Itha. Faith, sir, my birth is but mean: my name's
Ithamore, my profession what you please.

Bar. Hast thou no trade? then listen to my words,
And I will teach thee that shall stick by thee:
First be thou void of these affections,

Compassion, love, vain hope, and heartless fear,
Be moved at nothing, see thou pity none,

But to thyself smile when the Christians moan.
Itha. O brave! master, I worship your nose1 for this.
Bar. As for myself, I walk abroad o' nights 2
And kill sick people groaning under walls:
Sometimes I go about and poison wells;
And now and then, to cherish Christian thieves,
I am content to lose some of my crowns,
That I may, walking in my gallery,
See 'em go pinioned along by my door.
Being young, I studied physic, and began
To practise first upon the Italian ;
There I enriched the priests with burials,
And always kept the sextons' arms in ure
With digging graves and ringing dead men's knells:
And after that was I an engineer,

3

And in the wars 'twixt France and Germany,
Under pretence of helping Charles the Fifth,
Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems.
Then after that was I an usurer,

And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting,
And tricks belonging unto brokery,

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1 Barabas was represented with a large false nose. So Rowley, in his Search for Money (1609), alludes to the "artificiall Jewe of Maltaes nose." 2 In Titus Andronicus (v, 1,) there is a similar catalogue of villanies. 3 Use.

I filled the jails with bankrupts in a year,
And with young orphans planted hospitals,
And every moon made some or other mad,
And now and then one hang himself for grief,
Pinning upon his breast a long great scroll
How I with interest tormented him.

But mark how I am blest for plaguing them;
I have as much coin as will buy the town.

But tell me now, how hast thou spent thy time?
Itha. 'Faith, master,

In setting Christian villages on fire,

Chaining of eunuchs, binding galley-slaves.
One time I was an ostler in an inn,

And in the night-time secretly would I steal

To travellers' chambers, and there cut their throats:
Once at Jerusalem, where the pilgrims kneeled,

I strewed powder on the marble stones,

And therewithal their knees would rankle so,
That I have laughed a-good1 to see the cripples
Go limping home to Christendom on stilts.

Bar. Why this is something: make account of me
As of thy fellow; we are villains both :

Both circumcisèd, we hate Christians both :
Be true and secret, thou shalt want no gold.
But stand aside, here comes Don Lodowick.

Enter LODOWICK.2

Lod. O Barbaras, well met;

Where is the diamond you told me of?

1 Heartily.

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220

2 Dyce suggests that the scene is shifted to the outside of Barabas's house.

Bar. I have it for you, sir; please you walk in with me: What ho, Abigail! open the door, I say.

Enter ABIGAIL with letters.

Abig. In good time, father; here are letters come

From Ormus, and the post stays here within.

Bar. Give me the letters.

Daughter, do you hear,

Entertain Lodowick the governor's son
With all the courtesy you can afford;
(Aside) Use him as if he were a Philistine,
Dissemble, swear, protest, vow love to him,
He is not of the seed of Abraham..

I am a little busy, sir, pray pardon me.
Abigail, bid him welcome for my sake.

230

Abig. For your sake and his own he's welcome hither. Bar. (aside). Daughter, a word more; kiss him; speak

him fair,

And like a cunning Jew so cast about,

1

That ye be both made sure 1 ere you come out.

Abig. O father! Don Mathias is my love.

Bar. (aside). I know it: yet I say, make love to him;

Do, it is requisite it should be so

Nay, on my life, it is my factor's hand

But go you in, I'll think upon the account.

240

[Exeunt ABIGAIL and LODOWICK into the house.

The account is made, for Lodowick he dies,

My factor sends me word a merchant's fled

That owes me for a hundred tun of wine :

I weigh it thus much (snapping his fingers); I have wealth

enough.

For now by this has he kissed Abigail;

1 Betrothed.

And she vows love to him, and he to her.

As sure as Heaven rained manna for the Jews,
So sure shall he and Don Mathias die :

His father was my chiefest enemy.

Enter MATHIAS.

Whither goes Don Mathias? stay awhile.

Math. Whither, but to my fair love Abigail?

250

Bar. Thou know'st, and Heaven can witness this is true, That I intend my daughter shall be thine.

Math. Ay, Barabas, or else thou wrong'st me much.

Bar. O, Heaven forbid I should have such a thought. Pardon me though I weep: the governor's son

Will, whether I will or no, have Abigail :

He sends her letters, bracelets, jewels, rings.

Math. Does she receive them?

Bar. She? No, Mathias, no, but sends them back,

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.
Math. O treacherous Lodowick !

Bar. Even now as I came home, he slipt me in,

And I am sure he is with Abigail.

If

Math. I'll rouse him thence.

260

Bar. Not for all Malta, therefore sheathe your sword; 270

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 Abigail.
Away, for here they come.

Re-enter LODOWICK and ABIGAIL.

Math. What, hand in hand! I cannot suffer this.
Bar. Mathias, as thou lovest me, not a word.
Math. Well, let it pass, another time shall serve.

[Exit into the house.

Lod. Barabas, is not that the widow's son?

Bar. Ay, and take heed, for he hath sworn your death. 280
Lod. My death? what, is the base-born peasant mad?
Bar. 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.

Lod. Why, loves she Don Mathias?

Bar. Doth she not with her smiling answer you?

Abig. (aside). He has my heart; I smile against my will.
Lod. Barabas, thou know'st I've loved thy daughter long.
Bar. And so has she done you, even from a child.
Lod. And now I can no longer hold my mind.
Bar. Nor I the affection that I bear to you.

Lod. This is thy diamond, tell me shall I have it?
Bar. Win it, and wear it, it is yet unsoiled.
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
With Christian posies2 round about the ring.

1

Lod. 'Tis not thy wealth, but her that I esteem. Yet crave I thy consent.

Bar. And mine you have, yet let me talk to her. (Aside) This offspring of Cain, this Jebusite,3

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1 A coin with a cross stamped on one side, like the Portuguese cruzado. 2 Mottoes.

8 The Jebusites were one of the seven Canaanitish nations which, according to the writers of the Old Testament, were doomed to destruction.