First, be thou void of these affections,

Compassion, love, vain hope, and heartless fear;
Be mov'd at nothing, see thou pity none,

But to thyself smile when the Christians moan.
ITHA. Oh, brave, master*! I worship your nose †
for this.

BARA. As for myself, I walk abroad a-nights,
And kill sick people groaning under walls:
Sometimes I go about and poison wells;

And now and then, to cherish Christian thieves,
I am content to lose some of my crowns,
That I may, walking in my gallery,
See 'em go pinion'd along by my door.
Being young, I studied physic, and began
To practice first upon the Italian ;
There I enrich'd the priests with burials,
And always kept the sexton's arms in ure‡
With digging graves and ringing dead men's knells:
And, after that, was I an engineer,

And in the wars 'twixt France and Germany,
Under pretence of helping Charles the Fifth,
Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems:
Then, after that, was I an usurer,

* Oh, brave, master] The modern editors strike out the comma after "brave", understanding that word as an epithet to "master" but compare what Ithamore says to Barabas in act iv; "That's brave, master." p. 304.

† your nose] An allusion to the large artificial nose, with which Barabas was represented on the stage. See the passage cited from W. Rowley's Search for Money, 1609, in the Account of Marlowe and his Writings.

ure] i. e. use, practice.

And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting,
And tricks belonging unto brokery,
I fill'd the jails with bankrouts * in a year,
And with young orphans planted hospitals;
And every moon made some or other mad,
And now and then one hang himself for grief,
Pinning upon his breast a long great scroll
How I with interest tormented him.

But mark how I am blest for plaguing them ;-
I have as much coin as will buy the town.
But tell me now, how hast thou spent thy time?
ITHA. Faith, master, in setting Christian villages
on fire,

Chaining of eunuchs, binding galley-slaves.
One time I was an hostler in an inn,

And in the night-time secretly would I steal

To travellers' chambers, and there cut their throats :
Once at Jerusalem, where the pilgrims kneel'd,
I strowèd powder on the marble stones,

And therewithal their knees would rankle so,
That I have laugh'd a-good† to see the cripples
Go limping home to Christendom on stilts.

BARA. Why, this is something: make account of

me

As of thy fellow; we are villains both;

Both circumcisèd; we hate Christians both :
Be true and secret; thou shalt want no gold.
But stand aside; here comes Don Lodowick.

* bankrouts] i. e. bankrupts.

ta-good]" i. e. in good earnest. Tout de bon." REED (apud Dodsley's O. P.)

Enter LODOWICK*.

LOD. Oh, Barabas, well met;

Where is the diamond you told me of?

BARA. I have it for you, sir: please you walk in with me.

What, ho, Abigail! open the door, I say!

Enter ABIGAIL, with letters.

ABIG. In good time, father; here are letters come
From Ormus, and the post stays here within.
BARA. Give me the letters.-Daughter, do you
hear?

Entertain Lodowick, the governor's son,
With all the courtesy you can afford,
Provided that you keep your maidenhead :
Use him as if he were a Philistine;
Dissemble, swear, protest, vow to love him † :
He is not of the seed of Abraham.- [Aside to her.
I am a little busy, sir; pray, pardon me.—
Abigail, bid him welcome for my sake.

ABIG. For your sake and his own he's welcome hither.

BARA. Daughter, a word more: kiss him, speak

him fair,

And like a cunning Jew so cast about,

* Enter Lodowick] A change of scene supposed here,—to the outside of Barabas's house.

† vow to love him] Qy. vow love to him"? compare vows love to him" in the next page.

"she

ABIG. Oh, father, Don Mathias is my love! BARA. I know it: yet, I say, make love to him; Do, it is requisite it should be so.- [Aside to her. Nay, on my life, it is my factor's hand;

But go you in, I'll think upon the account.

[Exeunt Abigail and Lodowick into the house. The account is made, for Lodovico + dies. My factor sends me word a merchant's fled That owes me for a hundred tun of wine:

I weigh it thus much [snapping his fingers]! I have wealth enough;

For now by this has he kiss'd Abigail,

And she vows love to him, and he to her.

As sure as Heaven rain'd manna for the Jews,
So sure shall he and Don Mathias die :

Whither goes Don Mathias? stay a while.

MATH. Whither, but to my fair love Abigail? BARA. Thou know'st, and Heaven can witness it

is true,

That I intend my daughter shall be thine.

*made sure] i. e. affianced.

+ Lodovico] Old ed." Lodowicke."-In act iii. we have,

"I fear she knows ('tis so) of my device

In Don Mathias' and Lodovico's deaths." p. 294.

MATH. Ay, Barabas, or else thou wrong'st me

much.

BARA. Oh, Heaven forbid I should have such a

thought!

Pardon me though I weep: the governor's son
Will, whether I will or no, have Abigail;
He sends her letters, bracelets, jewels, rings.
MATH. Does she receive them?

BARA. She! no, Mathias, no, but sends them

back;

And, when he comes, she locks herself

up fast;

Yet through the key-hole will he talk to her,
While she runs to the window, looking out

When you should come and hale him from the door.
MATH. Oh, treacherous Lodowick !

BARA. Even now as I came home, he slipt me in,

And I am sure he is with Abigail.

MATH. I'll rouse him thence.

BARA. Not for all Malta; therefore sheathe your

sword;

If you love me, no quarrels in my house;
But steal you in, and seem to see him not:
I'll give him such a warning ere he goes,
As he shall have small hopes of Abigail.
Away, for here they come.

Re-enter LODOWICK and ABIGAIL.

MATH. What, hand in hand! I cannot suffer this.

BARA. Mathias, as thou lov'st me, not a word.