The Complete Plays (37 page)

Provide him
, and be there for
fashion
sake.

170   If anything shall there concern our
state
,

Assure yourselves I'll look – (
aside
) unto myself.

FIRST JEW

I know you will. Well, brethren, let us go.

SECOND JEW

Let's take our leaves. Farewell, good Barabas.

BARABAS

Do so. Farewell,
Zaareth
, farewell, Temainte.

[
Exeunt the
THREE JEWS
.]

And, Barabas, now search this secret out.

Summon thy senses; call thy wits together.

These silly men mistake the matter clean.

Long to the Turk did Malta contribute,

Which tribute – all in policy, I fear –

180   The Turks have let increase to such a sum

As all the wealth of Malta cannot pay,

And now by that advantage thinks, belike,

To seize upon the town. Ay, that he seeks.

Howe'er the world go, I'll make sure for one,

And seek in time to intercept the worst,

Warily guarding that which I ha' got.

Ego
mihimet sum semper proximus.

Why, let 'em enter, let 'em take the town.

[
Exit
.]

Enter
[FERNEZE]
Governor
of Malta,
KNIGHTS,
[
and
OFFICERS],
met by
[CALLAPINE
and other
]
BASHAWS
of the Turk [and
]
CALYMATH.

FERNEZE

Now, bashaws, what demand you at our hands?

CALLAPINE

Know,
Knights of Malta
, that we came from Rhodes,

From Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles

That lie betwixt the Mediterranean seas.

FERNEZE

What's Cyprus, Candy, and those other isles

To us, or Malta? What at our hands demand ye?

CALYMATH

The ten years' tribute that remains unpaid.

FERNEZ

Alas, my lord, the sum is over-great.

I hope your highness will
consider
us.

CALYMATH

10   I wish, grave governor, 'twere in my power

To favour you, but 'tis
my father's cause
,

Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally.

FERNEZE

Then give us
leave
, great Selim Calymath.

[FERNEZE
speaks to his
KNIGHTS.
]

CALYMATH
[
to his
BASHAWS]

Stand all aside, and let the knights determine,

And
send
to keep our galleys under sail,

For happily we shall not tarry here.

[
To
FERNEZE]

Now, governor, how are you resolved?

FERNEZE

Thus: since your hard conditions are such

That you will needs have ten years' tribute past,

20   We may have time to make collection

Amongst the inhabitants of Malta for't.

CALLAPINE

That's more
than is in our commission.

CALYMATH

What,
Callapine
, a little courtesy!

Let's know their time; perhaps it is not long,

And '
tis more
kingly to obtain by peace

Than to enforce conditions by constraint.

What respite ask you, governor?

FERNEZE
         But a month.

CALYMATH

We grant a month, but see you keep your promise.

Now launch our galleys back again to sea,

30   Where we'll attend the respite you have ta'en,

And for the money send our messenger.

Farewell, great governor, and brave Knights of Malta.

FERNEZE

And all good fortune wait on Calymath!

Exeunt
[CALYMATH, CALLAPINE
and other
BASHAWS].

Go, one, and call those Jews of Malta hither.

Were they not summoned to appear today?

OFFICER

They were, my lord, and here they come.

Enter
BARABAS
and
THREE JEWS.

FIRST KNIGHT

Have you determined what to say to them?

FERNEZE

Yes, give me leave; and Hebrews, now come near.

From the emperor of Turkey is arrived

40   Great Selim Calymath, his highness' son,

To levy of us ten years' tribute past.

Now then, here know that it concerneth us.

BARABAS

Then, good my lord, to keep your quiet still,

Your lordship shall do well to let them have it.

FERNEZE

Soft, Barabas,
there's more
'longs to't than so.

To what this ten years' tribute will amount,

That we have
cast
, but
cannot compass it

By reason of the wars, that robbed our store;

And therefore are we to request your aid.

BARABAS

50   Alas, my lord, we are no soldiers;

And what's our aid against so great a prince?

FIRST KNIGHT

Tut, Jew, we know thou art no soldier;

Thou art a merchant and a moneyed man,

And 'tis thy money, Barabas, we seek.

BARABAS

How, my lord, my money?

FERNEZE
         Thine and the rest.

For, to be short, amongst you 't must be had.

FIRST JEW

Alas, my lord, the most of us are poor!

FERNEZE

Then let the rich increase your portions.

BARABAS

Are strangers with your tribute to be taxed?

SECOND KNIGHT

60   Have strangers leave with us to get their wealth?

Then let them with us contribute.

BARABAS

How, equally?

FERNEZE
         No, Jew, like infidels.

For through our sufferance of your hateful lives,

Who
stand accursèd in the sight of heaven,

These taxes and afflictions are befall'n,

And therefore thus we are determinèd.

Read there the articles of our decrees.

OFFICER
(
reads
)‘First, the tribute money of the Turks shall all

be levied amongst the Jews, and each of them to pay one half of his estate.'

70             

BARABAS

How, half his estate? [
Aside
] I hope you mean not mine.

FERNEZE
Read on.

OFFICER
(
reads
) ‘Secondly, he that denies to pay shall straight

become a Christian.'

BARABAS

How, a Christian? [
Aside
] Hum, what's here to do?

OFFICER
(
reads
) ‘Lastly, he that denies this shall absolutely lose

all he has.'

ALL THREE JEWS
O my lord, we will give half!

BARABAS

O earth-mettled villains, and no Hebrews born!

80   And will you basely thus submit yourselves

To leave your goods to their arbitrament?

FERNEZE

Why, Barabas, wilt thou be christened?

BARABAS

No, governor, I will be no convertite.

FERNEZE

Then pay thy half.

BARABAS

Why, know you what you did by this device?

Half of my substance is a city's wealth.

Governor, it was not got so easily,

Nor will I part so slightly therewithal.

FERNEZE

Sir, half is the penalty of our decree.

90   Either pay that, or we will seize on all.

BARABAS

Corpo di Dio!
Stay, you shall have half.

Let me be used but as my brethren are.

FERNEZE

No, Jew, thou hast denied the articles,

And now it cannot be recalled.

BARABAS

Will you then steal my goods?

Is theft the ground of your religion?

FERNEZE

No, Jew, we take
particularly thine

To save the ruin of a multitude;

And better one want for a common good

100   Than many perish for a private man.

Yet, Barabas, we will not banish thee,

But here in Malta, where thou got'st thy wealth,

Live still; and, if thou canst, get more.

BARABAS

Christians, what or how can I multiply?

Of naught
is nothing made.

FIRST KNIGHT

From naught at first thou cam'st to little wealth,

From little unto more, from more to most.

If
your first curse
fall heavy on thy head

And make thee poor and scorned of all the world,

110   Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin.

BARABAS

What? Bring you scripture to confirm your wrongs?

Preach me not out of my possessions.

Some Jews are wicked, as all Christians are;

But say the tribe that I descended of

Were all in general cast away for sin,

Shall I be tried by their transgression?

The man
that dealeth righteously shall live;

And which of you can charge me otherwise?

FERNEZE

Out, wretched Barabas,

120   Sham'st thou not thus to justify thyself,

As if we knew not thy
profession
?

If thou rely upon thy righteousness,

Be patient, and thy riches will increase.

Excess of wealth is cause of covetousness,

And covetousness, O, 'tis a monstrous sin.

BARABAS

Ay, but theft is worse. Tush, take not from me then,

For that is theft; and if you rob me thus,

I must be forced to steal and compass more.

FIRST KNIGHT

Grave governor, list not to his exclaims.

130   Convert his mansion to a nunnery;

His house will harbour many holy nuns.

Enter
OFFICERS.

FERNEZE

It shall be so. Now, officers, have you done?

OFFICER

Ay, my lord, we have seized upon the goods

And wares of Barabas, which, being valued,

Amount to more than all the wealth in Malta.

And of the
other
we have seizèd half.

FERNEZE

Then we'll
take order
for the residue.

BARABAS

Well then, my lord, say, are you satisfied?

You have my goods, my money, and my wealth,

140   My ships, my store, and all that I enjoyed;

And having all, you can request no more,

Unless your unrelenting flinty hearts

Suppress all pity in your stony breasts,

And now shall move you to bereave my life.

FERNEZE

No, Barabas, to stain our hands with blood

Is far from us and our profession.

BARABAS

Why, I esteem the injury far less

To take the lives of miserable men,

Than be the causers of their misery.

150   You have my wealth, the labour of my life,

The comfort of mine age, my children's hope;

And therefore
ne'er distinguish of the wrong.

FERNEZE

Content thee, Barabas, thou hast naught but right.

BARABAS

Your extreme right does me exceeding wrong.

But take it to you, i'th'devil's name!

FERNEZE

Come, let us in, and gather of these goods

The money for this tribute of the Turk.

FIRST KNIGHT

'Tis necessary that be looked unto;

For
if
we break our day, we break the league,

160   And that will prove but
simple policy
.

Exeunt
[FERNEZE, KNIGHTS
and
OFFICERS].

BARABAS

Ay,
policy
! That's their profession,

And not
simplicity
, as they suggest.

The
plagues of Egypt
, and the curse of heaven,

Earth's barrenness, and all men's hatred

Inflict upon them, thou great
Primus Motor
!

And here upon my knees, striking the earth,

I ban their souls to everlasting pains

And extreme tortures of the fiery deep,

That thus have dealt with me in my distress.

FIRST JEW

170   O, yet be patient, gentle Barabas.

BARABAS

O silly brethren, born to see this day!

Why stand you thus unmoved with my laments?

Why weep you not to think upon my wrongs?

Why pine not I and die in this distress?

FIRST JEW

Why, Barabas, as hardly can we brook

The cruel handling of ourselves in this.

Thou seest they have taken half our goods.

BARABAS

Why did you yield to their extortion?

You were a multitude, and I but one,

180   And of me only have they taken all.

FIRST JEW

Yet, brother Barabas, remember Job.

BARABAS