The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe (great books to read TXT) 📕

Calymath! [Exeunt CALYMATH and BASSOES.] And now, as entrance to our safety, To prison with the governor and these Captains, his consorts and confederates.

FERNEZE. O villain! heaven will be reveng’d on thee.

BARABAS. Away! no more; let him not trouble me. [Exeunt TURKS with FERNEZE and KNIGHTS.] Thus hast thou gotten,<190> by thy policy, No simple place, no small authority: I now am governor of Malta; true,— But Malta hates me, and, in hating me, My life’s in danger; and what boots it thee, Poor Barabas, to be the governor, Whenas<191> thy life shall be at their command? No, Barabas, this must be look’d into; And, since by wrong thou gott’st authority, Maintain it bravely by firm policy; At least, unprofitably lose it not; For he that liveth in authority, And neither gets him friends nor fills his bags, Lives like the ass that Aesop speaketh of, That labours with a load of bread and wine, And leaves it off to snap on thistle-tops: But Barabas will be more circumspect. Begin betimes; Occasion’s bald behind: Slip not thine opportunity, for fear too late Thou seek’st for much, but canst not compass it.— Within here!<192>

Enter FERNEZE, with a GUARD.

FERNEZE. My lord?

BARABAS. Ay, LORD; thus slaves will learn. Now, governor,—stand by there, wait within,— [Exeunt GUARD.] This is the reason that I sent for thee: Thou seest thy life and Malta’s happiness Are at my arbitrement; and Barabas At his discretion may dispose of both: Now tell me, governor, and plainly too, What think’st thou shall become of it and thee?

FERNEZE. This, Barabas; since things are in thy power, I see no reason but of Malta’s wreck, Nor hope of thee but extreme cruelty: Nor fear I death, nor will I flatter thee.

BARABAS. Governor, good words; be not so furious ‘Tis not thy life which can avail me aught; Yet you do live, and live for me you shall: And as for Malta’s ruin, think you not ‘Twere slender policy for Barabas To dispossess himself of such a place? For sith,<193> as once you said, within this isle, In Malta here, that I have got my goods, And in this city still have had success, And now at length am grown your governor, Yourselves shall see it shall not be forgot; For, as a friend not known but in distress, I’ll rear up Malta, now remediless.

FERNEZE. Will Barabas recover Malta’s loss? Will Barabas be good to Christians?

BARABAS. What wilt thou give me, governor, to procure A dissolution of the slavish bands Wherein the Turk hath yok’d your land and you? What will you give me if I render you The life of Calymath, surprise his men, And in an out-house of the city shut His soldiers, till I have consum’d ‘em all with fire? What will you give him that procureth this?

FERNEZE. Do but bring this to pass which thou pretendest, Deal truly with us as thou intimatest, And I will send amongst the citizens, And by my letters privately procure Great sums of money for thy recompense: Nay, more, do this, and live thou governor still.

BARABAS. Nay, do thou this, Ferneze, and be free: Governor, I enlarge thee; live with me; Go walk about the city, see thy friends: Tush, send not letters to ‘em; go thyself, And let me see what money thou canst make: Here is my hand that I’ll set Malta free; And thus we cast<194> it: to a solemn feast I will invite young Selim Calymath, Where be thou present, only to perform One stratagem that I’ll impart to thee, Wherein no danger shall betide thy life, And I will warrant Malta free for ever.

FERNEZE. Here is my hand; believe me, Barabas, I will be there, and do as thou desirest. When is the time?

BARABAS. Governor, presently; For Calymath, when he hath view’d the town, Will take his leave, and sail toward Ottoman.

FERNEZE. Then will I, Barabas, about this coin, And bring it with me to thee in the evening.

BARABAS. Do so; but fail not: now farewell, Ferneze:— [Exit FERNEZE.] And thus far roundly goes the business: Thus, loving neither, will I live with both, Making a profit of my policy; And he from whom my most advantage comes, Shall be my friend. This is the life we Jews are us’d to lead; And reason too, for Christians do the like. Well, now about effecting this device; First, to surprise great Selim’s soldiers, And then to make provision for the feast, That at one instant all things may be done: My policy detests prevention. To what event my secret purpose drives, I know; and they shall witness with their lives. [Exeunt.]

Enter CALYMATH and BASSOES.<195>

CALYMATH. Thus have we view’d the city, seen the sack, And caus’d the ruins to be new-repair’d, Which with our bombards’ shot and basilisk[s]<196> We rent in sunder at our entry: And, now I see the situation, And how secure this conquer’d island stands, Environ’d with the Mediterranean sea, Strong-countermin’d with other petty isles, And, toward Calabria,<197> back’d by Sicily (Where Syracusian Dionysius reign’d), Two lofty turrets that command the town, I wonder how it could be conquer’d thus.

Enter a MESSENGER.

MESSENGER. From Barabas, Malta’s governor, I bring A message unto mighty Calymath: Hearing his sovereign was bound for sea, To sail to Turkey, to great Ottoman, He humbly would entreat your majesty To come and see his homely citadel, And banquet with him ere thou leav’st the isle.

CALYMATH. To banquet with him in his citadel! I fear me, messenger, to feast my train Within a town of war so lately pillag’d, Will be too costly and too troublesome: Yet would I gladly visit Barabas, For well has Barabas deserv’d of us.

MESSENGER. Selim, for that, thus saith the governor,— That he hath in [his] store a pearl so big, So precious, and withal so orient, As, be it valu’d but indifferently, The price thereof will serve to entertain Selim and all his soldiers for a month; Therefore he humbly would entreat your highness Not to depart till he has feasted you.

CALYMATH. I cannot feast my men in Malta-walls, Except he place his tables in the streets.

MESSENGER. Know, Selim, that there is a monastery Which standeth as an out-house to the town; There will he banquet them; but thee at home, With all thy bassoes and brave followers.

CALYMATH. Well, tell the governor we grant his suit; We’ll in this summer-evening feast with him.

MESSENGER. I shall, my lord. [Exit.]

CALYMATH. And now, bold bassoes, let us to our tents, And meditate how we may grace us best, To solemnize our governor’s great feast. [Exeunt.]

Enter FERNEZE,<198> KNIGHTS, and MARTIN DEL BOSCO.

FERNEZE. In this, my countrymen, be rul’d by me: Have special care that no man sally forth Till you shall hear a culverin discharg’d By him that bears the linstock,<199> kindled thus; Then issue out and come to rescue me, For happily I shall be in distress, Or you released of this servitude.

FIRST KNIGHT. Rather than thus to live as Turkish thralls, What will we not adventure?

FERNEZE. On, then; be gone.

KNIGHTS. Farewell, grave governor. [Exeunt, on one side, KNIGHTS and MARTIN DEL BOSCO; on the other, FERNEZE.]

Enter, above,<200> BARABAS, with a hammer, very busy; and CARPENTERS.

BARABAS. How stand the cords? how hang these hinges? fast? Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?

FIRST CARPENTER.<201> All fast.

BARABAS. Leave nothing loose, all levell’d to my mind. Why, now I see that you have art, indeed: There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you; [Giving money.] Go, swill in bowls of sack and muscadine; Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.

FIRST CARPENTER. We shall, my lord, and thank you. [Exeunt CARPENTERS.]

BARABAS. And, if you like them, drink your fill and die; For, so I live, perish may all the world! Now, Selim Calymath, return me word That thou wilt come, and I am satisfied.

Enter MESSENGER.

Now, sirrah; what, will he come?

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

BARABAS. 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 FERNEZE.

Now, governor, the sum?

FERNEZE. With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds.

BARABAS. Pounds say’st thou, governor? well, since it is no more, I’ll satisfy myself with that; nay, keep it still, For, if I keep not promise, trust not me: And, governor, now partake my policy. First, for his army, they are sent before, Enter’d the monastery, and underneath In several places are field-pieces pitch’d, Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder, That on the sudden shall dissever it, And batter all the stones about their ears, 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, [Throws down a knife.] And with his bassoes shall be blithely set, A warning-piece shall be shot off<202> from the tower, To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord, And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave?

FERNEZE. O, excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas; I trust thy word; take what I promis’d thee.

BARABAS. No, governor; I’ll satisfy thee first; Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing. Stand close, for here they come. [FERNEZE 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 sun<203> If greater falsehood ever has been done?

Enter CALYMATH and BASSOES.

CALYMATH. 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!

BARABAS. Welcome, great Calymath!

FERNEZE. How the slave jeers at him! [Aside.]

BARABAS. Will’t please thee, mighty Selim Calymath, To ascend our homely stairs?

CALYMATH. Ay, Barabas.— Come, bassoes, ascend.<204>

FERNEZE. [coming forward] Stay, Calymath; For I will shew thee greater courtesy Than Barabas would have afforded thee.

KNIGHT. [within] Sound a charge there! [A charge sounded within: FERNEZE cuts the cord; the floor of the gallery gives way, and BARABAS falls into a caldron placed in a pit.

Enter KNIGHTS and MARTIN DEL BOSCO.<205>

CALYMATH. How now! what means this?

BARABAS. Help, help me, Christians, help!

FERNEZE. See, Calymath! this was devis’d for thee.

CALYMATH. Treason, treason! bassoes, fly!

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

BARABAS. O, help me, Selim! help me, Christians! Governor, why stand you all so pitiless?

FERNEZE. Should I in pity of thy plaints or thee, Accursed Barabas, base Jew, relent? No, thus I’ll see thy treachery repaid, But wish thou hadst behav’d thee otherwise.

BARABAS. You will not help me, then?

FERNEZE. No, villain, no.

BARABAS. And, villains, know you cannot help me now.— Then, Barabas, breathe forth thy latest fate, And in the fury of thy torments strive To end thy life with resolution.— Know, governor, ‘twas I that slew thy son,— I fram’d the challenge that did make them meet: Know, Calymath, I aim’d thy overthrow: And, had I but escap’d this stratagem, I would have brought confusion on you all, Damn’d Christian<206> 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.]

CALYMATH. Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?

FERNEZE. This train<207> he laid to have entrapp’d thy life; Now, Selim, note the unhallow’d deeds of Jews; Thus he determin’d to have handled thee, But I have rather chose to save thy life.

CALYMATH. Was