The Complete Plays (87 page)

26        
Of
: Because of.

petty wights
: Common people.

27        
Let… pitièd
: Proverbial. ‘It is better to be envied than pitied' (Tilley E177).

29        
Britainy
: This common Elizabethan variant spelling is metrically preferable to Q's
Britaine
.

33        grace: Honour, favour.

35        
favours
: (i) Resembles, (ii) takes my part, is on my side. Proverbially paired with ‘grace'.

ACT 1

Scene
1

0.1–0.2  
SD
It is likely that Barabas's counting-house occupies a discovery-space, concealed by a curtain which is drawn by Machevil as he leaves the stage.

1–3  
So that… satisfied
: Barabas takes great satisfaction in the huge profits from his most recent financial venture.

3          
summed and satisfied
: Tallied up and settled.

4          
Samnites
: Emended from Q's
Samintes
. Mentioning the Samnites (N), an ancient central Italian tribe, in the same line as the biblical ‘men of Uz' (N), emphasizes the extent of Barabas's commercial empire.

8          
Well fare
: May they fare well.

11        
Tell
: Count.

13    
Would make… coin
: Would think such a sum of money miraculous.

21–32  
The wealthy… captivity
: The delight in precious stones may be a traditional feature of the caricature stage Jew, as in the late-medieval Croxton
Play of the Sacrament
.

21        
eastern rocks
: The mountains of India, famed for their precious minerals.

29        
indifferently rated
: Impartially valued.

34–5  
frame… from
: Arrange in a way which is distinct from.

36–7  
enclose… little room
: Perhaps a parody of the traditional conception of Christ within the womb of the Virgin.

39        
peers
: Points.

halcyon's bill
: Stuffed halcyons (a species of kingfisher) were used as weathervanes.

49        
riding… road
: Riding at anchor in the roadstead.

52        
custom them
: Pay the customs duties.

57        
as I
: As if I.

62        
The very custom barely
: ‘Even the customs duties alone' (Bawcutt 1978).

68        
there's somewhat come
: ‘At least something has arrived safely' (Bawcutt 1978).

74        
Where Nilus… main
: Where the Nile flows into (contributes its waters to) the sea.

79        
crazèd
: (Here) unseaworthy.

80        
they are wise
: They think they know best.

82        
loading
: Bill of lading.

90–91  
they coasted… businesses
: They sailed by Crete (‘Candy') for oils and other goods.

93        
Without… conduct
: I.e. without an escort (which protected against pirates).

94        
wafted
: Escorted.

103–4  
the blessings… happiness
: An allusion to the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis 17:1–22). See also Exodus 6:1–8 and Galatians 3:16.

109      
substance
: Wealth (cargo).

successful blasts
: Propitious winds.

110      
happiness
: Good fortune.

114      
fruits… faith
: The fruits of faith are a New Testament commonplace, e.g. Matthew 7:16–20.

116      
profession
: Professed religion.

117      
Haply
: Perhaps.

hapless
: (i) Unfortunate, (ii) poor.

119  
scattered nation
: The diaspora was seen as a consequence of the curse in Deuteronomy 28:25.

120      
scambled up
: (i) Competed fiercely, (ii) sought money rapaciously.

122      
Kirriah Jairim
: The name of an Old Testament city (I Chronicles 2:50–53), here given to a person.

123      
Obed
: The name of the son of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17–22).

Bairseth
: An unclear reference; possibly a variation of Baaseiah (I Chronicles 6:40) (Bawcutt 1978).

Nones
: Probably alluding to Hector Nuñez (1521–91), the Portuguese physician, merchant and head of the Marrano (Jewish convert) community in London.

134      
charge
: Expenses.

138      
of policy
: As a matter of expediency.

146      
they
: I.e. the Maltese governors.

162      
With whom
: Against whom.

attempted
: Launched attacks.

169      
Provide him
: Prepare himself.

fashion
: Fashion's.

170      
state
: Condition.

174      
Zaareth… Temainte
: Possibly reminiscent of Zophar the Naamathite, and Eliphaz the Temanite, two of Job's comforters (Job 2:11).

187      
Ego… proximus
: I am always closest to myself (adapted from Terence,
Andria
4.1.12).

Scene
2

0.1   
SD
Governor
: Q's reading,
Governors
(also at lines 10,17, 27, 32 and 129), is most likely attributable to compositorial error, but may indicate that Marlowe did not originally give Ferneze the prominence he has later in the play.

0.2   
SD
BASHAWS
: Pashas, or Turkish army officers. The form
Basso[es]
is used interchangeably.

2          
Knights of Malta
: The Knights of St John of Jerusalem who were based in Malta from 1530 onward.

9          
consider
: Show consideration for.

11        
my father's cause
: I.e. the Sultan of Turkey's business.

13        
leave
: Permission (to talk privately amongst themselves).

15        
send
: Give orders.

22        
That's more… commission
: That is more than we are authorized to do.

23        
Callapine
: The Bashaw appears to share the name of Bajazeth's son in
Tamburlaine
Part Two.

25–6  '
tis more… constraint
: Proverbial. ‘It is better to obtain by love than force' (Tilley L487).

45        
there's more… so
: There's more to it than that.

47        
cast
: Calculated.

cannot compass it
: Cannot manage it.

64        
Who… heaven
: Christian anti-Semitism was based on the belief that the Jews had accepted responsibility for the death of Christ and in consequence were an accursed race (cf. Matthew 27:25).

91        
Corpo di Dio!
: Italian, body of God!

97–8  
particularly thine… multitude
: An echo of John 11:50: ‘it is expedient for us, that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not' (Geneva Bible).

105      
Of naught… made
: Proverbial (Tilley N285).

108      
your first curse
: See line 64n. above.

117      
The man… live
: Cf. Proverbs 10:2 and 12:28.

121      
profession
: (i) Barabas's Jewish faith, (ii) his commercial activities.

136      
other
: Other Jews.

137      
take order… residue
: Make arrangements about the rest.

152      
And therefore… wrong
: And so don't try to make fine distinctions between equally evil acts.

159      
if… day
: If we fail to pay the tribute on time.

160      
simple policy
: The strategy of a simpleton.

161      
policy
: Trickery (playing on the previous line).

162      
simplicity
: Honesty (picking up on ‘simple' in line 160).

163      
plagues of Egypt
: Cf. Exodus 7–12.

165      
Primus Motor
: Latin, Prime Mover, God.

182–6  
I wot… She-asses
: Cf. Job 1:3: ‘His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses' (Geneva Bible).

187      
indifferent rate
: Fair price.

193–6  
Thy fatal… eyes
: Cf. Job 3:1–10, ‘Afterward Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job cried out, and said, Let the day perish, wherein I was born, and the night when it was said, There is a man-child conceived. Let that day be darkness, let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it, but let darkness, and the shadow of death stain it, let the cloud remain upon it, and let them make it fearful as a bitter day… Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb: nor hid sorrow from mine eyes' (Geneva Bible).

197–9  
For only… me
: Cf. Job 7:3: ‘So have I had as an inheritance the months of vanity, and painful nights have been appointed unto me' (Geneva Bible).

208  '
Tis in… I speak
: Cf. Job, 7:11: ‘Therefore I will not spare my mouth, but will speak in the trouble of my spirit, and muse in the bitterness of my mind' (Geneva Bible).

216      
for
: Because.

220      
mould
: (i) Mould, (ii) earth, clay.

222      
A reaching thought
: I.e. one who has foresight.

223      
cast
: Forecast.

237–8  
things past recovery… exclamations
: Proverbial (Tilley C921).

239      
sufferance breeds ease
: Proverbial (Tilley S955).

240–41  
And time… turn
: ‘And time, which cannot help us in this sudden crisis, may give us an opportunity to do something later on' (Bawcutt 1978).

267      
put me… shifts
: Leave me to my own devices.

283      
precise
: Strict in religious observance.

285      
Entreat 'em fair
: Be civil to them.

289–90
As good… dissemble it
: It makes no difference whether you dissemble from the start or only later when you have lost your faith.

291–2  
A counterfeit… hypocrisy
: I.e. a Jew's false profession of Christianity is better than the secret hypocrisy of Christians. Barabas does not entertain the possibility that any religious faith could be sincere.

309      
waters
: Water supply; perhaps Barabas's house has ponds and fountains.

312      
you, happy virgins' guide
: Although the text does not specify, Abigail perhaps addresses the First Friar, who is guiding the nuns.

315      
The hopeless daughter… Jew
: Cf. Kyd,
The Spanish Tragedy
: ‘The hopeless father of a hapless son' (4.4.84).

324      
labouring
: Troubled, distraught.

325      
proceedeth… spirit
: Comes about through the agency of the Holy Ghost.

326      
moving spirit
: The friar puns on the previous line, implying that Abigail is sexually alluring.

333      
profit
: In both spiritual and economic senses.

336      
What mak'st thou
: What are you doing?

339      
mortified herself
: Become dead to worldly values.

347   ,353  
markèd thus
: The obelus (†) printed in Q after ‘thus' indicates that Barabas ironically makes a gesture resembling the sign of the cross.

Scene
3

9          
in a dump
: Despondent, depressed.

16        
metamorphized nun
: Turned into a nun.

21        
countermured
: Fortified with a double wall. The emendation of Q's
countermin'd
is supported by the ‘walls of brass'. Cf. 5.3.8n.

27        
or it shall go hard
: Unless really bad luck prevents me.

ACT 2

Scene
1

0.1   
SD
with a light
: Indicating a nocturnal scene.

1          
presaging raven
: Ravens were believed to be omens of death.