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_ ACT III - SCENE V
[Enter FERNEZE, [116] MARTIN DEL BOSCO, KNIGHTS, and BASSO.]
[Footnote 116: Enter FERNEZE, &c.: The scene is the interior of the
Council-house.]
FERNEZE.
Welcome, great basso: [117] how fares Calymath?
What wind drives you thus into Malta-road?
[Footnote 117: basso: Old ed. "Bashaws" (the printer having added an S by mistake), and in the preceding stage-direction, and in the fifth speech of this scene, "Bashaw": but in an earlier scene (see p. 148, first col.) we have "bassoes" (and see our author's TAMBURLAINE, PASSIM).
(From p. 148, this play:
"Enter FERNEZE governor of Malta, KNIGHTS, and OFFICERS;
met by CALYMATH, and BASSOES of the TURK.")]
BASSO.
The wind that bloweth all the world besides,
Desire of gold.
FERNEZE.
Desire of gold, great sir!
That's to be gotten in the Western Inde:
In Malta are no golden minerals.
BASSO.
To you of Malta thus saith Calymath:
The time you took for respite is at hand
For the performance of your promise pass'd;
And for the tribute-money I am sent.
FERNEZE.
Basso, in brief, shalt have no tribute here,
Nor shall the heathens live upon our spoil:
First will we raze the city-walls ourselves,
Lay waste the island, hew the temples down,
And, shipping off our goods to Sicily,
Open an entrance for the wasteful sea,
Whose billows, beating the resistless banks, [118]
Shall overflow it with their refluence.
[Footnote 118: the resistless banks: i.e. the banks not able to resist.]
BASSO.
Well, governor, since thou hast broke the league
By flat denial of the promis'd tribute,
Talk not of razing down your city-walls;
You shall not need trouble yourselves so far,
For Selim Calymath shall come himself,
And with brass bullets batter down your towers,
And turn proud Malta to a wilderness,
For these intolerable wrongs of yours:
And so, farewell.
FERNEZE.
Farewell.
[Exit BASSO. ]
And now, you men of Malta, look about,
And let's provide to welcome Calymath:
Close your port-cullis, charge your basilisks, [119]
And, as you profitably take up arms,
So now courageously encounter them,
For by this answer broken is the league,
And naught is to be look'd for now but wars,
And naught to us more welcome is than wars.
[Footnote 119: basilisks: See note ||, p. 25.
(note ||, p. 25, The First Part of Tamburlaine the Great:)
"basilisks: Pieces of ordnance so called. They were of immense size; see Douce's ILLUST. OF SHAKESPEARE, i. 425."]
[Exeunt.] _
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