like a raven's wing, and a dagger with a hilt like a warming-pan; and he gave me a letter from one Madam Bellamira, saluting me in such sort as if he had meant to make clean my boots with his lips; the effect was, that I should come to her house: I wonder what the reason is; it may be she sees more in me than I can find in myself; for she writes further, that she loves me ever since she saw me; and who would not requite such love? Here's her house; and here she comes; and now would I were gone! I am not worthy to look upon her. PILIA. This is the gentleman you writ to. ITHA. Gentleman! he flouts me: what gentry can be in a poor Turk of tenpence*? I'll be gone. BELL. Is't not a sweet-faced youth, Pilia? ITHA. Again sweet youth! [Aside.]—Did not you, sir, bring the sweet youth a letter? PILIA. I did, sir, and from this gentlewoman, who, as myself and the rest of the family, stand or fall at your service. BELL. Though woman's modesty should hale me back, I can withhold no longer: welcome, sweet love. * Turk of tenpence] An expression not unfrequently used by our early writers. So Taylor in some verses on Coriat; "That if he had a Turke of tenpence bin," &c. Workes, p. 82. ed. 1630. And see note on Middleton's Works, iii. 489, ed. Dyce. ITHA. Now am I clean, or rather foully, out of the way. BELL. Whither so soon? [Aside. ITHA. I'll go steal some money from my master to make me handsome [Aside].-Pray, pardon me; I must go see a ship discharged. BELL. Canst thou be so unkind to leave me thus ? PILIA. An you did but know how she loves you, sir! ITHA. Nay, I care not how much she loves me.— Sweet Bellamira, would I had my master's wealth for thy sake! PILIA. And you can have it, sir, an if you please. ITHA. If 'twere above ground, I could, and would have it; but he hides and buries it up, as partridges do their eggs, under the earth. PILIA. And is't not possible to find it out? then? BELL. What shall we do with this base villain, [Aside to Pilia-Borza. PILIA. Let me alone; do but you speak him fair. [Aside to her. But you know some secrets of the Jew, Which, if they were reveal'd, would do him harm. ITHA. Ay, and such as-go to, no more! I'll make him + send me half he has, and glad he scapes you know] Qy. "you know, sir, "? + I'll make him, &c.] Old ed. thus ; "I'le make him send me half he has, & glad he scapes so too. so too: straight. I'll write unto him; we'll have money PILIA. Send for a hundred crowns at least. ITHA. Ten hundred thousand crowns.-[Writing] Master Barabas PILIA. Write not so submissively, but threatening him. ITHA. [Writing] Sirrah Barabas, send me a hundred crowns. PILIA. Put in two hundred at least. ITHA. [Writing] I charge thee send me three hundred by this bearer, and this shall be your warrant: if you do not-no more, but so. PILIA. Tell him you will confess: ITHA. [Writing] Otherwise I'll confess all.Vanish, and return in a twinkle. PILIA. Let me alone; I'll use him in his kind. [Exit Pilia-Borza with the letter. BELL. Now, gentle Ithamore, lie in my lap.— Where are my maids*? provide a running banquet; Send to the merchant, bid him bring me silks; Shall Ithamore, my love, go in such rags? Pen and Inke: I'le write vnto him, we'le haue mony strait." There can be no doubt that the words "Pen and inke were a direction to the property-man to have those articles on the stage. * Where are my maids, &c.] It is evident that the Maids do not enter: they are supposed to hear their mistress' orders within. ITHA. And bid the jeweller come hither too. BELL. I have no husband; sweet, I'll marry thee. ITHA. Content: but we will leave this paltry land, And sail from hence to Greece, to lovely Greece ;I'll be thy Jason, thou my golden fleece;— Where painted carpets o'er the meads are hurl'd, And Bacchus' vineyards overspread the world; Where woods and forests go in goodly green;I'll be Adonis, thou shalt be Love's Queen ;The meads, the orchards, and the primrose-lanes, Instead of sedge and reed, bear sugar-canes : Thou in those groves, by Dis above, Shalt live with me, and be my love*. BELL. Whither will I not go with gentle Ithamore? Re-enter PILIA-BORZA. ITHA. How now? hast thou the gold? ITHA. But came it freely? did the cow give down her milk freely? PILIA. At reading of the letter, he stared and stamped, and turned aside: I took him by the beard +, and looked upon him thus; told him he were best to send it: then he hugged and embraced me. ITHA. Rather for fear than love. * Shalt live with me, and be my love] A line, slightly varied, of Marlowe's well-known song. In the preceding line, the absurdity of "by Dis above" is, of course, intentional. + beard] Old ed. "sterd." PILIA. Then, like a Jew, he laughed and jeered, and told me he loved me for your sake, and said what a faithful servant you had been. ITHA. The more villain he to keep me thus: here's goodly 'parel, is there not? PILIA. To conclude, he gave me ten crowns. [Delivers the money to Ithamore. ITHA. But ten? I'll not leave him worth a grey groat. Give me a ream of paper: we'll have a kingdom of gold for't*. PILIA. Write for five hundred crowns. ITHA. [Writing] Sirrah Jew, as you love your life, send me five hundred crowns, and give the bearer a hundred.-Tell him I must have't. * Give me a ream of paper: we'll have a kingdom of gold for't] A quibble. Realm was frequently written ream; and frequently (as the following passages shew), even when the former spelling was given, the I was not sounded; First gan faire Themis shake her amber locks, Whom all the Nimphs that waight on Neptunes realme Lodge's Scillaes Metamorphosis, &c. 1589, Sig. A 2. "How he may surest stablish his new conquerd realme, How of his glorie fardest to deriue the streame." A Herings Tayle, &c. 1598, Sig. D 3. "Learchus slew his brother for the crowne; His brother slew, to rule alone the realme." Mirour for Magistrates, p. 78, ed. 1610. |