Bara. Hum,-all the Jews in Malta must be

there!

Ay, like enough: why, then, let every man
Provide him, and be there for fashion-sake.
If any thing shall there concern our state,
Assure yourselves I'll look-unto myself.

[Aside." First Jew. I know you will.-Well, brethren, let us go.

Sec. Jew. Let's take our leaves.-Farewell, good
Barabas.

Bara.+ Farewell, Zaareth; farewell, Temainte.
[Exeunt Jews.
And, Barabas, now search this secret out;
Summon thy senses, call thy wits together:
These silly men mistake the matter clean.
Long to the Turk did Malta contribute;
Which tribute all in policy, I fear,

The Turk has let increase to such a sum
As all the wealth of Malta cannot pay;
And now by that advantage thinks, belike,
To seize upon the town; ay, that he seeks.
Howe'er the world go, I'll make sure for one,
And seek in time to intercept the worst,
Warily guarding that which I ha' got :
Ego mihimet sum semper proximus : §
Why, let 'em enter, let 'em take the town.

[Erit.

Enter FERNEZE governor of Malta, Knights, and Officers; met by CALYMATH, and Bassoes of the Turk.

Fern. Now, bassoes, what demand you at our hands?

First Bas. Know, knights of Malta, that we came from Rhodes,

From Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles
That lie betwixt the Mediterranean seas.

Fern. What's Cyprus, Candy, and those other

isles

To us or Malta? what at our hands demand ye?

* Aside] Mr. Collier (apud Dodsley's 0. P), mistaking the purport of this stage-direction (which, of course, applies only to the words "unto myself",, proposed an alteration of the text

"

↑ BARA. Farewell, Zaareth, &c.] Old ed. “Iew. Doe so; Farewell Zaareth," &c. But Doe so is evidently a stage-direction which has crept into the text, and which was intended to signify that the Jews do "take their leaves" of Barabas :-here the old ed. has no "Exeunt."

Turk has] So the Editor of 1826.-Old ed. "Turkes haue" but see what follows.

§ Ego mihimet sum semper proximus] The words of Terence are "Proximus sum egomet mihi." Andria, iv. 1. 12.

Exit] The scene is now supposed to be changed to the interior of the Council-house.

bassoes] i.e. bashaws.

Cal. The ten years' tribute that remains unpaid. Fern. Alas, my lord, the sun is over-great!

I hope your highness will consider us.

Cal. I wish, grave governor,* 'twere in my

power

To favour you; but 'tis my father's cause,
Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally.
Fern. Then give us leave, great Selim Calymath.
Cal. Stand all aside,+ and let the knights

determine;

And send to keep our galleys under sail,
For happily we shall not tarry here.-
Now, governor, how are you resolv'd?

Fern. Thus; since your hard conditions are

such

That you will needs have ten years' tribute past,
We may have time to make collection
Amongst the inhabitants of Malta for't.

First Bas. That's more than is in our com

mission.

Cal. What, Callapine! a little courtesy: Let's know their time; perhaps it is not long; And 'tis more kingly to obtain by peace Than to enforce conditions by constraint.What respite ask you, governor?

Fern. But a month.

Cal. We grant a month; but see you keep your promise.

Now launch our galleys back again to sea,
Where we'll attend the respite you have ta'en,
And for the money send our messenger.
Farewell, great governor, and brave knights of
Malta.

Fern. And all good fortune wait on Calymath! [Exeunt CALYMATH and Bassoes.

Go one and call those Jews of Malta hither:
Were they not summon'd to appear to-day?
First Off. They were, my lord; and here they

come.

Enter BARABAS and three Jews.

First Knight. Have you determin'd what to say to them?

Fern. Yes; give me leave and, Hebrews, now

come near.

From the Emperor of Turkey is arriv'd
Great Selim Caly math, his highness' son,
To levy of us ten years' tribute past:
Now, then, here know that it concerneth us.

• governor] Old ed. "Gouernours" here, and several times after in this scene.

+ Cal. Stand all aside, &c.] "The Governor and the Maltese knights here consult apart, while Calymath gives these directions." COLLIER (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). happily) i.e. haply.

For that is theft; and, if you rob me thus,
I must be fore'd to steal, and compass more.
First Knight. Grave governor, list not to his
exclaims:

Convert his mansion to a nunnery;
His house will harbour many holy nuns.
Fern. It shall be so.

Re-enter Officers.

Now, officers, have you done?

First Off. Ay, my lord, we have seiz'd upon the goods

And wares of Barabas, which, being valu'd, Amount to more than all the wealth in Malta: And of the other we have seizèd half.

*

Fern. Then we'll take order for the residue. Bara. Well, then, my lord, say, are you satisfied?

You have my goods, my money, and my wealth,
My ships, my store, and all that I enjoy'd;
And, having all, you can request no more,
Unless your unrelenting flinty hearts
Suppress all pity in your stony breasts,
And now shall move you to bereave my life.

Fern. No, Barabas; to stain our hands with blood

Is far from us and our profession.

Bara. Why, I esteem the injury far less, To take the lives of miserable men Than be the causers of their misery. You have my wealth, the labour of my life, The comfort of mine age, my children's hope; And therefore ne'er distinguish of the wrong. Fern. Content thee, Barabas; thou hast naught

but right.

Bara. Your extreme right does me exceeding

wrong:

But take it to you, i'the devil's name!

And yet have kept enough to live upon;
So that not he, but I, may curse the day,
Thy fatal birth-day, forlorn Barabas ;
And henceforth wish for an eternal night,
That clouds of darkness may inclose my flesh,
Aud hide these extreme sorrows from mine eyes;
For only I have toil'd to inherit here
The months of vanity, and loss of time,
And painful nights, have been appointed me.
Sec. Jew. Good Barabas, be patient.
Bara. Ay, I pray, leave me in my patience. You,

that

First Knight. 'Tis necessary that be look'd

unto;

For, if we break our day, we break the league, And that will prove but simple policy.

[Exeunt all except BARA. and the three Jews. Bara. Ay, policy! that's their profession, And not simplicity, as they suggest.— The plagues of Egypt, and the curse of heaven, Earth's barrenness, and all men's hatred, Inflict upon them, thou great Primus Motor! And here upon my knees, striking the earth, I ban their souls to everlasting pains,

* Then we'll take, &c.] In the old ed. this line forms a portion of the preceding speech.

want;

But give him liberty at least to mourn,

That in a field, amidst his enemies,
Doth see his soldiers slain, himself disarm'd,
And knows no means of his recovery:
Ay, let me sorrow for this sudden chance;
'Tis in the trouble of my spirit I speak :
Great injuries are not so soon forgot.
First Jew. Come, let us leave him; in his ireful
mood

Our words will but increase his ecstasy.*

Sec. Jew. On, then: but, trust me, 'tis a misery

To see a man in such affliction.

Farewell, Barabas.

To make a nunnery, where none but their own

sect

See the simplicity of these base slaves,

Who, for the villains have no wit themselves,
Think me to be a senseless lump of clay,
That will with every water wash to dirt!
No, Barabas is born to better chance,
And fram'd of finer mould than common men,
That measure naught but by the present time.
A reaching thought will search his deepest wits,
And cast with cunning for the time to come;
For evils are apt to happen every day.

Enter ABIGAIL.

But whither wends my beauteous Abigail?
O, what has made my lovely daughter sad?
What, woman! moan not for a little loss;
Thy father has enough in store for thee.

Abig. Nor for myself, but agèd Barabas,
Father, for thee lamenteth Abigail :

But I will learn to leave these fruitless tears;
And, urg'd thereto with my afflictions,
With fierce exclaims run to the senate-house,
And in the senate reprehend them all,

And rent their hearts with tearing of my hair,
Till they reduce † the wrongs done to my father.
Bara. No, Abigail; things past recovery
Are hardly cur'd with exclamations:
Be silent, daughter; sufferance breeds ease,
And time may yield us an occasion,
Which on the sudden cannot serve the turn.
Besides, my girl, think me not all so fond
As negligently to forgo so much
Without provision for thyself and me:

Ten thousand portagues, § besides great pearls,
Rich costly jewels, and stones infinite,
Fearing the worst of this before it fell,
I closely hid.

Abig. Where, father?

Bara. In my house, my girl.

Abig. Then shall they ne'er be seen of Barabas; For they have seiz'd upon thy house and wares. Bara. But they will give me leave once more, I trow,

To

go into my house.

Abig. That may they not;

For there I left the governor placing nuns,
Displacing me; and of thy house they mean

* Exeunt three Jews] On their departure, the scene is supposed to be changed to a street near the house of Barabas.

reduce] If the right reading, is equivalent to-repair. But qy. "redress"?

fond] "i e. foolish." REED (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). portagues] Portuguese gold coins, so called.

Bara. My gold, my gold, and all my wealth is gone

You partial heavens, have I deserv'd this plague?
What, will you thus oppose me, luckless stars,
To make me desperate in my poverty?
And, knowing me impatient in distress,
Think me so mad as I will hang myself,
That I may vanish o'er the earth in air,
And leave no memory that e'er I was?
No, I will live; nor loathe I this my life:
And, since you leave me in the ocean thus
To sink or swim, and put me to my shifts,
I'll rouse my senses, and awake myself.-
Daughter, I have it: thou perceiv'st the plight
Wherein these Christians have oppressèd me:
Be rul'd by me, for in extremity
We ought to make bar of no policy.

Abig. Father, whate'er it be, to injure them
That have so manifestly wrongèd us,
What will not Abigail attempt?

Bara. Why, 80.

Then thus: thou told'st me they have turn'd my house

Into a nunnery, and some nuns are there?
Abig. I did.

Bara. Then, Abigail, there must my girl
Entreat the abbess to be entertain'd.

Abig. How! as a nun?

Bara. Ay, daughter; for religion Hides many mischiefs from suspicion.

Abig. Ay, but, father, they will suspect me there.

Bara. Let 'em suspect; but be thou so precise
As they may think it done of holiness:
Entreat 'em fair, and give them friendly speech,
And seem to them as if thy sins were great,
Till thou hast gotten to be entertain'd.

Abig. Thus, father, shall I much dissemble.
Bara. Tush!

As good dissemble that thou never mean'st,
As first mean truth and then dissemble it :
A counterfeit profession is better
Than unseen hypocrisy.

Abig. Well, father, say I be entertain'd,
What then shall follow?

Bara. This shall follow then.
There have I hid, close underneath the plank
That runs along the upper-chamber floor,

sect] "i.e. sex. Sect and sex were, in our ancient dramatic writers, used synonymously." REED (apud Dodsley's 0. P.)

We now are almost at the new-made nunnery.
Abb.t The better; for we love not to be seen:

'Tis thirty winters long since some of us
Did stray so far amongst the multitude.
Friar Jac. But, madam, this house
And waters of this new-made nunnery
Will much delight you.

Abb. It may be so.-But who comes here?
[ABIGAIL comes forward.
Abig. Grave abbess, and you happy virgins'
guide,

Pity the state of a distressèd maid!

Abb. What art thou, daughter?

Abig. The hopeless daughter of a hapless Jew, The Jew of Malta, wretched Barabas, Sometimes the owner of a goodly house, Which they have now turn'd to a nunnery. Abb. Well, daughter, say, what is thy suit with us?

Abig. Fearing the afflictions which my father
feels

Proceed from sin or want of faith in us,
I'd pass away my life in penitence,

And be a novice in your nunnery,
To make atonement for my labouring soul.
Friar Jac. No doubt, brother, but this pro-
ceedeth of the spirit.

Friar Barn. Ay, and of a moving spirit too,
brother: but come,

Let us entreat she may be entertain'd.

Abb. Well, daughter, we admit you for a nun. Abig. First let me as a novice learn to frame My solitary life to your strait laws, And let me lodge where I was wont to lie:

*Enter Friar Jacomo, &c.] Old ed. "Enter three Fryars and two Nuns:" but assuredly only two Friars figure in this play.

Abb. In the old ed. the prefix to this speech is "1 Nun," and to the next speech but one "Nun." That both speeches belong to the Abbess is quite evident.

Sometimes] Equivalent here (as frequently in our early writers) to-Sometime.

I do not doubt, by your divine precèpts
And mine own industry, but to profit much.
Bara. As much, I hope, as all I hid is worth.
[4 side.

Abb. Come, daughter, follow us.
Bara. [coming forward] Why, how now, Abi-

gail!

What mak'st thou 'mongst these hateful Chris

tians?

Friar Jac. Hinder her not, thou man of little faith,

For she has mortified herself.

Bara. How! mortified!

Friar Jac. And is admitted to the sisterhood. Bara. Child of perdition, and thy father's

shame!

What wilt thou do among these hateful fiends?
I charge thee on my blessing that thou leave
These devils and their damnèd heresy !

Abig. Father, forgive me-
Bara. Nay, back, Abigail,

And think upon the jewels and the gold;
The board is markèd thus that covers it.-
[Aside to ABIGAIL in a whisper.

Away, accursed, from thy father's sight!
Friar Jac. Barabas, although thou art in mis-
belief,

And wilt not see thine own afflictions,
Yet let thy daughter be no longer blind.

Bara. Blind friar, I reck not thy persuasions,The board is marked thus † that covers it

[Aside to ABIGAIL in a whisper.

For I had rather die than see her thus.—
Wilt thou forsake me too in my distress,
Seduced daughter?-Go, forget not.-

[Aside to her in a whisper.

Becomes it Jews to be so credulous?—
To-morrow early I'll be at the door.—

[Aside to her in a whisper. No, come not at me; if thou wilt be damn'd, Forget me, see me not; and so, be gone!Farewell; remember to-morrow morning.— [Aside to her in a whisper.

Out, out, thou wretch!

[Exit, on one side, BARABAS. Ereunt, on the other side, Friars, Abbess, Nun, and ABIGAIL: and, as they are going out,

Enter MATHIAS, Math. Who's this? fair Abigail, the rich Jew's daughter,

forgive me-] Old ed. "giue me-"

thus) After this word the old ed. has "",-to sig. nify, perhaps, the motion which Barabas was to make here with his hand.

forget not] Qy. "forget it not "