Enter ITHAMORE. O Ithamore, come near; And on that hope my happiness is built. When saw'st thou Abigail? Itha. To-day. Bara. With whom? Itha. A friar. Bara. A friar! false villain, he hath done the deed. Itha. How, sir! Bara. Why, made mine Abigail a nun. Itha. That's no lie; for she sent me for him. False, credulous, inconstant Abigail! Bara. Ithamore, entreat not for her; I am And she is hateful to my soul and me: I cannot think but that thou hat'st my life. And throw myself headlong into the sea; Why, I'll do any thing for your sweet sake. Bara. Well said,* Ithamore! What, hast thou The ladle with thee too? Itha. Yes, sir; the proverb says,† he that eats with the devil had need of a long spoon; I have brought you a ladle.' Bara. Very well, Ithamore; then now be secret; And, for thy sake, whom I so dearly love, Itha. Why, master, will you poison her with a Bara. Ay, but, Ithamore, seest thou this? Bara. Thus, Ithamore: This even they use in Malta here,-'tis call'd Bara. Belike there is some ceremony in't. Bara. O trusty Ithamore! no servant, but my Stay; let me spice it first. friend! I here adopt thee for mine only heir: All that I have is thine when I am dead; Itha. I hold my head, my master's hungry [Aside].-I go, sir. Itha. Pray, do, and let me help you, master. Bara. Prithee, do. [ITHAMORE tastes.] What Itha. Troth, master, I'm loath such a pot of pottage should be spoiled. Bara. Peace, Ithamore! 'tis better so than spar'd. [Puts the powder into the pot. Assure thyself thou shalt have broth by the eye: || [Exit. My purse, my coffer, and myself is thine. Itha. Well, master, go. Bara. Stay; first let me stir it, Ithamore. Of which great Alexander drunk, and died; Itha. What a blessing has he given't! was ever pot of rice-porridge so sauced? [Aside].-What shall I do with it? Bara. O my sweet Ithamore, go set it down; And come again so soon as thou hast done, For I have other business for thee. Itha. Here's a drench to poison a whole stable of Flanders mares: I'll carry't to the nuns with a powder. Bara. And the horse-pestilence to boot: away! Itha. I am gone : Pay me my wages, for my work is done. [Brit with the pot. Bara. I'll pay thee with a vengeance, Ithamore! [Brit. Enter FERNEZE, MARTIN DEL Bosco, Knights, and Basso. Bas. To you of Malta thus saith Calymath: The time you took for respite is at hand For the performance of your promise pass'd; And for the tribute-money I am sent. Fern. Basso, in brief, shalt have no tribute here, Nor shall the heathens live upon our spoil: Bas. Well, governor, since thou hast broke the league By flat denial of the promis'd tribute, And now, you men of Malta, look about, Fern. Welcome, great basso: § how fares Caly- For by this answer broken is the league, * In few] i. e. in a few words, in short. thebon] i.e. ebony, which was formerly supposed to be a deadly poison. Enter Ferneze, &c.] The scene is the interior of the Council-house. § basso] Old ed. "Bashaws" (the printer having added ans by mistake), and in the preceding stage-direction, and in the fifth speech of this scene, "Bashaw" but in an earlier scene (see p. 148, first col.) we have "bassoes" (and see our author's Tamburlaine, passim). And naught is to be look'd for now but wars, And naught to us more welcome is than wars. [Exeunt. Enter FRIAR JACOMO and FRIAR BARNARDINE. Friar Jac. O brother, brother, all the nuns are sick, And physic will not help them! they must die. Friar Barn. The abbess sent for me to be confess'd: O, what a sad confession will there be ! Friar Jac. And so did fair Maria send for me: I'll to her lodging; hereabouts she lies. [Exit. Enter ABIGAIL. Friar Barn. What, all dead, save only Abigail! Abig. And I shall die too, for I feel death coming. Where is the friar that convers'd with me ?ş * the resistless banks] i.e. the banks not able to resist. + basilisks] See note †, p. 25. Enter Friar Jacomo, &c.] Scene, the interior of the Nunnery. $ convers'd with me] She alludes to her conversation with Jacomo, p. 162, sec. col. Friar Barn. O, he is gone to see the other nuns. Abig. I sent for him; but, seeing you are come, Be you my ghostly father: and first know, Chaste, and devout, much sorrowing for my sins; Friar Barn. What then? Abig. I did offend high heaven so grievously As I am almost desperate for my sins; And one offence torments me more than all. Friar Barn. Yes; what of them? Abig. My father did contract me to 'em both; First to Don Lodowick: him I never lov'd; Mathias was the man that I held dear, And for his sake did I become a nun. Friar Barn. So say how was their end? Abig. Both, jealous of my love, envied* each other; And by my father's practice,† which is there [Gives writing. Set down at large, the gallants were both slain. Friar Barn. O, monstrous villany! Abig. To work my peace, this I confess to thee: Reveal it not; for then my father dies. Friar Barn. Know that confession must not be reveal'd; Bara. There is no music to a Christian's knell : How sweet the bells ring, now the nuns are dead, Or, though it wrought, it would have done no good, For every year they swell, and yet they live: Itha. That's brave, master: but think you it will not be known? Bara. How can it, if we two be secret? envied] i.e. hated. t practice] i.e. artful contrivance, stratagem. Enter Barabas, &c.] Scene a street. § to] Which the Editor of 1826 deliberately altered to "like," means-compared to, in comparison of. Itha. For my part, fear you not. Bara. I'd cut thy throat, if I did. Itha. And reason too. But here's a royal monastery hard by; They'll die with grief. Itha. Do you not sorrow for your daughter's death? Bara. No, but I grieve because she liv'd so long, * crucified a child] A crime with which the Jews were often charged. "Tovey, in his Anglia Judaica, has given the several instances which are upon record of these charges against the Jews; which he observes they were never accused of, but at such times as the king was manifestly in great want of money." REED (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). An Hebrew born, and would become a Christian : Cazzo, diabolo Itha. Look, look, master; here come two religious caterpillars. Enter FRIAR JACOMO and FRIAR BARNARDINE. Bara. I smelt 'em ere they came. Friar Jac. Thou hast offended, therefore must be damn'd. Bara. I fear they know we sent the poison'd broth. Itha. And so do I, master; therefore speak 'em fair. Friar Barn. Barabas, thou hast Friar Jac. Ay, that thou hast Bara. True, I have money; what though I have? Friar Barn. Thou art a Friar Jac. Ay, that thou art, a— Bara. What needs all this? I know I am a Jew. Bara. O, speak not of her! then I die with grief. Friar Barn. Remember that Friar Jac. Ay, remember that Bara. I must needs say that I have been a great usurer. Friar Barn. Thou hast committed Bara. Fornication: but that was in another country; And besides, the wench is dead. Friar Barn. Ay, but, Barabas, Remember Mathias and Don Lodowick. Bara. Why, what of them? Friar Barn. I will not say that by a forged challenge they met. Bara. She has confess'd, and we are both undone, My bosom inmate ! but I must dissemble.- Cazzo] Old ed. "Catho."-See Florio's Worlde of Wordes (Ital. and Engl. Dict.) ed. 1598, in v.-"A petty oath, a cant exclamation, generally expressive, among the Italian populace, who have it constantly in their mouth, of defiance or contempt." Gifford's note on Jonson's Works, ii. 48. Is't not too late now to turn Christian? Itha. And so could I; but penance will not serve. Bara. To fast, to pray, and wear a shirt of hair, And on my knees creep to Jerusalem. Cellars of wine, and sollars* full of wheat, Warehouses stuff'd 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; At Alexandria merchandize untold; + 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 baptiz'd, and live therein. Friar Jac. O good Barabas, come to our house! Friar Barn. O, no, good Barabas, come to our house ! And, Barabas, you know Bara. I know that I have highly sinn'd: You shall convert me, you shall have all my wealth. Friar Jac. O Barabas, their laws are strict! Bara. I know they are; and I will be with you. Friar Barn. They wear no shirts, and they go bare-foot too. Bara. Then 'tis not for me; and I am resolv'd You shall confess me, and have all my goods. Friar Jac. Good Barabas, come to me. Bara. You see I answer him, and yet he stays; Rid him away, and go you home with me. Friar Jac. I'll be with you to-night. Bara. Come to my house at one o'clock this night. to "Lies" but examples of similar phraseology,-of a nominative singular followed by a plural verb when a plural genitive intervenes,-are common in our early writers; see notes on Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, vol. v. 7, 94, vol. ix. 185, ed. Dyce. Friar Barnardine, go you with Ithamore: Friar Jac. Why does he go to thy house? let him be gone.* Bara. I'll give him something, and so stop his mouth. [Exit ITHAMORE with FRIAR Barnardine, I never heard of any man but he But do you think that I believe his words? Why, brother, you converted Abigail; For presently you shall be shriv’d. Bara. Marry, the Turk + shall be one of my godfathers, But not a word to any of your covent.‡ Friar Jac. I warrant thee, Barabas. [Exit. Bara. So, now the fear is past, and I am safe; For he that shriv'd her is within my house: What, if I murder'd him ere Jacomo comes! Now I have such a plot for both their lives, As never Jew nor Christian knew the like: One turn'd my daughter, therefore he shall die; The other knows enough to have my life, Therefore 'tis not requisite he should live.§ Bara. This is mere frailty: brethren, be content.- Friar Jac. Why does he go to thy house? let him be gone] Old ed. thus; "Bar. This is meere frailty, brethren, be content. Fryar Barnardine goe you with Ithimore. Ith. You know my mind, let me alone with him; Why does he goe to thy house, let him begone." the Turk] "Meaning Ithamore." COLLIER (apud Dodsley's 0. P.). Compare the last line but one of Barabas's next speech. t covent] i. e. convent. § Therefore 'tis not requisite he should live] Lest the reader should suspect that the author wrote, "Therefore 'tis requisite he should not live," I may observe that we have had before (p. 152, first col.) a similar form of expression, "It is not necessary I be seen." 167 But are not both these wise men, to suppose Enter ITHAMORE. Ithamore, tell me, is the friar asleep? Bara. Why, true; therefore did I place him The other chambers open towards the street. Itha. You loiter, master; wherefore stay we thus? O, how I long to see him shake his heels! Off with your girdle; make a handsome noose.[ITHAMORE takes off his girdle, and ties a noose on it. Friar, awake! [They put the noose round the Friar's neck. Friar Barn. What, do you mean to strangle me? Itha. Yes, 'cause you use to confess. Bara. Blame not us, but the proverb,-Confess and be hanged.-Pull hard. Friar Barn. What, will you have § my life? Bara. Pull hard, I say.-You would have had my goods. amain. Itha. Ay, and our lives too:-therefore pull [They strangle the Friar. "Tis neatly done, sir; here's no print at all. Bara. Then is it as it should be. Take him |