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Bosc. Governor of Malta, hither am I bound;
My ship, the Flying Dragon, is of Spain,
And so am I, Del Bosco is my name;
Vice-admiral unto the catholic king.

KNI. 'Tis true, my lord, therefore intreat him well. Bosc. Our fraught is Grecians, Turks, and Africk Moors.

For late upon the coast of Corsica,

Because we vail'd not to the Spanish fleet,
Their creeping gallies had us in the chase:
But suddenly the wind began to rise,

And then we left, and took, and fought at ease:
Some have we fir'd, and many have we sunk;
But one amongst the rest became our prize:
The captain's slain, the rest remain our slaves,
Of whom we would make sale in Malta here.
Gov. Martin del Bosco, I have heard of thee;
Welcome to Malta, and to all of us;

But to admit a sale of these thy Turks

We may not, nay we dare not give consent

By reason of a tributary league.

1 KNI. Del Bosco, as thou lov'st and honour'st us, Persuade our governor against the Turk;

This truce we have is but in hope of gold,

And with that sum he craves might we wage war. Bosc. Will knights of Malta be in league with

Turks,

And buy it basely too for sums of gold?

My lord, remember that to Europe's shame,

The Christian Isle of Rhodes, from whence
Was lately lost, and you were stated here
To be at deadly enmity with Turks.

you came,

Gov. Captain we know it, but our force is small. Bosc. What is the sum that Calymath requires? Gov. A hundred thousand crowns.

Bos. My lord and king hath title to this Isle, And he means quickly to expel you hence; Therefore be rul'd by me, and keep the gold: I'll write unto his majesty for aid,

And not depart until I see you free.

Gov. On this condition shall thy Turks be sold. Go officers and set them straight in shew. Bosco, thou shalt be Malta's general; We and our warlike knights will follow thee Against these barabarous mis-believing Turks. Bosc. So shall you imitate those you succeed: For when their hideous force environ'd Rhodes, Small though the number was that kept the town, They fought it out, and not a man surviv'd To bring the hapless news to Christendom.

Gov. So will we fight it out; come, let's away: Proud daring Calymath, instead of gold, We'll send thee bullets wrapt in smoke and fire: Claim tribute where thou wilt, we are resolv'd, Honor is bought with blood and not with gold.

Enter OFFICERS with slaves.

[Exeunt.

1 OFF. This is the Market-place, here let 'em

stand:

Fear not their sale, for they'll be quickly bought. 2 OFF. Every one's price is written on his back, And so much must they yield or not be sold. 10FF. Here comes the Jew, had not his goods been seiz'd,

He'd give us present money for them all.

Enter BARABAS.

BAR. In spite of these swine-eating Christians,
(Unchosen nation, never circumcis'd;
Such as poor villains were ne'er thought upon
Till Titus and Vespasian conquer'd us.)
Am I become as wealthy as I was:

They hop'd my daughter would have been a nun;
But she's at home, and I have bought a house
As great and fair as is the governor's ;

And there in spite of Malta will I dwell:
Having Ferneze's hand, whose heart I'll have;
Aye, and his son's too, or it shal! go hard.
I am not of the tribe of Levi, I,

That can so soon forget an injury.

We Jews can fawn like spaniels when we please; And when we grin we bite, yet are our looks

As innocent and harmless as a lamb's.

I learn'd in Florence how to kiss my hand,
Heave up my shoulders when they call me dog,
And duck as low as any bare-foot friar,
Hoping to see them starve upon a stall,
Or else be gather'd for in our Synagogue;
That when the offering-bason comes to me,
Even for charity I may spit into it.

Here comes Don Lodowick the governor's son,
One that I love for his good father's sake.
Enter LODOWICK.

LOD. I hear the wealthy Jew walked this way;
I'll seek him out, and so insinuate,

That I may have a sight of Abigail;

For Don Mathias tells me she is fair.

BAR. Now will I shew myself to have more of the

serpent

Than the dove; that is, more knave than fool.

LOD. Yond' walks the Jew, now for fair Abigail. BAR. Aye, aye, no doubt but she's at your command.

LOD. Barabas, thou know'st I am the governor's

son.

BAR. I would you were his father too, sir, that's all the harm

I wish you the slave looks like a hog's cheek, new

singed.

LOD. Whither walk'st thou, Barabas?

[Aside.

BAR. No further: 'tis a custom held with us, That when we speak with Gentiles like to you, We turn into the air to purge ourselves :

For unto us the promise doth belong.

LOD. Well, Barabas, canst help me to a diamond? BAR. Oh, sir, your father had my diamonds. Yet I have one left that will serve your turn:

I mean my daughter :

but e'er he shall have her

I'll sacrifice her on a pile of wood.

I have the poison of the city for him, and the

White leprosy.

[Aside.

LOD. What sparkle does it give without a foil? BAR. The diamond that I talk of, ne'er was foil'd: But when he touches it, it will be foil'd: Lord Lodowick, it sparkles bright and fair.

LOD. Is it square or pointed, pray let me know. BAR, Pointed it is, good sir,-but not for you.

LOD. I like it much the better.

[Aside.

BAR. So do I too.

LOD. How shows it by night?

BAR. Outshines Cynthia's rays:

You'll like it better far a nights than days. [Aside. LOD. And what's the price?

BAR. Your life and if you have it.

Oh my Lord

We will not jar about the price; come to my house And I will give't your honour-with a vengeance.

LOD. No, Barabas, I will deserve it first.

[Aside.

BAR. Good sir, your father has deserv'd it at my

hands,

Who of mere charity and Christian truth,

To bring me to religious purity,

And as it were in catechising sort,

To make me mindful of my mortal sins,
Against my will, and whether I would or no,
Seiz'd all I had, and thrust me out a doors,
And made my house a place for nuns most chaste.
LOD. No doubt your soul shall reap the fruit of it.
BAR. Aye, but my lord, the harvest is far off:

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