Act III
Scene I
Enter Bellamira.46 | |
Bellamira |
Since this town was besieged, my gain grows cold:
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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,
|
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,
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Exit. |
Scene II
Enter Mathias.47 | |
Mathias |
This is the place; now Abigail shall see
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Enter Lodowick. | |
What, dares the villain write in such base terms? Looking at a letter. |
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Lodowick |
I did it; and revenge it, if thou dar’st!
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Enter Barabas above, on a balcony. | |
Barabas |
O! bravely fought; and yet they thrust not home.
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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!
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Katharine |
Who is this? my son Mathias slain! |
Ferneze |
O Lodowick! hadst thou perished by the Turk,
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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;
|
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,
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Ferneze |
Nay, madam, stay; that weapon was my son’s,
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Katharine |
Hold; let’s inquire the causers of their deaths,
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Ferneze |
Then take them up, and let them be interred
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Exeunt with the bodies. |
Scene III
Enter Ithamore.49 | |
Ithamore |
Why, was there ever seen such villany,
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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,
|
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,
|
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, mistress. |
Exit. | |
Abigail |
Hard-hearted father, unkind Barabas!
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Enter Ithamore and Friar Jacomo. | |
Friar Jacomo |
Virgo, salve. |
Ithamore |
When! duck you! |
Abigail |
Welcome, grave friar; Ithamore, be gone. |
Exit Ithamore. | |
Know, holy sir, I am bold to solicit thee. |
|
Friar Jacomo |
Wherein? |
Abigail |
To get me be admitted for a nun. |
Friar Jacomo |
Why, Abigail, it is not yet long since
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Abigail |
Then were my thoughts so frail and unconfirmed
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Friar Jacomo |
Who taught thee this? |
Abigail |
The abbess of the house,
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Friar Jacomo |
Abigail, I will, but see thou change no more,
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Abigail |
That was my father’s fault. |
Friar Jacomo |
Thy father’s! how? |
Abigail |
Nay, you shall pardon me.—O Barabas,
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Friar Jacomo |
Come, shall we go? |
Abigail |
My duty waits on you. |
Exeunt. |
Scene IV
Enter Barabas, reading a letter.51 | |
Barabas |
What, Abigail become a nun again!
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Enter Ithamore. | |
O Ithamore, come near;
|
|
Ithamore |
To-day. |
Barabas |
With whom? |
Ithamore |
A friar. |
Barabas |
A friar! false villain, he hath done the deed. |
Ithamore |
How, sir! |
Barabas |
Why, made mine Abigail a nun. |
Ithamore |
That’s no lie; for she sent me for him. |
Barabas |
O unhappy day!
|
Ithamore |
O master! |
Barabas |
Ithamore, entreat not for her, I am moved,
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Ithamore |
Who, I, master? Why, I’ll run to some rock,
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Barabas |
O trusty Ithamore, no servant, but my friend:
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Ithamore |
I hold my head, my master’s hungry. Aside.—I go, sir. |
Exit. | |
Barabas |
Thus every villain ambles after wealth,
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Re-enter Ithamore with the pot. | |
Ithamore |
Here ’tis, master, |
Barabas |
Well said, Ithamore! What, hast thou brought
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Ithamore |
Yes, sir, the proverb says, he that eats with the devil had need of a long spoon; I have brought you a ladle. |
Barabas |
Very well, Ithamore; then now be secret;
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Ithamore |
Why, master, will you poison her with a mess of rice porridge? that will preserve life, make her round and plump, and batten more than you are aware. |
Barabas |
Ay, but, Ithamore, seest thou this?
|
Ithamore |
How, master? |
Barabas |
Thus, Ithamore.
|
Ithamore |
How so? |
Barabas |
Belike there is some ceremony in’t.
|
Ithamore |
Pray, do, and let me help you, master. Pray, let me taste first. |
Barabas |
Prithee, do. Ithamore tastes. What say’st thou now? |
Ithamore |
Troth, master, I’m loath such a pot of pottage should be spoiled. |
Barabas |
Peace, Ithamore! ’tis better so than spared.
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Ithamore |
Well, master, I go. |
Barabas |
Stay, first let me stir it, Ithamore.
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Ithamore |
What a blessing has he given’t! was ever pot of rice-porridge so sauced? Aside. What shall I do with it? |
Barabas |
O, my sweet Ithamore, go set it down,
|
Ithamore |
Here’s a drench to poison a whole stable of Flanders mares: I’ll carry’t to the nuns with a powder. |
Barabas |
And the horse pestilence to boot; away! |
Ithamore |
I am gone:
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Exit. | |
Barabas |
I’ll pay thee with a vengeance, Ithamore! |
Exit. |
Scene V
Enter Ferneze, Martin del Bosco, Knights, and Basso.55 | |
Ferneze |
Welcome, great basso; how fares Calymath?
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Basso |
The wind that bloweth all the world besides—
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Ferneze |
Desire of gold, great sir?
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Basso |
To you of Malta thus saith Calymath:
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Ferneze |
Basso, in brief, ’shalt have no tribute here,
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Basso |
Well, governor, since thou hast broke the league
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Ferneze |
Farewell. |
Exit Basso. | |
And now, ye men of Malta, look about,
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Exeunt. |
Scene VI
Enter Friar Jacomo and Friar Barnadine.57 | |
Friar Jacomo |
O, brother, brother, all the nuns are sick,
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Friar Barnadine |
The abbess sent for me to be confessed:
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Friar Jacomo |
And so did fair Maria send for me:
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Exit. | |
Enter Abigail. | |
Friar Barnadine |
What, all dead, save only Abigail? |
Abigail |
And I shall die too, for I feel death coming.
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Friar Barnadine |
O, he is gone to see the other nuns. |
Abigail |
I sent for him, but, seeing you are come,
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Friar Barnadine |
What then? |
Abigail |
I did offend high Heaven so grievously
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Friar Barnadine |
Yes; what of them? |
Abigail |
My father did contract me to ’em both:
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Friar Barnadine |
So, say how was their end? |
Abigail |
Both, jealous of my love, envied58 each other,
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Friar Barnadine |
O monstrous villany! |
Abigail |
To work my peace, this I confess to thee;
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Friar Barnadine |
Know that confession must not be revealed,
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Abigail |
So I have heard; pray, therefore, keep it close.
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Friar Barnadine |
Ay, and a virgin too; that grieves me most:
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Re-enter Friar Jacomo. | |
Friar Jacomo |
O brother, all the nuns are dead, let’s bury them. |
Friar Barnadine |
First help to bury this, then go with me,
|
Friar Jacomo |
Why, what has he done? |
Friar Barnadine |
A thing that makes me tremble to unfold. |
Friar Jacomo |
What, has he crucified a child?60 |
Friar Barnadine |
No, but a worse thing: ’twas told me in shrift,
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Exeunt. |