That never tasted of the Passover, This follows well, and therefore, daughter, fear not. 310 321 Lod. Then, gentle Abigail, plight thy faith to me. Lod. O, is't the custom? then I am resolved: 330 Re-enter MATHIAS. Bar. Be quiet, Lodowick, it is enough That I have made thee sure to Abigail. Lod. Well, let him go. [Exit. Bar. Well, but for me, as you went in at doors You had been stabbed, but not a word on't now; Math. For this I'll have his heart. Bar. Do so; lo here I give thee Abigail. Math. What greater gift can poor Mathias have? Shall Lodowick rob me of so fair a love? My life is not so dear as Abigail. Bar. My heart misgives me, that, to cross your love, He's with your mother; therefore after him. Math. What, is he gone unto my mother? Bar. Nay, if you will, stay till she comes herself. She'll die with grief. Abig. I cannot take my leave of him for tears: Abig. I'll make 'em friends again. Abig. I will have Don Mathias, he is my love. 340 350 [Exit. 360 Itha. Ay, I'll put her in. [Puts ABIGAIL in. Bar. Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this? You purchase both their lives; is it not so? Bar. True; and it shall be cunningly performed. Itha. O master, that I might have a hand in this. Bar. Ay, so thou shalt, 'tis thou must do the deed: Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight, And tell him that it comes from Lodowick. Itha. 'Tis poisoned, is it not? 370 [Gives a letter. Bar. No, no, and yet it might be done that way: It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick. Itha. Fear not; I will so set his heart afire, That he shall verily think it comes from him. Bar. I cannot choose but like thy readiness: Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly. Itha. As I behave myself in this, employ me hereafter. 380 Bar. Away then. 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 ITHAMORE. [Exit. Enter BELLAMIRA, a Courtesan, on a balcony. Bell. Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold; 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-Borsa, comes there none, And here he comes. Enter PILIA-BORSA. Pilia. Hold thee, wench, there's something for thee to spend. Bell. 'Tis silver. I disdain it. [Shews a bag of silver. Pilia. Ay, but the Jew has gold, And I will have it, or, it shall go hard. Bell. Tell me, how cam'st thou by this? 10 Pilia. 'Faith, walking the back-lanes, through the gardens, I chanced to cast mine eye up to the Jew's counting-house, 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. Bell. Hide the bag. 20 Enter ITHAMORE. Pilia. Look not towards him, let's away; zoons, what a looking thou keep'st; thou'lt betray's anon. [Exeunt BELLAMIRA and PILIA-BORSA. Itha. 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. Well, I have delivered the challenge in such sort, As meet they will, and fighting die; brave sport. [Exit. SCENE II. - A Street. Enter MATHIAS. Math. This is the place; now Abigail shall see Whether Mathias holds her dear or no. Enter LODOWICK. What, dares the villain write in such base terms? [Reading a letter. [They fight. Lod. I did it; and revenge it if thou dar'st. Enter BARABAS, above, on a balcony. Bar. O bravely fought; and yet they thrust not home. Now, Lodovico! now, Mathias! So [Both fall. So now they have showed themselves to be tall1 fellows. [Cries within.] Part 'em, part 'em. Bar. Ay, part 'em now they are dead. Farewell, farewell. Enter FERNEZe, Katherine, and Attendants. Fern. What sight2 is this! —my Lodowick slain !3 These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre. Kath. Who is this? my son Mathias slain ! [Exit. Fern. O Lodowick! had'st thou perished by the Turk, Wretched Ferneze might have 'venged thy death. Kath. Thy son slew mine, and I'll revenge his death. 1 Brave. 2 What a sight; the article was often omitted; cf. "What night is this," Julius Cæsar, i, 3. 8 Here, and elsewhere in the play, Lodowick should be written and pronounced as in Italian, Lodovico. The error is probably due to the copyist who first transcribed the play for the press. |