The Complete Plays (41 page)

And when he comes she locks herself up fast;

Yet through the keyhole will he talk to her,

While she runs to the window, looking out

When you should come and hale him from the door.

MATHIAS

O, treacherous Lodowick!

BARABAS

270   Even now, as I came home, he slipped me in,

And I am sure he is with Abigall.

MATHIAS
[
drawing his sword
]

I'll
rouse
him thence.

BARABAS

Not for all Malta; therefore sheathe your sword.

If you love me, no quarrels in my house.

But steal you in, and seem to see him not.

I'll give him such a warning ere he goes

As he shall have small hopes of Abigall.

Away, for here they come.

Enter
LODOWICK
[
with
]
ABIGALL.

MATHIAS

What, hand in hand? I cannot suffer this.

BARABAS

280   Mathias, as thou lov'st me, not a word.

MATHIAS

Well, let it pass. Another time shall serve.

Exit
[MATHIAS].

LODOWICK

Barabas, is not that the widow's son?

BARABAS

Ay, and take heed, for he hath sworn your death.

LODOWICK

My death? What, is the base-born peasant mad?

BARABAS

No, no, but happily he stands in fear

Of that which you, I think, ne'er dream upon:

My daughter here, a paltry, silly girl.

LODOWICK

Why, loves she Don Mathias?

BARABAS

Doth she not with her smiling answer you?

ABIGALL
[
aside
]

290   He has my heart, I smile against my will.

LODOWICK

Barabas, thou know'st I have loved thy daughter long.

BARABAS

And so has she done you, even from a child.

LODOWICK

And now I can no longer
hold my mind
.

BARABAS

Nor I the affection that I bear to you.

LODOWICK

This is thy diamond. Tell me, shall I have it?

BARABAS

Win it and wear it. It is yet unfoiled.

O, but I know your lordship would disdain

To marry with the daughter of a Jew;

And yet I'll give her many a
golden cross
,

300   With
Christian posies
round about the ring.

LODOWICK

'Tis not thy wealth, but her that I esteem,

Yet crave I thy consent.

BARABAS

And mine you have; yet let me talk to her.

(Aside [
to
ABIGALL].)

This
offspring of Cain
, this
Jebusite
,

That never tasted of the
Passover
,

Nor e'er shall see the land of
Canaan
,

Nor our
Messias
that is yet to come,

This
gentle
maggot – Lodowick, I mean –

Must be deluded. Let him have thy hand,

310   But keep thy heart till Don Mathias comes.

ABIGALL

What, shall I be betrothed to Lodowick?

BARABAS

It is no sin to deceive a Christian,

For they themselves hold it a principle,

Faith is not to be held with heretics.

But all are heretics that are not Jews;

This follows well, and therefore, daughter, fear not.

[
To
LODOWICK]
I have entreated her, and she will grant.

LODOWICK

Then, gentle Abigall, plight thy faith to me.

ABIGALL
[
aside
]

I cannot choose, seeing my father bids.

320   [
Aloud
] Nothing but death shall part my love and me.

LODOWICK

Now have I that for which my soul hath longed.

BARABAS
(
aside
)

So have not I, but yet I hope I shall.

ABIGALL
[
aside
]

O wretched Abigall, what hast thou done?

LODOWICK

Why on the sudden is your colour changed?

ABIGALL

I know not; but farewell, I must be gone.

BARABAS
[
to
ITHAMORE]

Stay her, but let her not speak one word more.

LODOWICK

Mute o' the sudden? Here's a sudden change.

BARABAS

O, muse not at it, 'tis the Hebrews' guise

That maidens new-betrothed should weep a while.

330   Trouble her not, sweet Lodowick, depart.

She is thy wife, and thou shalt be mine heir.

LODOWICK

O, is't the custom? Then I am resolved.

But rather let the brightsome heavens be dim,

And nature's beauty choke with stifling clouds,

Than my fair Abigall should frown on me.

Eraier
MATHiAS.

There comes the villain. Now I'll be revenged.

BARABAS

Be quiet, Lodowick. It is enough

That I have
made thee sure to
Abigall.

LODOWICK
Well, let him go.

Exit
[LODOWICK].

BARABAS
[
to
MATHIAS]

340   Well, but for me, as you went in at doors

You had been stabbed; but not a word on't now.

Here must no speeches pass, nor swords be drawn.

MATHIAS

Suffer me, Barabas, but to follow him.

BARABAS

No. So shall I, if any hurt be done,

Be made an accessory of your deeds.

Revenge it on him when you meet him next.

MATHIAS

For this I'll have his heart.

BARABAS

Do so. Lo, here I give thee Abigall.

[BARABAS
brings them together
.]

MATHIAS

What greater gift can poor Mathias have?

350   Shall Lodowick rob me of so fair a love?

My life is not so dear as Abigall.

BARABAS

My heart misgives me, that, to cross your love,

He's with your mother, therefore after him.

MATHIAS

What, is he gone unto my mother?

BARABAS

Nay, if you will, stay till she comes herself.

MATHIAS

I cannot stay, for if my mother come,

She'll die with grief.

Exit
[MATHIAS].

ABIGALL

I cannot take my leave of him for tears.

Father, why have you thus incensed them both?

BARABAS

What's that to thee?

ABIGALL
       I'll make 'em friends again.

360   

BARABAS

You'll make 'em friends?

Are there not Jews enow in Malta

But thou must dote upon a Christian?

ABIGALL

I will have Don Mathias, he is my love.

BARABAS

Yes, you shall have him. [
To
ITHAMORE] GO
put her in
.

ITHAMORE
Ay, I'll put her in.

[
He forces
ABIGALL
into the house
.]

BARABAS

Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this?

ITHAMORE

Faith, master, I think by this

You purchase both their lives. Is it not so?

BARABAS

370   True; and it shall be cunningly performed.

ITHAMORE

O, master, that I might have a hand in this!

BARABAS

Ay, so thou shalt, 'tis thou must do the deed.

[
Giving a letter
]

Take this and bear it to Mathias straight,

And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.

ITHAMORE
'Tis poisoned, is it not?

BARABAS

No, no, and yet it might be done that way.

It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick.

ITHAMORE

Fear not; I'll so set his heart afire

That he shall verily think it comes from him.

BARABAS

380   I cannot choose but like thy readiness.

Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.

ITHAMORE

As I behave myself in this, employ me hereafter.

BARABAS

Away, then.

Exit
[ITHAMORE].

So, now will I go in to Lodowick,

And like a cunning
spirit
feign some lie,

Till I have set 'em both at enmity.

Exit.

Enter
[
BELLAMIRA
,]
a Courtesan.

BELLAMIRA

Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold.

The time has been that but for one bare night

A hundred
ducats
have been freely given;

But now against my will I must be chaste.

And yet I know my beauty doth not fail.

From Venice merchants, and from Padua

Were wont to come rare-witted gentlemen,

Scholars, I mean, learnèd and
liberal;

And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none,

10   And he is very seldom from my house.

And here he comes.

Enter
PILIA-BORZA
.

PILIA-BORZA
Hold thee, wench, there's something for thee to spend.

[
He gives her money from a bag
.]

BELLAMIRA

'Tis silver; I disdain it.

PILIA-BORZA

Ay, but the Jew has gold,

And I will have it, or it shall
go hard
.

BELLAMIRA

Tell me, how cam'st thou by this?

PILIA-BORZA
Faith, walking the back lanes through the gardens I chanced to cast mine eye up to the Jew's counting-house,

20   

where I saw some bags of money, and in the night I clambered
up with my
hooks
, and as I was taking my choice, I heard a
rumbling in the house; so I took only this and run my way.
But here's the Jew's man.

Enter
ITHAMORE.

BELLAMIRA
Hide the bag.

PILIA-BORZA
Look not towards him, let's away. Zounds, what a looking thou keep'st! Thou'lt betray's anon.

[
Exeunt
BELLAMIRA
and
PILIA-BORZA.]

ITHAMORE
O, the sweetest face that ever I beheld! I know she is a courtesan
by her attire
. Now would I give a hundred of the Jew's crowns that I had such a concubine.

30    Well, I have delivered the challenge in such sort,

As meet they will, and fighting die. Brave sport!

Exit.

Enter
MATHIAS.

MATHIAS

This is the place. Now Abigall shall see

Whether Mathias holds her dear or no.

Enter
LODOWICK,
reading
.

LODOWICK

What, dares the villain write in such base terms?

MATHIAS
[
to
LODOWICK
]

I did it, and revenge it if thou dar'st.

[
They
]
fight. Enter
BARABAS
above.

BARABAS

O, bravely fought! And yet they thrust not
home
.

Now, Lodowick! Now, Mathias! So.

[
Both fall dead
.]

So, now they have showed themselves to be
tall
fellows.

VOICES WITHIN
Part 'em, part 'em!

BARABAS

Ay, part 'em now they are dead. Farewell, farewell.

Exit
[BARABAS].

Enter
FERNEZE, KATHERINE
[
and
ATTENDANTS].

FERNEZE

10   What sight is this? My Lodowick slain!

These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre.

KATHERINE

Who is this? My son Mathias slain!

FERNEZE

O Lodowick, hadst thou perished by the Turk,

Wretched Ferneze might have venged thy death.

KATHERINE

Thy son slew mine, and I'll revenge his death.

FERNEZE

Look, Katherine, look, thy son gave mine these wounds.

KATHERINEY

O, leave to grieve me! I am grieved enough.

FERNEZE

O, that my sighs could turn to
lively
breath,

And these my tears to blood, that he might live!

KATHERINE

20   Who made them enemies?

FERNEZE

I know not, and that grieves me most of all.

KATHERINE

My son loved thine.

FERNEZE
                     And so did Lodowick him.

KATHERINE

Lend me that weapon that did kill my son,

And it shall murder me.