The Jew of Malta

have a hand in this. Barabas

Ay, so thou shalt, ’tis thou must do the deed:
Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight, Gives a letter.
And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.

Ithamore

’Tis poisoned, is it not?

Barabas

No, no, and yet it might be done that way:
It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick.

Ithamore

Fear not; I will so set his heart afire,
That he shall verily think it comes from him.

Barabas

I cannot choose but like thy readiness:
Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.

Ithamore

As I behave myself in this, employ me hereafter.

Barabas

Away, then.

Exit Ithamore.

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.

Act III

Scene I

	Enter Bellamira.46
Bellamira	Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold: The time has been, that but for one bare night, A hundred ducats have been freely given: But now against my will I must be chaste; 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, learned and liberal; And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none, And he is very seldom from my house; And here he comes.
	Enter Pilia-Borza.
Pilia-Borza	Hold thee, wench, there’s something for thee to spend. Shews a bag of silver.
Bellamira	’Tis silver. I disdain it.
Pilia-Borza	Ay, but the Jew has gold, And I will have it, or it shall go hard.
Bellamira	Tell me, how cam’st thou by this?
Pilia-Borza	‘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.
Bellamira	Hide the bag.
	Enter Ithamore.
Pilia-Borza	Look not towards him, let’s away; zoons, what a looking thou keep’st; thou’lt betray’s anon.
	Exeunt Bellamira and Pilia-Borza.
Ithamore	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

	Enter Mathias.47
Mathias	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? Looking at a letter.
Lodowick	I did it; and revenge it, if thou dar’st! They fight.
	Enter Barabas above, on a balcony.
Barabas	O! bravely fought; and yet they thrust not home. Now, Lodovico! now, Mathias! So⁠— Both fall. So, now they have shewed themselves to be tall48 fellows.
	Cries within. Part ’em, part ’em!
Barabas	Ay, part ’em now they are dead. Farewell, farewell!
	Exit.
	Enter Ferneze, Katharine, and Attendants.
Ferneze	What sight is this!⁠—my Lodovico slain! These arms of mine shall be thy sepulchre.
Katharine	Who is this? my son Mathias slain!
Ferneze	O Lodowick! hadst thou perished by the Turk, Wretched Ferneze might have ’venged thy death!
Katharine	Thy son slew mine, and I’ll revenge his death.
Ferneze	Look, Katharine, look!⁠—thy son gave mine these wounds.
Katharine	O, leave to grieve me, I am grieved enough.
Ferneze	O! that my sighs could turn to lively breath; And these my tears to blood, that he might live.
Katharine	Who made them enemies?
Ferneze	I know not, and that grieves me most of all.
Katharine	My son loved thine.
Ferneze	And so did Lodowick him.
Katharine	Lend me that weapon that did kill my son, And it shall murder me.
Ferneze	Nay, madam, stay; that weapon was my son’s, And on that rather should Ferneze die.
Katharine	Hold; let’s inquire the causers of their deaths, That we may ’venge their blood upon their heads.
Ferneze	Then take them up, and let them be interred Within one sacred monument of stone; Upon which altar I will offer up My daily sacrifice of sighs and tears, And with my prayers pierce impartial heavens, Till they reveal the causers of our smarts, Which forced their hands divide united hearts: Come, Katharine, our losses equal are; Then of true grief let us take equal share.
	Exeunt with the bodies.

Scene III

	Enter Ithamore.49
Ithamore	Why, was there ever seen such villany, So neatly plotted, and so well performed? Both held in hand, and flatly both beguiled?
	Enter Abigail.
Abigail	Why, how now, Ithamore, why laugh’st thou so?
Ithamore	O mistress, ha! ha! ha!
Abigail	Why, what ail’st thou?
Ithamore	O, my master!
Abigail	Ha!
Ithamore	O mistress! I have the bravest, gravest, secret, subtle, bottle-nosed knave to my master, that ever gentleman had!
Abigail	Say, knave, why rail’st upon my father thus?
Ithamore	O, my master has the bravest policy.
Abigail	Wherein?
Ithamore	Why, know you not?
Abigail	Why, no.
Ithamore	Know you not of Mathias’ and Don Lodowick’s disaster?
Abigail	No, what was it?
Ithamore	Why, the devil inverted a challenge, my master writ it, and I carried it, first to Lodowick, and imprimis to Mathias. And then they met, and, as the story says, In doleful wise they ended both their days.
Abigail	And was my father furtherer of their deaths?
Ithamore	Am I Ithamore?
Abigail	Yes.
Ithamore	So sure did your father write, and I carry the challenge.
Abigail	Well, Ithamore, let me request thee this, Go to the new-made nunnery, and inquire For any of the friars of Saint Jaques, And say, I pray them come and speak with me.
Ithamore	I pray, mistress, will you answer me to one question?
Abigail	Well, sirrah, what is’t?
Ithamore	A very feeling one; have not the nuns fine sport with the friars now and then?
Abigail	Go to, sirrah sauce! is this your question? get ye gone.
Ithamore	I will, forsooth,