PERSONS REPRESENTED. FERNEZE, Governor of Malta. SELIM CALYMATH, Son of the Grand Seignior. DON LODOWICK, the Governor's Son, in love with ABIGAIL. DON MATHIAS, also in love with her. MARTIN DEL Bosco, Vice-Admiral of Spain. BARABAS, the Jew of Malta. ITHAMORE, Barabas' slave. BARNARDINE, JACOMO, Friars. PILIA-BORSA, a Bully. Two Merchants. Three Jews. Bassoes, Knights, Officers, Reader, Messengers, Slaves, THE JEW OF MALTA. Enter MACHIAVEL Machiavel. Albeit the world thinks Machiavel is dead, Yet was his soul but flown beyond the Alps; And now the Guise 1 is dead, is come from France, To some perhaps my name is odious, But such as love me guard me from their tongues; And weigh not men, and therefore not men's words. Many will talk of title to a crown : IO 1 The Duc de Guise, who organised the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. He was assassinated in 1588. ΙΟ The few of Malta. What right had Cæsar to the empery ?1 Might first made kings, and laws were then most sure 20 But whither am I bound? I come not, I, But to present the tragedy of a Jew, Who smiles to see how full his bags are crammed, 30 [Exit. 1 This is Dyce's correction for "empire." 2 Old ed. "the Drancus." 3 As a word is required to complete the verse, I have followed Cunningham in inserting "but." 4 All the editions give "Britain." For the sake of the metre I read "Britainy❞—a form found in Edward II., ii, 2, 1. 42. ACT THE FIRST. SCENE I. 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 summed and satisfied. As for those Sabans,1 and the men of Uz, That bought my Spanish oils and wines of Greece, ΙΟ 1 Old ed. "Samintes," for which the modern editors give "Samnites." Between the "Samnites" and the "men of Uz" there can be no possible connection. My emendation suits the context. We have Saba for Sabæa in Faustus, xii. 25, &c. 2 Old ed. "silverbings." Dyce observes that the word "silverling" occurs in Isaiah (vii. 23):-"A thousand vines at a thousand silverlings." Would make a miracle of thus much coin: But he whose steel-barred coffers are crammed full, Wearying his fingers' ends with telling it, May serve in peril of calamity To ransom great kings from captivity. This is the ware wherein consists my wealth; And thus methinks should men of judgment frame And as their wealth increaseth, so inclose But now how stands the wind? Into what corner peers my halcyon's1 bill? 20 30 1 It was a common belief that a stuffed halcyon (i.e., kingfisher), suspended by the bill, showed from what quarter the wind blew. Shakespeare alludes to the superstition in Lear, ii. 2,— |