Enter [FERNEZE the] Governor, KNIGHTS, MARTIN DEL
BOSCO [and OFFICERS].
FERNEZE
Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms,
And see that Malta be well fortified.
And it behoves you to be resolute,
For Calymath, having hovered here so long,
Will win the town or die before the walls.
FIRST KNIGHT
And die he shall, for we will never yield.
Enter [BELLAMIRA the] Courtesan [and] PILIA-BORZA.
BELLAMIRA
O, bring us to the governor.
FERNEZE
Away with her! She is a courtesan.
BELLAMIRA
Whate’er I am, yet, governor, hear me speak.
I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain:
10 Mathias did it not, it was the Jew.
PILIA-BORZA Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen, poisoned his own daughter and the nuns, strangled a friar, and I know not what mischief beside.
FERNEZE
Had we but proof of this!
BELLAMIRA
Strong proof, my lord. His man’s now at my lodging
That was his agent; he’ll confess it all.
FERNEZE
Go fetch him straight.
[Exeunt OFFICERS.]
I always feared that Jew.
Enter BARABAS [and] ITHAMORE [guarded by some OFFICERS].
BARABAS
I’ll go alone, dogs, do not hale me thus.
20 ITHAMORE Nor me neither. I cannot out-run you, constable. O, my belly!
BARABAS [aside]
One dram of powder more had made all sure.
What a damned slave was I!
FERNEZE
Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetched.
FIRST KNIGHT
Nay, stay, my lord, ’t may be he will confess.
BARABAS
Confess? What mean you, lords, who should confess?
FERNEZE
Thou and thy Turk: ’twas you that slew my son.
ITHAMORE Guilty, my lord, I confess. Your son and Mathias
were both contracted unto Abigall; he forged a counterfeit
30 challenge.
BARABAS Who carried that challenge?
ITHAMORE I carried it, I confess, but who writ it? Marry, even he that strangled Barnardine, poisoned the nuns, and his own daughter.
FERNEZE
Away with him! His sight is death to me.
BARABAS
For what? You men of Malta, hear me speak.
She is a courtesan, and he a thief,
And he my bondman. Let me have law,
For none of this can prejudice my life.
FERNEZE
40 Once more, away with him! You shall have law.
BARABAS
Devils, do your worst, I’ll live in spite of you.
As these have spoke, so be it to their souls.
[Aside] I hope the poisoned flowers will work anon.
Exeunt [OFFICERS with BARABAS, ITHAMORE,
BELLAMIRA and PILIA-BORZA]. Enter KATHERINE.
KATHERINE
Was my Mathias murdered by the Jew?
Ferneze, ’twas thy son that murdered him.
FERNEZE
Be patient, gentle madam, it was he.
He forged the daring challenge made them fight.
KATHERINE
Where is the Jew? Where is that murderer?
FERNEZE
In prison, till the law has passed on him.
Enter [an] OFFICER.
OFFICER
My lord, the courtesan and her man are dead;
50 So is the Turk, and Barabas the Jew.
FERNEZE Dead?
OFFICER
Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body.
[Enter OFFICERS, carrying BARABAS as dead.]
DEL BOSCO
This sudden death of his is very strange.
FERNEZE
Wonder not at it, sir, the heavens are just.
Their deaths were like their lives, then think not of ’em.
Since they are dead, let them be buried.
For the Jew’s body, throw that o’er the walls,
To be a prey for vultures and wild beasts.
[OFFICERS throw down the body.]
60 So, now away, and fortify the town.
Exeunt [; BARABAS remains].
BARABAS [rising]
What, all alone? Well fare, sleepy drink!
I’ll be revenged on this accursed town,
For by my means Calymath shall enter in.
I’ll help to slay their children and their wives,
To fire the churches, pull their houses down,
Take my goods too, and seize upon my lands.
I hope to see the governor a slave,
And, rowing in a galley, whipped to death.
Enter CALYMATH, BASHAWS, [and] TURKS.
CALYMATH
Whom have we there, a spy?
BARABAS
70 Yes, my good lord, one that can spy a place
Where you may enter and surprise the town.
My name is Barabas, I am a Jew.
CALYMATH
Art thou that Jew whose goods we heard were sold
For tribute-money?
BARABAS The very same, my lord;
And since that time they have hired a slave, my man,
To accuse me of a thousand villainies.
I was imprisoned, but escaped their hands.
CALYMATH
Didst break prison?
BARABAS
No, no,
80 I drank of poppy and cold mandrake juice,
And, being asleep, belike they thought me dead,
And threw me o’er the walls. So, or how else,
The Jew is here, and rests at your command.
CALYMATH
’Twas bravely done. But tell me, Barabas,
Canst thou, as thou reportest, make Malta ours?
BARABAS
Fear not, my lord, for here against the sluice
The rock is hollow and of purpose digged
To make a passage for the running streams
And common channels of the city.
90 Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls,
I’ll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault,
And rise with them i’th’middle of the town,
Open the gates for you to enter in,
And by this means the city is your own.
CALYMATH
If this be true, I’ll make thee governor.
BARABAS
And if it be not true, then let me die.
CALYMATH
Thou’st doomed thyself. Assault it presently.
Exeunt.
Alarms. Enter [CALYMATH,] TURKS, [and] BARABAS,
[with] FERNEZE and KNIGHTS prisoners.
CALYMATH
Now vail your pride, you captive Christians,
And kneel for mercy to your conquering foe.
Now where’s the hope you had of haughty Spain?
Ferneze, speak. Had it not been much better
To keep thy promise than be thus surprised?
FERNEZE
What should I say? We are captives and must yield.
CALYMATH
Ay, villains, you must yield, and under Turkish yokes
Shall groaning bear the burden of our ire.
And, Barabas, as erst we promised thee,
For thy desert we make thee governor.
10 Use them at thy discretion.
BARABAS Thanks, my lord.
FERNEZE
O, fatal day, to fall into the hands
Of such a traitor and unhallowed Jew!
What greater misery could heaven inflict?
’Tis our command; and Barabas, we give,
To guard thy person, these our janizaries;
Entreat them well, as we have usèd thee.
And now, brave bashaws, come, we’ll walk about
The ruined town and see the wrack we made.
20 Farewell, brave Jew, farewell, great Barabas.
BARABAS
May all good fortune follow Calymath!
Exeunt [CALYMATH and BASHAWS].
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 revenged on thee!
BARABAS
Away, no more! Let him not trouble me.
Exeunt [TURKS with FERNEZE and KNIGHTS].
Thus hast thou gotten, by thy policy,
No simple place, no small authority.
I now am governor of Malta. True,
30 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 thy life shall be at their command?
No, Barabas, this must be looked into;
And since by wrong thou got’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,
40 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, there!
Enter FERNEZE, with a GUARD [of TURKISH JANIZARIES].
FERNEZE My lord?
BARABAS [aside]
Ay, ‘lord’; thus slaves will learn.
[To him] Now, governor.
[To the GUARD] Stand by, there.
50
Wait within.
[Exit GUARD.]
This is the reason that I sent for thee:
Thou seest thy life and Malta’s happiness
Are at my arbitrament, 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 wrack,
Nor hope of thee but extreme cruelty,
Nor fear I death, nor will I flatter thee.
60 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, 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,
70 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?
What wilt thou give me, governor, to procure
A dissolution of the slavish bands
Wherein the Turk hath yoked your land and you?
What will you give me if I render you
80 The life of Calymath, surprise his men,
And in an outhouse of the city shut
His soldiers till I have consumed ’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
90 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 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,
100 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 viewed 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.
Do so, but fail not. Now farewell, Ferneze.
[Exit FERNEZE.]
And thus far roundly goes the business.
110 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 used 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.
120 My policy detests prevention.
To what event my secret purpose drives,
I know, and they shall witness with their lives.
Exit.
Enter CALYMATH [and] BASHAWS.
CALYMATH
Thus have we viewed the city, seen the sack,
And caused the ruins to be new repaired,
Which with our bombards’ shot and basilisks
We rent in sunder at our entry.
And, now I see the situation,
And how secure this conquered island stands
Environed with the Mediterranean Sea,
Strong countermured with other petty isles,
And, toward Calabria, backed by Sicily
(Where Syracusian Dionysius reigned),
10 Two lofty turrets that command the town –
I wonder how it could be conquered thus.
Enter a 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
20 To banquet with him in his citadel?
I fear me, messenger, to feast my train
Within a town of war so lately pillaged
Will be too costly and too troublesome.
Yet would I gladly visit Barabas,
For well has Barabas deserved of us.
MESSENGER
Selim, for that, thus saith the governor:
That he hath in store a pearl so big,
So precious, and withal so orient,
As, be it valued but indifferently,
30 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 outhouse to the town.
There will he banquet them, but thee at home,
With all thy bashaws and brave followers.
CALYMATH
40 Well, tell the governor we grant his suit.
We’ll in this summer evening feast with him.
MESSENGER I shall, my lord.
Exit [MESSENGER].
And now, bold bashaws, let us to our tents,
And meditate how we may grace us best
To solemnize our governor’s great feast.
Exeunt.
Enter FERNEZE, KNIGHTS, [and MARTIN] DEL BOSCO.
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, kindled thus;
Then issue out and come to rescue me,
For happily I shall be in distress,
Or you releasèd of this servitude.
FIRST KNIGHT
Rather than thus to live as Turkish thralls,
What will we not adventure?
FERNEZE
On then, begone.
10 FIRST KNIGHT Farewell, grave governor.
[Exeunt.]
Enter [BARABAS] with a hammer above, very busy, [and CARPENTERS].
BARABAS
How stand the cords? How hang these hinges, fast?
Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?
CARPENTER All fast.
Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.
Why, now I see that you have art indeed.
[He gives money.]
There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you.
Go swill in bowls of sack and muscadine;
Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.
CARPENTER
We shall, my lord, and thank you.
Exeunt [CARPENTERS].
BARABAS
And if you like them, drink your fill and die;
10 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.
[Exit MESSENGER.]
BARABAS
Then now are all things as my wish would have ’em.
There wanteth nothing but the governor’s pelf –
Enter FERNEZE [to BARABAS, with a bag of money],
And see, he brings it. Now, governor, the sum?
FERNEZE
20 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,
30 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.
[He gives FERNEZE a knife.]
Here, hold that knife, and when thou seest he comes,
And with his bashaws shall be blithely set,
A warning-piece shall be shot off from the tower
To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord
40 And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave?
FERNEZE
O, excellent! [He offers the bag of money.]
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 anything.
Stand close, for here they come. [FERNEZE hides himself.]
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.
50 Enter CALYMATH and BASHAWS.
CALYMATH
Come, my companion bashaws, 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 [aside]
How the slave jeers at him!
Will’t please thee, mighty Selim Calymath,
To ascend our homely stairs?
CALYMATH Ay, Barabas.
Come, bashaws, attend.
FERNEZE [coming forward]
Stay, Calymath!
60 For I will show thee greater courtesy
Than Barabas would have afforded thee.
FIRST KNIGHT [within]
Sound a charge there!
A charge [sounded], the cable cut, a cauldron discovered
[into which BARABAS falls].
[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! Bashaws, 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!
70 Governor, why stand you all so pitiless?
FERNEZE
Should I, in pity of thy plaints or thee,
Accursèd 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 fate,
And in the fury of thy torments strive
To end thy life with resolution.
Know, governor, ’twas I that slew thy son;
80 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 Christians, 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!
[He dies.]
CALYMATH
Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?
FERNEZE
This train he laid to have entrapped thy life.
90 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.
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
100 Without fresh men to rig and furnish them.
CALYMATH
Tush, governor, take thou no care for that.
My men are all aboard,
And do attend my coming there by this.
FERNEZE
Why, heard’st thou not the trumpet sound a charge?
CALYMATH
Yes, what of that?
FERNEZE Why, then the house was fired,
Blown up, and all thy soldiers massacred.
CALYMATH
O, monstrous treason!
FERNEZE A Jew’s courtesy;
For he that did by treason work our fall,
By treason hath delivered thee to us.
110 Know, therefore, till thy father hath made good
The ruins done to Malta and to us,
Thou canst not part; for Malta shall be freed,
Or Selim ne’er return to Ottoman.
CALYMATH
Nay, rather, Christians, let me go to Turkey,
In person there to meditate your peace.
To keep me here will naught advantage you.
FERNEZE
Content thee, Calymath, here thou must stay,
And live in Malta prisoner; for, come all the world
To rescue thee, so will we guard us now,
120 As sooner shall they drink the ocean dry
Than conquer Malta or endanger us.
So, march away, and let due praise be given
Neither to fate nor fortune, but to heaven.
[Exeunt.]