Lod. 'Tis not thy wealth, but her that I esteem. Yet crave I thy consent.

Bar. And mine you have, yet let me talk to her.This offspring of Cain, this Jebusite, That never tasted of the Passover, Nor e'er shall see the land of Canaan, Nor our Messias that is yet to come; This gentle maggot, Lodowick, I mean, Must be deluded: let him have thy hand, But keep thy heart till Don Mathias comes. Abig. What, shall I be betrothed to Lodowick ? Bar. It's no sin to deceive a Christian; For they themselves hold it a principle, Faith is not to be held with heretics; But all are heretics that are not Jews;

[Aside. 310

This follows well, and therefore, daughter, fear not.

I have entreated her, and she will grant.

[Aside.

Lod. Then, gentle Abigail, plight thy faith to me. Abig. I cannot chuse, seeing my father bids.Nothing but death shall part my love and me. [Aside. 320 Lod. Now have I that for which my soul hath longed. Bar. So have not I, but yet I hope I shall. [Aside. Abig. O wretched Abigail, what hast thou 1 done?

[Aside.

Lod. Why on the sudden is your colour changed?
Abig. I know not, but farewell, I must be gone.
Bar. Stay her, but let her not speak one word more.

1 Old ed." thee."

Lod. Mute o' the sudden; here's a sudden change. Bar. O, muse not at it, 'tis the Hebrew's guise, That maidens new betrothed should weep awhile: Trouble her not; sweet Lodowick, depart : She is thy wife, and thou shalt be mine heir.

Lod. O, is't the custom? then I am resolved: But rather let the brightsome heavens be dim, And nature's beauty choke with stifling clouds, Than my fair Abigail should frown on me.— There comes the villain, now I'll be revenged.

Enter MATHIAS.

Bar. Be quiet, Lodowick, it is enough. That I have made thee sure to Abigail.

Lod. Well, let him go.

Bar. Well, but for me, as you went in at doors
You had been stabbed, but not a word on't now;

Here must no speeches pass, nor swords be drawn.
Math. Suffer me, Barabas, but to follow him.
Bar. No; so shall I, if any hurt be done,

Be made an accessary of your deeds;
Revenge it on him when you meet him next.

Math. For this I'll have his heart.

Bar. Do so; lo here I give thee Abigail.

Math. What greater gift can poor Mathias have? Shall Lodowick rob me of so fair a love?

My life is not so dear as Abigail.

He's with your mother, therefore after him.

330

[Exit.

340

350

Bar. My heart misgives me, that, to cross your love,

Math. What, is he gone unto my mother?

Bar. Nay, if you will, stay till she comes herself. Math. I cannot stay; for if my mother come, She'll die with grief.

[Exit.

Abig. I cannot take my leave of him for tears:
Father, why have you thus incensed them both?
Bar. What's that to thee?

Abig. I'll make 'em friends again.
Bar. You'll make 'em friends!
Are there not Jews enough in Malta,
But thou must doat upon a Christian?

Abig. I will have Don Mathias, he is my love.
Bar. Yes, you shall have him : go put her in.
Itha. I, I'll put her in.

360

[Puts her in.

Bar. Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this?
Itha. Faith, master, I think by this

You purchase both their lives; is it not so?

Bar. True; and it shall be cunningly performed. Itha. O master, that I might have a hand in this. Bar. I, so thou shalt, 'tis thou must do the deed: Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight,

And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.

Itha. 'Tis poisoned, is it not?

370

[Gives a letter.

Bar. No, no, and yet it might be done that way:

It is a challenge feigned from Lodowick.

Itha. Fear not; I will so set his heart afire,

That he shall verily think it comes from him.

380

Bar. I cannot choose but like thy readiness:

Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.

Itha. As I behave myself in this, employ me here

after.

Bar. Away then.

[Exit.

So, now will I go in to Lodowick,

And, like a cunning spirit, feign some lie,

Till I have set 'em both at enmity.

[Exit.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

Enter1 BELLAMIRA, a courtesan.

Bell. Since this town was besieged, my gain grows

cold :

The time has been that, but for one bare night,
A hundred ducats have been freely given :
But now against my will I must be chaste;
And yet I know my beauty doth not fail.
From Venice merchants, and from Padua
Were wont to come rare-witted gentlemen,
Scholars I mean, learnèd and liberal;

And now, save Pilia-Borza, comes there none,
And he is very seldom from my house e;

And here he comes.

Enter PILIA-BORZA.

Pilia. Hold thee, wench, there's something for thee to spend.

1 Bellamira displays herself on a balcony. Cf. a stage-direction in Brome's Covent Garden Weeded :-"Enter Dorcas above on a Bellconie. Gabriel gazes at her. Dorcas is habited like a curtizan of Venice."