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

epub:type="z3998:persona">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 outhouse 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. Scene V Enter Ferneze, Knights and Martin del Bosco.101 Ferneze

In this, my countrymen, be ruled by me,
Have special care that no man sally forth
Till you shall hear a culverin discharged
By him that bears the linstock,102 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,103
What will we not adventure?

Ferneze

On, then, begone.

Knights

Farewell, grave governor!

Exeunt on one side Knights and Martin del Bosco; on the other Ferneze. Scene VI Enter, above, Barabas, with a hammer, very busy; and Carpenters.104 Barabas

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

First Carpenter

All fast.

Barabas

Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.
Why now I see that you have art indeed.
There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you: Give 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,
Entered the monastery, and underneath
In several places are field-pieces pitched,
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, Throws down a knife. and when thou seest he comes,
And with his bassoes shall be blithely set,
A warning-piece shall be shot off 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 promised thee.

Barabas

No, governor; I’ll satisfy thee first,
Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing.
Stand close, for here they come.

Firenze 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
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.

Ferneze

Coming forward. Stay, Calymath!
For I will show 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 cauldron placed in a pit. Enter Martin del Bosco and Knights. Calymath

How now! what means this?

Barabas

Help, help me! Christians, help!

Ferneze

See, Calymath! this was devised 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 behaved 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 hate,
And in the fury of thy torments strive
To end thy life with resolution.
Know, governor, ’twas I that slew thy son;
I framed the challenge that did make them meet:
Know, Calymath, I aimed thy overthrow,
And had I but escaped this stratagem,
I would have brought confusion on you all,
Damned Christian 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 he laid to have entrapped thy life;
Now, Selim, note the unhallowed deeds of Jews:
Thus he determined to have handled thee,
But I have rather chose to save thy life.

Calymath

Was this the banquet he prepared for us?
Let’s hence, lest further mischief be pretended.105

Ferneze

Nay, Selim, stay; for, since we have thee here,
We will not let thee part so suddenly:
Besides, if we should let thee go, all’s one,
For with thy galleys couldst thou not get hence,
Without fresh men to rig and furnish them.

Calymath