The Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlowe (read along books .txt) 📕

because she lived so long,
An Hebrew born, and would become a Christian!
Cazzo, diabolo. Enter Friar Jacomo and Friar Barnadine. Ithamore

Look, look, master; here come two religious caterpillars.

Barabas

I smelt ’em ere they came.

Ithamore

God-a-mercy, nose! come, let’s begone.

Friar Barnadine

Stay, wicked Jew, repent, I say, and stay.

Friar Jacomo

Thou hast offended, therefore must be damned.

Barabas

I fear they know we sent the poisoned broth.

Ithamore

And so do I, master; therefore speak ’em fair.

Friar Barnadine

Barabas, thou hast⁠—

Friar Jacomo

Ay, that thou hast⁠—

Barabas

True, I have money, what though I have?

Friar Barnadine

Thou art a⁠—

Friar Jacomo

Ay, that thou art, a⁠—

Barabas

What needs all this? I know I am a Jew.

Friar Barnadine

Thy daughter⁠—

Friar Jacomo

Ay, thy daughter⁠—

Barabas

O speak not of her! then I die with grief.

Friar Barnadine

Remember that⁠—

Friar Jacomo

Ay, remember that⁠—

Barabas

I must needs say that I have been a great usurer.

Friar Barnadine

Thou hast committed⁠—

Barabas

Fornication⁠—but that was in another country;
And besides, the wench is dead.

Friar Barnadine

Ay, but, Barabas,
Remember Mathias and Don Lodowick.

Barabas

Why, what of them?

Friar Barnadine

I will not say that by a forged challenge they met.

Barabas

She has confessed, and we are both undone,
My bosom inmate! but I must dissemble.⁠—Aside.
O holy friars, the burden of my sins
Lie heavy on my soul; then pray you tell me,
Is’t not too late now to turn Christian?
I have been zealous in the Jewish faith,
Hard-hearted to the poor, a covetous wretch,
That would for lucre’s sake have sold my soul;
A hundred for a hundred I have ta’en;
And now for store of wealth may I compare
With all the Jews in Malta; but what is wealth?
I am a Jew, and therefore am I lost.
Would penance serve to atone for this my sin,
I could afford to whip myself to death⁠—

Ithamore

And so could I; but penance will not serve.

Barabas

To fast, to pray, and wear a shirt of hair,
And on my knees creep to Jerusalem.
Cellars of wine, and sollars63 full of wheat,
Warehouses stuffed 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 merchandise unsold:
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 baptized, and live therein.

Friar Jacomo

O good Barabas, come to our house.

Friar Barnadine

O no, good Barabas, come to our house;
And, Barabas, you know⁠—

Barabas

I know that I have highly sinned:
You shall convert me, you shall have all my wealth.

Friar Jacomo

O Barabas, their laws are strict.

Barabas

I know they are, and I will be with you.

Friar Barnadine

They wear no shirts, and they go barefoot too.

Barabas

Then ’tis not for me; and I am resolved
You shall confess me, and have all my goods. To Friar Barnadine.

Friar Jacomo

Good Barabas, come to me.

Barabas

You see I answer him, and yet he stays;
Rid him away, and go you home with me.

Friar Jacomo

I’ll be with you to-night.

Barabas

Come to my house at one o’clock this night.

Friar Jacomo

You hear your answer, and you may be gone.

Friar Barnadine

Why, go, get you away.

Friar Jacomo

I will not go for thee.

Friar Barnadine

Not! then I’ll make thee go.

Friar Jacomo

How! dost call me rogue?

They fight. Ithamore

Part ’em, master, part ’em.

Barabas

This is mere frailty: brethren, be content.
Friar Barnardine, go you with Ithamore:
You know my mind, let me alone with him. Aside to Friar Barnadine.

Friar Jacomo

Why does he go to thy house? let him be gone.

Barabas

I’ll give him something, and so stop his mouth.

Exit Ithamore with Friar Barnardine.

I never heard of any man but he
Maligned the order of the Jacobins:
But do you think that I believe his words?
Why, brother, you converted Abigail;
And I am bound in charity to requite it,
And so I will. O Jacomo, fail not, but come.

Friar Jacomo

But, Barabas, who shall be your godfathers?
For presently you shall be shrived.

Barabas

Marry, the Turk64 shall be one of my godfathers,
But not a word to any of your covent.65

Friar Jacomo

I warrant thee, Barabas.

Exit. Barabas

So, now the fear is past, and I am safe,
For he that shrived her is within my house;
What if I murdered him ere Jacomo comes?
Now I have such a plot for both their lives
As never Jew nor Christian knew the like:
One turned my daughter, therefore he shall die;
The other knows enough to have my life,
Therefore ’tis not requisite he should live.
But are not both these wise men to suppose
That I will leave my house, my goods, and all,
To fast and be well whipt? I’ll none of that.
Now, Friar Barnardine, I come to you,
I’ll feast you, lodge you, give you fair words,
And, after that, I and my trusty Turk⁠—
No more, but so: it must and shall be done.

Exit. Scene II Enter Barabas and Ithamore.66 Barabas

Ithamore, tell me, is the friar asleep?

Ithamore

Yes; and I know not what the reason is
Do what I can he will not strip himself,
Nor go to bed, but sleeps in his own clothes;
I fear me he mistrusts what we intend.

Barabas

No; ’tis an order which the friars use:
Yet, if he knew our meanings, could he ’scape?

Ithamore

No, none can hear him, cry he ne’er so loud.

Barabas

Why, true, therefore did I place him there:
The other chambers open towards the street.

Ithamore

You loiter, master; wherefore stay we thus?
O, how I long to see him shake his heels!

Barabas

Come