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

now, countrymen! Why flock you thus to me in multitudes? What accident’s betided to the Jews?

FIRST JEW. A fleet of warlike galleys, Barabas, Are come from Turkey, and lie in our road: And they this day sit in the council-house To entertain them and their embassy.

BARABAS. Why, let ‘em come, so they come not to war; Or let ‘em war, so we be conquerors.— Nay, let ‘em combat, conquer, and kill all, So they spare me, my daughter, and my wealth. [Aside.]

FIRST JEW. Were it for confirmation of a league, They would not come in warlike manner thus.

SECOND JEW. I fear their coming will afflict us all.

BARABAS. Fond<27> men, what dream you of their multitudes? What need they treat of peace that are in league? The Turks and those of Malta are in league: Tut, tut, there is some other matter in’t.

FIRST JEW. Why, Barabas, they come for peace or war.

BARABAS. Haply for neither, but to pass along, Towards Venice, by the Adriatic sea, With whom they have attempted many times, But never could effect their stratagem.

THIRD JEW. And very wisely said; it may be so.

SECOND JEW. But there’s a meeting in the senate-house, And all the Jews in Malta must be there.

BARABAS. 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.]<28>

FIRST JEW. I know you will.—Well, brethren, let us go.

SECOND JEW. Let’s take our leaves.—Farewell, good Barabas.

BARABAS.<29> 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<30> 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:<31> Why, let ‘em enter, let ‘em take the town. [Exit.]<32>

Enter FERNEZE governor of Malta, KNIGHTS, and OFFICERS; met by CALYMATH, and BASSOES of the TURK.

FERNEZE. Now, bassoes,<33> what demand you at our hands?

FIRST BASSO. Know, knights of Malta, that we came from Rhodes, >From Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles That lie betwixt the Mediterranean seas.

FERNEZE. What’s Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles To us or Malta? what at our hands demand ye?

CALYMATH. The ten years’ tribute that remains unpaid.

FERNEZE. Alas, my lord, the sum is over-great! I hope your highness will consider us.

CALYMATH. I wish, grave governor,<34> ‘twere in my power To favour you; but ‘tis my father’s cause, Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally.

FERNEZE. Then give us leave, great Selim Calymath.

CALYMATH. Stand all aside,<35> and let the knights determine; And send to keep our galleys under sail, For happily<36> we shall not tarry here.— Now, governor, how are you resolv’d?

FERNEZE. 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 BASSO. That’s more than is in our commission.

CALYMATH. 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?

FERNEZE. But a month.

CALYMATH. 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.

FERNEZE. 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 OFFICER. They were, my lord; and here they come.

Enter BARABAS and three JEWS.

FIRST KNIGHT. Have you determin’d what to say to them?

FERNEZE. Yes; give me leave:—and, Hebrews, now come near. >From the Emperor of Turkey is arriv’d Great Selim Calymath, his highness’ son, To levy of us ten years’ tribute past: Now, then, here know that it concerneth us.

BARABAS. Then, good my lord, to keep your quiet still, Your lordship shall do well to let them have it.

FERNEZE. Soft, Barabas! there’s more ‘longs to’t than so. To what this ten years’ tribute will amount, That we have cast, but cannot compass it By reason of the wars, that robb’d our store; And therefore are we to request your aid.

BARABAS. Alas, my lord, we are no soldiers! And what’s our aid against so great a prince?

FIRST KNIGHT. Tut, Jew, we know thou art no soldier: Thou art a merchant and a money’d man, And ‘tis thy money, Barabas, we seek.

BARABAS. How, my lord! my money!

FERNEZE. Thine and the rest; For, to be short, amongst you’t must be had.

FIRST JEW. Alas, my lord, the most of us are poor!

FERNEZE. Then let the rich increase your portions.

BARABAS. Are strangers with your tribute to be tax’d?

SECOND KNIGHT. Have strangers leave with us to get their wealth? Then let them with us contribute.

BARABAS. How! equally?

FERNEZE. No, Jew, like infidels; For through our sufferance of your hateful lives, Who stand accursed in the sight of heaven, These taxes and afflictions are befall’n, And therefore thus we are determined.— Read there the articles of our decrees.

OFFICER.<37> [reads] FIRST, THE TRIBUTE-MONEY OF THE TURKS SHALL ALL BE LEVIED AMONGST THE JEWS, AND EACH OF THEM TO PAY ONE HALF OF HIS ESTATE.

BARABAS. How! half his estate!—I hope you mean not mine. [Aside.]

FERNEZE. Read on.

OFFICER. [reads] SECONDLY, HE THAT DENIES<38> TO PAY, SHALL STRAIGHT-BECOME A CHRISTIAN.

BARABAS. How! a Christian!—Hum,—what’s here to do? [Aside.]

OFFICER. [reads] LASTLY, HE THAT DENIES THIS, SHALL ABSOLUTELY LOSE ALL HE HAS.

THREE JEWS. O my lord, we will give half!

BARABAS. O earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews born! And will you basely thus submit yourselves To leave your goods to their arbitrement?

FERNEZE. Why, Barabas, wilt thou be christened?

BARABAS. No, governor, I will be no convertite.<39>

FERNEZE. Then pay thy half.

BARABAS. Why, know you what you did by this device? Half of my substance is a city’s wealth. Governor, it was not got so easily; Nor will I part so slightly therewithal.

FERNEZE. Sir, half is the penalty of our decree; Either pay that, or we will seize on all.

BARABAS. Corpo di Dio! stay: you shall have half; Let me be us’d but as my brethren are.

FERNEZE. No, Jew, thou hast denied the articles, And now it cannot be recall’d. [Exeunt OFFICERS, on a sign from FERNEZE]

BARABAS. Will you, then, steal my goods? Is theft the ground of your religion?

FERNEZE. No, Jew; we take particularly thine, To save the ruin of a multitude: And better one want for a common good, Than many perish for a private man: Yet, Barabas, we will not banish thee, But here in Malta, where thou gott’st thy wealth, Live still; and, if thou canst, get more.

BARABAS. Christians, what or how can I multiply? Of naught is nothing made.

FIRST KNIGHT. From naught at first thou cam’st to little wealth, >From little unto more, from more to most: If your first curse fall heavy on thy head, And make thee poor and scorn’d of all the world, ‘Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin.

BARABAS. What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs? Preach me not out of my possessions. Some Jews are wicked, as all Christians are: But say the tribe that I descended of Were all in general cast away for sin, Shall I be tried by their transgression? The man that dealeth righteously shall live; And which of you can charge me otherwise?

FERNEZE. Out, wretched Barabas! Sham’st thou not thus to justify thyself, As if we knew not thy profession? If thou rely upon thy righteousness, Be patient, and thy riches will increase. Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness; And covetousness, O, ‘tis a monstrous sin!

BARABAS. Ay, but theft is worse: tush! take not from me, then, For that is theft; and, if you rob me thus, I must be forc’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.

FERNEZE. It shall be so.

Re-enter OFFICERS.

Now, officers, have you done?

FIRST OFFICER. 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 seized half.

FERNEZE. Then we’ll take<40> order for the residue.

BARABAS. 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.

FERNEZE. No, Barabas; to stain our hands with blood Is far from us and our profession.

BARABAS. 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.

FERNEZE. Content thee, Barabas; thou hast naught but right.

BARABAS. Your extreme right does me exceeding wrong: But take it to you, i’the devil’s name!

FERNEZE. Come, let us in, and gather of these goods The money for this tribute of the Turk.

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 BARABAS and the three JEWS.]

BARABAS. 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, And extreme tortures of the fiery deep, That thus have dealt with me in my distress!

FIRST JEW. O, yet be patient, gentle Barabas!

BARABAS. O silly brethren, born to see this day, Why stand you thus unmov’d with my laments? Why weep you not to think upon my wrongs? Why pine not I, and die in this distress?

FIRST JEW. Why, Barabas, as hardly can we brook The cruel handling of ourselves in this: Thou seest they have taken half our goods.

BARABAS. Why did you yield to their extortion? You were a multitude, and I but one; And of me only have they taken all.

FIRST JEW. Yet, brother Barabas, remember Job.

BARABAS. What tell you me of Job? I wot his wealth Was written thus; he had seven thousand sheep, Three thousand camels, and two hundred yoke Of labouring oxen, and five hundred She-asses: but for every one of those, Had they been valu’d at indifferent rate, I had at home, and in mine argosy, And other ships that came from Egypt last, As much as would have bought his beasts and him, 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, And hide these extreme sorrows from mine eyes; For only I have toil’d to inherit here The months of vanity, and