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_ ACT II - SCENE II
[Enter FERNEZE, [60] MARTIN DEL BOSCO, KNIGHTS, and OFFICERS.]
[Footnote 60: Enter Ferneze, &c.: The scene is the interior of the Council-house.]
FERNEZE.
Now, captain, tell us whither thou art bound?
Whence is thy ship that anchors in our road?
And why thou cam'st ashore without our leave?
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
Governor of Malta, hither am I bound;
My ship, the Flying Dragon, is of Spain,
And so am I; Del Bosco is my name,
Vice-admiral unto the Catholic King.
FIRST KNIGHT.
'Tis true, my lord; therefore entreat [61] him well.
[Footnote 61: entreat: i.e. treat.]
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
Our fraught is Grecians, Turks, and Afric Moors;
For late upon the coast of Corsica,
Because we vail'd not [62] to the Turkish [63] fleet,
Their creeping galleys had us in the chase:
But suddenly the wind began to rise,
And then we luff'd and tack'd, [64] and fought at ease:
Some have we fir'd, and many have we sunk;
But one amongst the rest became our prize:
The captain's slain; the rest remain our slaves,
Of whom we would make sale in Malta here.
[Footnote 62: vail'd not: "i.e. did not strike or lower our flags." STEEVENS (apud Dodsley's O. P.).]
[Footnote 63: Turkish: Old ed. "Spanish."]
[Footnote 64: luff'd and tack'd: Old ed. "LEFT, and TOOKE."]
FERNEZE.
Martin del Bosco, I have heard of thee:
Welcome to Malta, and to all of us!
But to admit a sale of these thy Turks,
We may not, nay, we dare not give consent,
By reason of a tributary league.
FIRST KNIGHT.
Del Bosco, as thou lov'st and honour'st us,
Persuade our governor against the Turk:
This truce we have is but in hope of gold,
And with that sum he craves might we wage war.
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
Will knights of Malta be in league with Turks,
And buy it basely too for sums of gold?
My lord, remember that, to Europe's shame,
The Christian isle of Rhodes, from whence you came,
Was lately lost, and you were stated [65] here
To be at deadly enmity with Turks.
[Footnote 65: stated: i.e. estated, established, stationed.]
FERNEZE.
Captain, we know it; but our force is small.
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
What is the sum that Calymath requires?
FERNEZE.
A hundred thousand crowns.
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
My lord and king hath title to this isle,
And he means quickly to expel you hence;
Therefore be rul'd by me, and keep the gold:
I'll write unto his majesty for aid,
And not depart until I see you free.
FERNEZE.
On this condition shall thy Turks be sold.--
Go, officers, and set them straight in show.--
[Exeunt OFFICERS.]
Bosco, thou shalt be Malta's general;
We and our warlike knights will follow thee
Against these barbarous misbelieving Turks.
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
So shall you imitate those you succeed;
For, when their hideous force environ'd Rhodes,
Small though the number was that kept the town,
They fought it out, and not a man surviv'd
To bring the hapless news to Christendom.
FERNEZE.
So will we fight it out: come, let's away.
Proud daring Calymath, instead of gold,
We'll send thee bullets wrapt in smoke and fire:
Claim tribute where thou wilt, we are resolv'd,--
Honour is bought with blood, and not with gold.
[Exeunt.] _
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