  Wouldpenanceserve[toatone]forthismysin,Icouldaffordtowhipmyselftodeath,——

  ITHAMORE。AndsocouldI;butpenancewillnotserve。

  BARABAS。Tofast,topray,andwearashirtofhair,AndonmykneescreeptoJerusalem。

  Cellarsofwine,andsollarsfullofwheat,Warehousesstuff’dwithspicesandwithdrugs,Wholechestsofgoldinbullionandincoin,Besides,IknownothowmuchweightinpearlOrientandround,haveIwithinmyhouse;

  AtAlexandriamerchandiseuntold;

  Butyesterdaytwoshipswentfromthistown,Theirvoyagewillbeworthtenthousandcrowns;

  InFlorence,Venice,Antwerp,London,Seville,Frankfort,Lubeck,Moscow,andwherenot,HaveIdebtsowing;and,inmostofthese,Greatsumsofmoneylyinginthebanco;

  AllthisI’llgivetosomereligioushouse,SoImaybebaptiz’d,andlivetherein。

  FRIARJACOMO。OgoodBarabas,cometoourhouse!

  FRIARBARNARDINE。O,no,goodBarabas,cometoourhouse!

  And,Barabas,youknow——

  BARABAS。IknowthatIhavehighlysinn’d:

  Youshallconvertme,youshallhaveallmywealth。

  FRIARJACOMO。OBarabas,theirlawsarestrict!

  BARABAS。Iknowtheyare;andIwillbewithyou。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Theywearnoshirts,andtheygobare—foottoo。

  BARABAS。Then’tisnotforme;andIamresolv’dYoushallconfessme,andhaveallmygoods。

  FRIARJACOMO。GoodBarabas,cometome。

  BARABAS。YouseeIanswerhim,andyethestays;

  Ridhimaway,andgoyouhomewithme。

  FRIARJACOMO。I’llbewithyouto—night。

  BARABAS。Cometomyhouseatoneo’clockthisnight。

  FRIARJACOMO。Youhearyouranswer,andyoumaybegone。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Why,go,getyouaway。

  FRIARJACOMO。Iwillnotgoforthee。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。Not!thenI’llmaketheego。

  FRIARJACOMO。How!dostcallmerogue?

  [Theyfight。]

  ITHAMORE。Part’em,master,part’em。

  BARABAS。Thisismerefrailty:brethren,becontent。——

  FriarBarnardine,goyouwithIthamore:

  Youknowmymind;letmealonewithhim。

  FRIARJACOMO。Whydoeshegotothyhouse?lethimbegone。

  BARABAS。I’llgivehimsomething,andsostophismouth。

  [ExitITHAMOREwithFriarBARNARDINE。]

  IneverheardofanymanbutheMalign’dtheorderoftheJacobins:

  ButdoyouthinkthatIbelievehiswords?

  Why,brother,youconvertedAbigail;

  AndIamboundincharitytorequiteit,AndsoIwill。OJacomo,failnot,butcome。

  FRIARJACOMO。But,Barabas,whoshallbeyourgodfathers?

  Forpresentlyyoushallbeshriv’d。

  BARABAS。Marry,theTurkshallbeoneofmygodfathers,Butnotawordtoanyofyourcovent。

  FRIARJACOMO。Iwarrantthee,Barabas。

  [Exit。]

  BARABAS。So,nowthefearispast,andIamsafe;

  Forhethatshriv’dheriswithinmyhouse:

  What,ifImurder’dhimereJacomocomes?

  NowIhavesuchaplotforboththeirlives,AsneverJewnorChristianknewthelike:

  Oneturn’dmydaughter,thereforeheshalldie;

  Theotherknowsenoughtohavemylife,Therefore’tisnotrequisiteheshouldlive。

  Butarenotboththesewisemen,tosupposeThatIwillleavemyhouse,mygoods,andall,Tofastandbewellwhipt?I’llnoneofthat。

  Now,FriarBarnardine,Icometoyou:

  I’llfeastyou,lodgeyou,giveyoufairwords,And,afterthat,IandmytrustyTurk——

  Nomore,butso:itmustandshallbedone。

  EnterITHAMORE。

  Ithamore,tellme,isthefriarasleep?

  ITHAMORE。Yes;andIknownotwhatthereasonis,DowhatIcan,hewillnotstriphimself,Norgotobed,butsleepsinhisownclothes:

  Ifearmehemistrustswhatweintend。

  BARABAS。No;’tisanorderwhichthefriarsuse:

  Yet,ifheknewourmeanings,couldhescape?

  ITHAMORE。No,nonecanhearhim,cryhene’ersoloud。

  BARABAS。Why,true;thereforedidIplacehimthere:

  Theotherchambersopentowardsthestreet。

  ITHAMORE。Youloiter,master;whereforestaywethus?

  O,howIlongtoseehimshakehisheels!

  BARABAS。Comeon,sirrah:

  Offwithyourgirdle;makeahandsomenoose。——

  [ITHAMOREtakesoffhisgirdle,andtiesanooseonit。]

  Friar,awake!

  [TheyputthenooseroundtheFRIAR’Sneck。]

  FRIARBARNARDINE。What,doyoumeantostrangleme?

  ITHAMORE。Yes,’causeyouusetoconfess。

  BARABAS。Blamenotus,buttheproverb,——Confessandbehanged。——Pullhard。

  FRIARBARNARDINE。What,willyouhavemylife?

  BARABAS。Pullhard,Isay。——Youwouldhavehadmygoods。

  ITHAMORE。Ay,andourlivestoo:——thereforepullamain。

  [TheystrangletheFRIAR。]

  ’Tisneatlydone,sir;here’snoprintatall。

  BARABAS。Thenisitasitshouldbe。Takehimup。

  ITHAMORE。Nay,master,beruledbymealittle。[Takesthebody,setsituprightagainstthewall,andputsastaffinitshand。]

  So,lethimleanuponhisstaff;excellent!hestandsasifhewerebeggingofbacon。

  BARABAS。Whowouldnotthinkbutthatthisfriarliv’d?

  Whattimeo’nightis’tnow,sweetIthamore?

  ITHAMORE。Towardsone。

  BARABAS。ThenwillnotJacomobelongfromhence。

  [Exeunt。]

  EnterFRIARJACOMO。

  FRIARJACOMO。ThisisthehourwhereinIshallproceed;

  Ohappyhour,whereinIshallconvertAninfidel,andbringhisgoldintoourtreasury!

  Butsoft!isnotthisBarnardine?itis;

  And,understandingIshouldcomethisway,Standshereo’purpose,meaningmesomewrong,AndinterceptmygoingtotheJew。——

  Barnardine!

  Wiltthounotspeak?thouthink’stIseetheenot;

  Away,I’dwishthee,andletmegoby:

  No,wiltthounot?nay,then,I’llforcemyway;

  And,see,astaffstandsreadyforthepurpose。

  Asthoulik’stthat,stopmeanothertime!

  [Takesthestaff,andstrikesdownthebody。]

  EnterBARABASandITHAMORE。

  BARABAS。Why,hownow,Jacomo!whathastthoudone?

  FRIARJACOMO。Why,strickenhimthatwouldhavestruckatme。

  BARABAS。Whoisit?Barnardine!now,out,alas,heisslain!

  ITHAMORE。Ay,master,he’sslain;lookhowhisbrainsdropouton’snose。

  FRIARJACOMO。Goodsirs,Ihavedone’t:butnobodyknowsitbutyoutwo;Imayescape。

  BARABAS。SomightmymanandIhangwithyouforcompany。

  ITHAMORE。No;letusbearhimtothemagistrates。

  FRIARJACOMO。GoodBarabas,letmego。

  BARABAS。No,pardonme;thelawmusthavehiscourse:

  Imustbeforc’dtogiveinevidence,That,beingimportun’dbythisBarnardineTobeaChristian,Ishuthimout,Andtherehesate:nowI,tokeepmyword,Andgivemygoodsandsubstancetoyourhouse,Wasupthusearly,withintenttogoUntoyourfriary,becauseyoustay’d。

  ITHAMORE。Fieupon’em!master,willyouturnChristian,whenholyfriarsturndevilsandmurderoneanother?

  BARABAS。No;forthisexampleI’llremainaJew:

  Heavenblessme!what,afriaramurderer!

  WhenshallyouseeaJewcommitthelike?

  ITHAMORE。Why,aTurkcouldha’donenomore。

  BARABAS。To—morrowisthesessions;youshalltoit。——

  Come,Ithamore,let’shelptotakehimhence。

  FRIARJACOMO。Villains,Iamasacredperson;touchmenot。

  BARABAS。Thelawshalltouchyou;we’llbutleadyou,we:

  ’Las,Icouldweepatyourcalamity!——

  Takeinthestafftoo,forthatmustbeshown:

  Lawwillsthateachparticularbeknown。

  [Exeunt。]

  EnterBELLAMIRAandPILIA—BORZA。

  BELLAMIRA。Pilia—Borza,didstthoumeetwithIthamore?

  PILIA—BORZA。Idid。

  BELLAMIRA。Anddidstthoudelivermyletter?

  PILIA—BORZA。Idid。

  BELLAMIRA。Andwhatthinkestthou?willhecome?

  PILIA—BORZA。Ithinkso:andyetIcannottell;for,atthereadingoftheletter,helookedlikeamanofanotherworld。

  BELLAMIRA。Whyso?

  PILIA—BORZA。ThatsuchabaseslaveasheshouldbesalutedbysuchatallmanasIam,fromsuchabeautifuldameasyou。

  BELLAMIRA。Andwhatsaidhe?

  PILIA—BORZA。Notawiseword;onlygavemeanod,aswhoshouldsay,\"Isitevenso?\"andsoIlefthim,beingdriventoanon—plusatthecriticalaspectofmyterriblecountenance。

  BELLAMIRA。Andwheredidstmeethim?

  PILIA—BORZA。Uponmineownfree—hold,withinfortyfootofthegallows,conninghisneck—verse,Itakeit,lookingof

  afriar’sexecution;whomIsalutedwithanoldhempenproverb,Hodietibi,crasmihi,andsoIlefthimtothemercyofthehangman:but,theexercisebeingdone,seewherehecomes。

  EnterITHAMORE。

  ITHAMORE。Ineverknewamantakehisdeathsopatientlyasthisfriar;hewasreadytoleapofferethehalterwasabouthisneck;and,whenthehangmanhadputonhishempentippet,hemadesuchhastetohisprayers,asifhehadhadanothercuretoserve。Well,gowhitherhewill,I’llbenoneofhisfollowersinhaste:and,nowIthinkon’t,goingtotheexecution,afellowmetmewithamuschatoeslikearaven’swing,andadaggerwithahiltlikeawarming—pan;andhegavemealetterfromoneMadamBellamira,salutingmeinsuchsortasifhehadmeanttomakecleanmybootswithhislips;theeffectwas,thatIshouldcometoherhouse:Iwonderwhatthereasonis;itmaybesheseesmoreinmethanIcanfindinmyself;forshewritesfurther,thatshelovesmeeversinceshesawme;andwhowouldnotrequitesuchlove?Here’sherhouse;

  andhereshecomes;andnowwouldIweregone!Iamnotworthytolookuponher。

  PILIA—BORZA。Thisisthegentlemanyouwritto。

  ITHAMORE。Gentleman!hefloutsme:whatgentrycanbeinapoorTurkoftenpence?I’llbegone。

  [Aside。]

  BELLAMIRA。Is’tnotasweet—facedyouth,Pilia?

  ITHAMORE。Again,sweetyouth![Aside。]——Didnotyou,sir,bringthesweetyouthaletter?

  PILIA—BORZA。Idid,sir,andfromthisgentlewoman,who,asmyselfandtherestofthefamily,standorfallatyourservice。

  BELLAMIRA。Thoughwoman’smodestyshouldhalemeback,Icanwithholdnolonger:welcome,sweetlove。

  ITHAMORE。NowamIclean,orratherfoully,outoftheway。

  [Aside。]

  BELLAMIRA。Whithersosoon?

  ITHAMORE。I’llgostealsomemoneyfrommymastertomakemehandsome[Aside]。——Pray,pardonme;Imustgoseeashipdischarged。

  BELLAMIRA。Canstthoubesounkindtoleavemethus?

  PILIA—BORZA。Anyedidbutknowhowshelovesyou,sir!

  ITHAMORE。Nay,Icarenothowmuchshelovesme。——SweetBellamira,wouldIhadmymaster’swealthforthysake!

  PILIA—BORZA。Andyoucanhaveit,sir,anifyouplease。

  ITHAMORE。If’twereaboveground,Icould,andwouldhaveit;

  buthehidesandburiesitup,aspartridgesdotheireggs,undertheearth。

  PILIA—BORZA。Andis’tnotpossibletofinditout?

  ITHAMORE。Bynomeanspossible。

  BELLAMIRA。Whatshallwedowiththisbasevillain,then?

  [AsidetoPILIA—BORZA。]

  PILIA—BORZA。Letmealone;dobutyouspeakhimfair。——

  [Asidetoher。]

  ButyouknowsomesecretsoftheJew,Which,iftheywerereveal’d,woulddohimharm。

  ITHAMORE。Ay,andsuchas——goto,nomore!I’llmakehim

  sendmehalfhehas,andgladhescapessotoo:I’llwriteuntohim;we’llhavemoneystraight。

  PILIA—BORZA。Sendforahundredcrownsatleast。

  ITHAMORE。Tenhundredthousandcrowns。——[writing]MASTERBARABAS,——

  PILIA—BORZA。Writenotsosubmissively,butthreateninghim。

  ITHAMORE。[writing]SIRRAHBARABAS,SENDMEAHUNDREDCROWNS。

  PILIA—BORZA。Putintwohundredatleast。

  ITHAMORE。[writing]ICHARGETHEESENDMETHREEHUNDREDBYTHIS

  BEARER,ANDTHISSHALLBEYOURWARRANT:IFYOUDONOT——NOMORE,BUTSO。

  PILIA—BORZA。Tellhimyouwillconfess。

  ITHAMORE。[writing]OTHERWISEI’LLCONFESSALL。——

  Vanish,andreturninatwinkle。

  PILIA—BORZA。Letmealone;I’llusehiminhiskind。

  ITHAMORE。Hanghim,Jew!

  [ExitPILIA—BORZAwiththeletter。]

  BELLAMIRA。Now,gentleIthamore,lieinmylap。——

  Wherearemymaids?provideacunningbanquet;

  Sendtothemerchant,bidhimbringmesilks;

  ShallIthamore,mylove,goinsuchrags?

  ITHAMORE。Andbidthejewellercomehithertoo。

  BELLAMIRA。Ihavenohusband;sweet,I’llmarrythee。

  ITHAMORE。Content:butwewillleavethispaltryland,AndsailfromhencetoGreece,tolovelyGreece;——

  I’llbethyJason,thoumygoldenfleece;——

  Wherepaintedcarpetso’erthemeadsarehurl’d,AndBacchus’vineyardsoverspreadtheworld;

  Wherewoodsandforestsgoingoodlygreen;——

  I’llbeAdonis,thoushaltbeLove’sQueen;——

  Themeads,theorchards,andtheprimrose—lanes,Insteadofsedgeandreed,bearsugar—canes:

  Thouinthosegroves,byDisabove,Shaltlivewithme,andbemylove。

  BELLAMIRA。WhitherwillInotgowithgentleIthamore?

  Re—enterPILIA—BORZA。

  ITHAMORE。Hownow!hastthouthegold

  PILIA—BORZA。Yes。

  ITHAMORE。Butcameitfreely?didthecowgivedownhermilkfreely?

  PILIA—BORZA。Atreadingoftheletter,hestaredandstamped,andturnedaside:Itookhimbythebeard,andlookeduponhimthus;toldhimhewerebesttosendit:thenhehuggedandembracedme。

  ITHAMORE。Ratherforfearthanlove。

  PILIA—BORZA。Then,likeaJew,helaughedandjeered,andtoldmehelovedmeforyoursake,andsaidwhatafaithfulservantyouhadbeen。

  ITHAMORE。Themorevillainhetokeepmethus:here’sgoodly’parel,istherenot?

  PILIA—BORZA。Toconclude,hegavemetencrowns。

  [DeliversthemoneytoITHAMORE。]

  ITHAMORE。Butten?I’llnotleavehimworthagreygroat。Givemeareamofpaper:we’llhaveakingdomofgoldfor’t。

  PILIA—BORZA。Writeforfivehundredcrowns。

  ITHAMORE。[writing]SIRRAHJEW,ASYOULOVEYOURLIFE,SENDME

  FIVEHUNDREDCROWNS,ANDGIVETHEBEARERAHUNDRED。——TellhimImusthave’t。

  PILIA—BORZA。Iwarrant,yourworshipshallhave’t。

  ITHAMORE。And,ifheaskwhyIdemandsomuch,tellhimIscorntowritealineunderahundredcrowns。

  PILIA—BORZA。You’dmakearichpoet,sir。Iamgone。

  [Exitwiththeletter。]

  ITHAMORE。Takethouthemoney;spenditformysake。

  BELLAMIRA。’Tisnotthymoney,butthyselfIweigh:

  ThusBellamiraesteemsofgold;

  [Throwsitaside。]

  Butthusofthee。

  [Kisseshim。]

  ITHAMORE。Thatkissagain!——Sherunsdivisionofmylips。Whataneyeshecastsonme!ittwinkleslikeastar。

  [Aside。]

  BELLAMIRA。Come,mydearlove,let’sinandsleeptogether。

  ITHAMORE。O,thattenthousandnightswereputinone,thatwemightsleepsevenyearstogetheraforewewake!

  BELLAMIRA。Come,amorouswag,firstbanquet,andthensleep。

  [Exeunt。]

  EnterBARABAS,readingaletter。

  BARABAS。BARABAS,SENDMETHREEHUNDREDCROWNS;——

  PlainBarabas!O,thatwickedcourtezan!

  HewasnotwonttocallmeBarabas;——

  ORELSEIWILLCONFESS;——ay,thereitgoes:

  But,ifIgethim,coupedegorgeforthat。

  Hesentashaggy,tatter’d,staringslave,That,whenhespeaks,drawsouthisgrislybeard,Andwindsittwiceorthriceabouthisear;

  Whosefacehasbeenagrind—stoneformen’sswords;

  Hishandsarehack’d,somefingerscutquiteoff;

  Who,whenhespeaks,gruntslikeahog,andlooksLikeonethatisemploy’dincatzery

  Andcross—biting;sucharogueAsisthehusbandtoahundredwhores;

  AndIbyhimmustsendthreehundredcrowns。

  Well,myhopeis,hewillnotstaytherestill;

  And,whenhecomes——O,thathewerebuthere!

  EnterPILIA—BORZA。

  PILIA—BORZA。Jew,Imustha’moregold。

  BARABAS。Why,want’stthouanyofthytale?

  PILIA—BORZA。No;butthreehundredwillnotservehisturn。

  BARABAS。Notservehisturn,sir!

  PILIA—BORZA。

  No,sir;andthereforeImusthavefivehundredmore。

  BARABAS。I’llrather————

  PILIA—BORZA。O,goodwords,sir,andsendityouwerebest!see,there’shisletter。

  [Givesletter。]

  BARABAS。Mighthenotaswellcomeassend?pray,bidhimcomeandfetchit:whathewritesforyou,yeshallhavestraight。

  PILIA—BORZA。Ay,andtheresttoo,orelse————

  BARABAS。Imustmakethisvillainaway[Aside]。——Pleaseyoudinewithme,sir——andyoushallbemostheartilypoisoned。

  [Aside。]

  PILIA—BORZA。No,God—a—mercy。ShallIhavethesecrowns?

  BARABAS。Icannotdoit;Ihavelostmykeys。

  PILIA—BORZA。O,ifthatbeall,Icanpickopeyourlocks。

  BARABAS。

  Orclimbuptomycounting—housewindow:youknowmymeaning。

  PILIA—BORZA。Iknowenough,andthereforetalknottomeofyourcounting—house。Thegold!orknow,Jew,itisinmypowertohangthee。

  BARABAS。Iambetray’d。——

  [Aside。]

  ’TisnotfivehundredcrownsthatIesteem;

  Iamnotmov’datthat:thisangersme,Thathe,whoknowsIlovehimasmyself,Shouldwriteinthisimperiousvein。Why,sir,YouknowIhavenochild,anduntowhomShouldIleaveall,butuntoIthamore?

  PILIA—BORZA。Here’smanywords,butnocrowns:thecrowns!

  BARABAS。Commendmetohim,sir,mosthumbly,Anduntoyourgoodmistressasunknown。

  PILIA—BORZA。Speak,shallIhave’em,sir?

  BARABAS。Sir,heretheyare。——

  [Givesmoney。]

  O,thatIshouldpartwithsomuchgold!——

  [Aside。]

  Here,take’em,fellow,withasgoodawill————

  AsIwouldseetheehang’d[Aside]。O,lovestopsmybreath!

  Neverlov’dmanservantasIdoIthamore。

  PILIA—BORZA。Iknowit,sir。

  BARABAS。Pray,when,sir,shallIseeyouatmyhouse?

  PILIA—BORZA。Soonenoughtoyourcost,sir。Fareyouwell。

  [Exit。]

  BARABAS。Nay,tothineowncost,villain,ifthoucom’st!

  WaseverJewtormentedasIam?

  Tohaveashag—ragknavetocome[forcefromme]

  Threehundredcrowns,andthenfivehundredcrowns!

  Well;Imustseekameanstorid’emall,Andpresently;forinhisvillanyHewilltellallheknows,andIshalldiefor’t。

  Ihaveit:

  Iwillinsomedisguisegoseetheslave,Andhowthevillainrevelswithmygold。

  [Exit。]

  EnterBELLAMIRA,ITHAMORE,andPILIA—BORZA。

  BELLAMIRA。I’llpledgethee,love,andthereforedrinkitoff。

  ITHAMORE。Say’stthoumeso?haveatit!anddoyouhear?

  [Whisperstoher。]

  BELLAMIRA。Goto,itshallbeso。

  ITHAMORE。OfthatconditionIwilldrinkitup:

  Here’stothee。

  BELLAMIRA。Nay,I’llhaveallornone。

  ITHAMORE。There,ifthoulov’stme,donotleaveadrop。

  BELLAMIRA。Lovethee!fillmethreeglasses。

  ITHAMORE。Threeandfiftydozen:I’llpledgethee。

  PILIA—BORZA。Knavelyspoke,andlikeaknight—at—arms。

  ITHAMORE。Hey,RivoCastiliano!aman’saman。

  BELLAMIRA。NowtotheJew。

  ITHAMORE。Ha!totheJew;andsendmemoneyhewerebest。

  PILIA—BORZA。Whatwouldstthoudo,ifheshouldsendtheenone?

  ITHAMORE。Donothing:butIknowwhatIknow;he’samurderer。

  BELLAMIRA。Ihadnotthoughthehadbeensobraveaman。

  ITHAMORE。YouknewMathiasandthegovernor’sson;heandI

  killed’emboth,andyetnevertouched’em。

  PILIA—BORZA。O,bravelydone!

  ITHAMORE。Icarriedthebroththatpoisonedthenuns;andheandI,sniclehandtoofast,strangledafriar。

  BELLAMIRA。Youtwoalone?

  ITHAMORE。

  Wetwo;and’twasneverknown,nornevershallbeforme。

  PILIA—BORZA。Thisshallwithmeuntothegovernor。

  [AsidetoBELLAMIRA。]

  BELLAMIRA。Andfititshould:butfirstlet’sha’moregold。——

  [AsidetoPILIA—BORZA。]

  Come,gentleIthamore,lieinmylap。

  ITHAMORE。Lovemelittle,lovemelong:letmusicrumble,WhilstIinthyinconylapdotumble。

  EnterBARABAS,disguisedasaFrenchmusician,withalute,andanosegayinhishat。

  BELLAMIRA。AFrenchmusician!——Come,let’shearyourskill。

  BARABAS。Musttunamyluteforsound,twang,twang,first。

  ITHAMORE。Wiltdrink,Frenchman?here’stotheewitha——Poxonthisdrunkenhiccup!

  BARABAS。Gramercy,monsieur。

  BELLAMIRA。Prithee,Pilia—Borza,bidthefiddlergivemetheposyinhishatthere。

  PILIA—BORZA。Sirrah,youmustgivemymistressyourposy。

  BARABAS。Avotrecommandement,madame。

  [Givingnosegay。]

  BELLAMIRA。Howsweet,myIthamore,theflowerssmell!

  ITHAMORE。Likethybreath,sweetheart;novioletlike’em。

  PILIA—BORZA。Foh!methinkstheystinklikeahollyhock。

  BARABAS。So,nowIamreveng’dupon’emall:

  Thescentthereofwasdeath;Ipoison’dit。

  [Aside。]

  ITHAMORE。

  Play,fiddler,orI’llcutyourcat’sgutsintochitterlings。

  BARABAS。

  Pardonnezmoi,benointuneyet:so,now,nowallbein。

  ITHAMORE。Givehimacrown,andfillmeoutmorewine。

  PILIA—BORZA。There’stwocrownsforthee:play。

  [Givingmoney。]

  BARABAS。Howliberallythevillaingivesmemineowngold!

  [Aside,andthenplays。]

  PILIA—BORZA。Methinkshefingersverywell。

  BARABAS。Sodidyouwhenyoustolemygold。

  [Aside。]

  PILIA—BORZA。Howswiftheruns!

  BARABAS。Yourunswifterwhenyouthrewmygoldoutofmywindow。

  [Aside。]

  BELLAMIRA。Musician,hastbeeninMaltalong?

  BARABAS。Two,three,fourmonth,madam。

  ITHAMORE。DostnotknowaJew,oneBarabas?

  BARABAS。Verymush:monsieur,younobehisman?

  PILIA—BORZA。Hisman!

  ITHAMORE。Iscornthepeasant:tellhimso。

  BARABAS。Heknowsitalready。

  [Aside。]

  ITHAMORE。’TisastrangethingofthatJew,helivesuponpickledgrasshoppersandsaucedmushrooms。

  BARABAS。Whataslave’sthis!thegovernorfeedsnotasIdo。

  [Aside。]

  ITHAMORE。Heneverputoncleanshirtsincehewascircumcised。

  BARABAS。Orascal!Ichangemyselftwicea—day。

  [Aside。]

  ITHAMORE。Thehathewears,Judasleftundertheelderwhenhehangedhimself。

  BARABAS。’TwassentmeforapresentfromtheGreatCham。

  [Aside。]

  PILIA—BORZA。Anastyslaveheis。——Whithernow,fiddler?

  BARABAS。Pardonnezmoi,monsieur;mebenowell。

  PILIA—BORZA。Farewell,fiddler[ExitBARABAS。]OnelettermoretotheJew。

  BELLAMIRA。Prithee,sweetlove,onemore,andwriteitsharp。

  ITHAMORE。No,I’llsendbywordofmouthnow。

  ——Bidhimdelivertheeathousandcrowns,bythesametokenthatthenunslovedrice,thatFriarBarnardinesleptinhisownclothes;anyof’emwilldoit。

  PILIA—BORZA。Letmealonetourgeit,nowIknowthemeaning。

  ITHAMORE。Themeaninghasameaning。Come,let’sin:

  ToundoaJewischarity,andnotsin。

  [Exeunt。]

  ACTV。

  EnterFERNEZE,KNIGHTS,MARTINDELBOSCO,andOFFICERS。

点击下载App,搜索"The Jew of Malta",免费读到尾