[ACT I

SCENE 1.]

Enter BARABAS in his counting-house, with heaps of gold before him.

Bar. So that of thus much that return was made:

And of the third part of the Persian ships,
There was the venture summ'd and satisfied.
As for those Samnites, and the men of Uz,
That bought my Spanish oils and wines of
Greece,

Here have I purs'd their paltry silverlings.
Fie, what a trouble 't is to count this trash!
Well fare the Arabians, who so richly pay
The things they traffic for with wedge of gold,
Whereof a man may easily in a day

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Tell that which may maintain him all his life.
The needy groom that never fing'red groat,
Would make a miracle of thus much coin;
But he whose steel-barr'd coffers are cramm'd
full,

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And all his lifetime hath been tired,
Wearying his fingers' ends with telling it,
Would in his age be loth to labour so,
And for a pound to sweat himself to death.
Give me the merchants of the Indian mines,
That trade in metal of the purest mould;
The wealthy Moor, that in the eastern rocks
Without control can pick his riches up,
And in his house heap pearl like pebble-stones,
Receive them free,and sell them by the weight;
Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts,
Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds,
Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds,
And seld-seen costly stones of so great price
As one of them indifferently rated,
And of a carat of this quantity,
May serve in peril of calamity

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[But] go, go thou thy ways, discharge thy ship, And bid my factor bring his loading in.

And yet I wonder at this argosy.

[Exit Merch.]

Enter a second Merchant.

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2 Merch. Thine argosy from Alexandria, Know, Barabas, doth ride in Malta-road, Laden with riches, and exceeding store Of Persian silks, of gold, and orient pearl. Bar. How chance you came not with those other ships

That sail'd by Egypt?

2 Merch.

Sir, we saw 'em not.

Bar. Belike they coasted round by Candy

shore

About their oils, or other businesses.

But 't was ill done of you to come so far Without the aid or conduct of their ships.

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2 Merch. Sir, we were wafted by a Spanish fleet, That never left us till within a league, That had the galleys of the Turk in chase. Bar. O they were going up to Sicily. Well, go,

And bid the merchants and my men despatch And come ashore, and see the fraught discharg'd.

Enter them at the custom-house.

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And thus are we on every side enrich'd.
These are blessings promis'd to the Jews,
And herein was old Abram's happiness.
What more may Heaven do for earthly man
Than thus to pour out plenty in their laps,
Ripping the bowels of the earth for them,
Making the sea their servant,1 and the winds
To drive their substance with successful blasts?
Who hateth me but for my happiness?

Or who is honour'd now but for his wealth?
Rather had I, a Jew, be hated thus,
Than pitied in a Christian poverty;
For I can see no fruits in all their faith,
But malice, falsehood, and excessive pride,
Which methinks fits not their profession.
Haply some hapless man hath conscience,
And for his conscience lives in beggary.
They say we are a scatter'd nation:

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I cannot tell, but we have scambled 2 up
More wealth by far than those that brag of
faith.

There's Kirriah Jairim, the great Jew of Greece,
Obed in Bairseth, Nones in Portugal,
Myself in Malta, some in Italy,

Many in France, and wealthy every one;
Ay, wealthier far than any Christian.

I must confess we come not to be kings; That's not our fault: alas, our number's few, And crowns come either by succession,

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What need they treat of peace that are in league?

The Turks and those of Malta are in league.
Tut, tut, there is some other matter in 't.

1 Jew. Why, Barabas, they come for peace or

Bar. Do so. Farewell, Zaareth; farewell, Temainte. [Exeunt Jews.] 175

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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,
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.7
Why, let 'em enter, let 'em take the town.

[SCENE II.] 8

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[Exit.]

Enter [FERNEZE,] Governor of Malta, Knights, [and Officers;] met by Bassoes of the Turk; CALYMATH.

Fern. Now, Bassoes, what demand you at our hands?

1 Bas. Know, Knights of Malta, that we came from Rhodes,

From Cyprus, Candy, and those other Isles
That lie betwixt the Mediterranean seas.

Fern. What 's Cyprus, Candy, and those other Isles

To us or Malta? What at our hands demand ye? Cal. The ten years' tribute that remains

unpaid.

Fern. Alas! my lord, the sum is over-great, I hope your highness will consider us.

7 Misquoted from Terence's Andria, iv. 1, 12. The words should be "Proximus sum egomet mihi." (Ellis.) 8 Inside the council-house. Bashaws or Pashas

Fern. Then let the rich increase your portions.

Bar. Are strangers with your tribute to be tax'd?

2 Knight. Have strangers leave with us to get their wealth?

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Then let them with us contribute.
Bar. How! Equally?
Fern.
No, Jew, like infidels.
For through our sufferance of your hateful lives,
Who stand accursed in the sight of Heaven,
These taxes and afflictions are befall'n,
And therefore thus we are determined.
Read there the articles of our decrees.
Reader. First, the tribute-money of the
Turks shall all be levied amongst the Jews, and
each of thein to pay one half of his estate.
Bur. How, half his estate? I hope you mean
not mine.
[Aside.]

Fern. Read on.

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Reader. "Secondly, he that denies to pay shall straight become a Christian.' Bar. How, a Christian? Hum, what's here to do? [Aside.] Reader. Lastly, he that denies this shall absolutely lose all he has."

All three Jews. O my lord, we will give half. Bar. O earth-mettl'd villains, and no Hebrews born!

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And will you basely thus submit yourselves
To leave your goods to their arbitrament?
Fern. Why, Barabas, wilt thou be christened?
Bar. No, governor, I will be no convertite.5
Fern. Then pay thy half.

Bar. 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.
Fern. Sir, half is the penalty of our decree,
Either pay that, or we will seize on all.

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Bar. Corpo di Dio! stay! you shall have half; Let me be us'd but as my brethren are. Fern. No, Jew, thou hast denied the articles, And now it cannot be recall'd.

[Exeunt Officers, on a sign from FERNEZE.]

Bar. Will you then steal my goods? Is theft the ground of your religion? Fern. No, Jew, we take particularly thine To save the ruin of a multitude; And better one want for the common good Than many perish for a private man. Yet, Barabas, we will not banish thee,

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But here in Malta, where thou gott'st thy

wealth,

Live still; and, if thou canst, get more.
Bar. Christians, what or how can I multiply?
Of naught is nothing made.

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1 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 scorn'd of all the world,
'Tis not our fault, but thy inherent sin.

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Bar. What, bring you Scripture to confirm your wrongs?

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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?
Fern. Out, wretched Barabas!
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, 't is a monstrous sin.
Bar. Ay, but theft is worse. Tush! take not
from me then,

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For that is theft; and if you rob me thus,
I must be forc'd to steal and compass more.
1 Knight. Grave governor, list not to his ex-
claims.

Convert his mansion to a nunnery;
Re-enter Officers.

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His house will harbour many holy nuns. Fern. It shall be so. Now, officers, have you done?

Off. Ay, my lord, we have seiz'd upon the goods

And wares of Barabas, which being valued, Amount to more than all the wealth in Malta. 135 And of the other we have seized half.

[Fern. Then we 'll take order for the residue. Bar. Well then, my lord, say, are you satisfied?

You have my goods, my money, and my wealth,
My ships, my store, and all that I enjoy'd; 140
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.
Fern. No, Barabas, to stain our hands with
blood

Is far from us and our profession.

Bar. Why, I esteem the injury far less
To take the lives of miserable men
Than be the causers of their misery.

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You have my wealth, the labour of my life, 150 The comfort of mine age, my children's hope, And therefore ne'er distinguish of the wrong. Fern. Content thee, Barabas, thou hast naught but right.

Bar. Your extreme right does me exceeding

Pray, leave me in my patience. You that Were ne'er possess'd of wealth, are pleas'd with want;

But give him liberty at least to mourn,
That in a field amidst his enemies
Doth see his soldiers slain, himself disarm'd,
And knows no means of his recovery.
Ay, let me sorrow for this sudden chance;
'Tis in the trouble of my spirit I speak;
Great injuries are not so soon forgot.

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1 Jew. Come, let us leave him; in his ireful mood

Our words will but increase his ecstasy. 2

2 Jew. On, then; but trust me 't is a misery

To see a man in such affliction.

Farewell, Barabas!

Bar.

Exeunt [the three Jews.] Ay, fare you well.

1 For I have toiled only to inherit the months, etc., which have been, etc.

2 Violent emotion.