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,
But keep thy heart till Don Mathias comes.
Abig. What, shall I be betrothed to Lodowick?
Bar. It's 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.
I have entreated her, and she will grant.

310

321

Lod. Then, gentle Abigail, plight thy faith to me.
Abig. I cannot choose, seeing my father bids.
(Aside) Nothing but death shall part my love and me.
Lod. Now have I that for which my soul hath longed.
Bar. (aside). So have not I, but yet I hope I shall.
Abig. (aside). O wretched Abigail, what hast thou done?
Lod. Why on the sudden is your colour changed?
Abig. I know not, but farewell, I must be gone.
Bar. Stay her, but let her not speak one word more.
Lod. Mute o' the sudden? here's a sudden change.
Bar. O, muse not at it, 'tis the Hebrews' guise,
That maidens new betrothed should weep awhile:
Trouble her not; sweet Lodowick, depart :
She is thy wife, and thou shalt be mine heir.

Lod. 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 Abigail should frown on me.
There comes the villain, now I'll be revenged.

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;
Here must no speeches pass, nor swords be drawn.
Math. Suffer me, Barabas, but to follow him.
Bar. 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.

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.
Math. I cannot stay; for if my mother come,

She'll die with grief.

Abig. I cannot take my leave of him for tears:
Father, why have you thus incensed them both?
Bar. What's that to thee?

Abig. I'll make 'em friends again.
Bar. You'll make 'em friends!
Are there not Jews enow in Malta,
But thou must doat upon a Christian?

Abig. I will have Don Mathias, he is my love.
Bar. Yes, you shall have him: go put her in.

340

350

[Exit.

360

Itha. Ay, I'll put her in.

[Puts ABIGAIL in.

Bar. Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this?
Itha. Faith, master, I think by 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 he is very seldom from my house;

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.