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_ ACT V - SCENE VI
[Enter, above, [200] BARABAS, with a hammer, very busy; and CARPENTERS.]
[Footnote 200: Enter, above, &c.: Scene, a hall in the Citadel, with a gallery.]
BARABAS.
How stand the cords? how hang these hinges? fast?
Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?
FIRST CARPENTER. [201]
All fast.
[Footnote 201: FIRST CARPENTER: Old ed. here "Serv."; but it gives "CARP." as the prefix to the second speech after this.]
BARABAS.
Leave nothing loose, all levell'd to my mind.
Why, now I see that you have art, indeed:
There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you;
[Giving 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,
Enter'd the monastery, and underneath
In several places are field-pieces pitch'd,
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; and, when thou seest he comes,
[Throws down a knife.]
And with his bassoes shall be blithely set,
A warning-piece shall be shot off [202] from the tower,
To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord,
And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave?
[Footnote 202: off: An interpolation perhaps.]
FERNEZE.
O, excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas;
I trust thy word; take what I promis'd thee.
BARABAS.
No, governor; I'll satisfy thee first;
Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing.
Stand close, for here they come.
[FERNEZE 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 [203]
If greater falsehood ever has been done?
[Enter CALYMATH and BASSOES.]
[Footnote 203: sun: Old ed. "summe."]
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. [204]
[Footnote 204: ascend: Old ed. "attend."]
FERNEZE.
[coming forward]
Stay, Calymath;
For I will shew 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 caldron placed in a pit.
[Enter KNIGHTS and MARTIN DEL BOSCO.] [205]
[Footnote 205: A charge sounded within: FERNEZE cuts the cord; the floor of the gallery gives way, and BARABAS falls into a caldron placed in a pit.
Enter KNIGHTS and MARTIN DEL BOSCO
Old ed. has merely "A charge, the cable cut, A Caldron discouered."]
CALYMATH.
How now! what means this?
BARABAS.
Help, help me, Christians, help!
FERNEZE.
See, Calymath! this was devis'd 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 behav'd 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,--
I fram'd the challenge that did make them meet:
Know, Calymath, I aim'd thy overthrow:
And, had I but escap'd this stratagem,
I would have brought confusion on you all,
Damn'd Christian [206] 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.]
[Footnote 206: Christian: Old ed. "Christians."]
CALYMATH.
Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?
FERNEZE.
This train [207] he laid to have entrapp'd thy life;
Now, Selim, note the unhallow'd deeds of Jews;
Thus he determin'd to have handled thee,
But I have rather chose to save thy life.
[Footnote 207: train: i.e. stratagem.]
CALYMATH.
Was this the banquet he prepar'd for us?
Let's hence, lest further mischief be pretended. [208]
[Footnote 208: pretended: i.e. intended.]
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.
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 fir'd,
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 deliver'd thee to us:
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 mediate [209] your peace:
To keep me here will naught advantage you.
[Footnote 209: mediate: Old ed. "meditate."]
FERNEZE.
Content thee, Calymath, here thou must stay,
And live in Malta prisoner; for come all [210] the world
To rescue thee, so will we guard us now,
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.]
[Footnote 210: all: Old ed. "call."]
[THE END]
Christopher Marlowe's Play: Jew of Malta
_
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