And,1 toward Calabria, backed by Sicily,
(Where Syracusian Dionysius reigned,)
Two lofty turrets that command the town;
I wonder how it could be conquered thus?

Enter a Messenger.

Mess. From Barabas, Malta's governor, I bring
A message unto mighty Calymath;
Hearing his sovereign was bound for sea,
To sail to Turkey, to great Ottoman,
He humbly would entreat your majesty
To come and see his homely citadel,
And banquet with him ere thou leav'st the isle.
Caly. To banquet with him in his citadel?

I fear me, messenger, to feast my train
Within a town of war so lately pillaged,
Will be too costly and too troublesome :
Yet would I gladly visit Barabas,

For well has Barabas deserved of us.

Mess. Selim, for that, thus saith the Governor,
That he hath in [his] store a pearl so big,
So precious, and withal so orient,
As, be it valued but indifferently,
The price thereof will serve to entertain
Selim and all his soldiers for a month;

1 Old ed.

And toward Calabria back'd by Sicily,
Two lofty Turrets that command the Towne.
When Siracusian Dionisius reign'd;

I wonder how it could be conquer'd thus."
The correction was made by the editor of 1826.

10

20

30

Therefore he humbly would entreat your highness
Not to depart till he has feasted you.

Caly. I cannot feast my men in Malta walls,
Except he place his tables in the streets.

Mess. Know, Selim, that there is a monastery
Which standeth as an outhouse to the town:
There will he banquet them, but thee at home,
With all thy bassoes and brave followers.

Caly. Well, tell the Governor we grant his suit,
We'll in this summer evening feast with him.
Mess. I shall, my lord.

40

[Exit.

Caly. And now, bold bassoes, let us to our tents, And meditate how we may grace us best

To solemise our Governor's great feast.

[Exeunt.

SCENE IV.

Enter1 Governor, Knights, and DEL BOSCO.

Gov. In this, my countrymen, be ruled by me,
Have special care that no man sally forth
Till you shall hear a culverin discharged
By him that bears the linstock,2 kindled thus;
Then issue out and come to rescue me,

For happily I shall be in distress,

Or you released of this servitude.

Knight. Rather than thus to live as Turkish thralls What will we not adventure?

1 Scene: a street.

2 The stick that held the gunner's match.

Gov. On then, begone.

Knight, Farewell, grave Governor !

[Exeunt. 11

SCENE V.

Enter, above, BARABAS, with a hammer, very busy ; and Carpenters.

Bar. How stand the cords? How hang these hinges? fast?

Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?

First Carp. All fast.

Bar. Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.
Why now I see that you have art indeed.

There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you:
Go swill in bowls of sack and muscadine!
Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.

Carp. We shall, my lord, and thank you.

[Exeunt.

Bar. And, if you like them, drink your fill and die: 10

For so I live, perish may all the world.
Now Selim Calymath return me word
That thou wilt come, and I am satisfied.

Now, sirrah, what, will he come?

Enter Messenger.

Mess. He will; and has commanded all his men To come ashore, and march through Malta streets,

That thou mayest feast them in thy citadel.

Bar. Then now are all things as my wish would have

'em,

1 Scene: the hall of the Governor's house. Barabas is in the gallery. 2 Old ed. "Serv."

There wanteth nothing but the Governor's pelf,

And see, he brings it.

Enter Governor.

20

Now, Governor, the sum.

Gov. With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds. Bar. Pounds say'st thou, Governor? well, since it is

no more,

I'll satisfy myself with that; nay, keep it still,
For if I keep not promise, trust not me.
And, Governor, now take my policy :
First, for his army, they are sent before,
Entered the monastery, and underneath
In several places are field-pieces pitched,
Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder,
That on the sudden shall dissever it,
And batter all the stones about their ears,
Whence none can possibly escape alive :
Now as for Calymath and his consorts,
Here have I made a dainty gallery,
The floor whereof, this cable being cut,
Doth fall asunder; so that it doth sink.

Into a deep pit past recovery.

Here, hold that knife, and when thou seest he comes,
And with his bassoes shall be blithely set,

A warning-piece shall be shot off from the tower,
To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord
And fire the house; say, will not this be brave?
Gov. O excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas,
I trust thy word, take what I promised thee,

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40

Bar. No, Governor, I'll satisfy thee first, Thou shalt not live in doubt of anything.

Stand close, for here they come [Governor retires]. Why,

is not this

A kingly kind of trade to purchase towns

By treachery and sell 'em by deceit ?

Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sun 1

If greater falsehood ever has been done?

Enter CALYMATH and Bassoes.

Caly. Come, my companion bassoes; see, I pray, How busy Barabas is there above

To entertain us in his gallery;

Let us salute him. Save thee, Barabas!

Bar. Welcome, great Calymath!

Gov. How the slave jeers at him.

50

[Aside.

60

Bar. Will 't please thee, mighty Selim Calymath,

To ascend our homely stairs?

Caly. I, Barabas;

Come, bassoes, attend.2

Gov. Stay, Calymath!

For I will show thee greater courtesy

Than Barabas would have afforded thee. Knight [within]. Sound a charge there! [A charge; the cable cut.

dron.

BARABAS falls into a calEnter MARTIN DEL Bosco and Knights.3

1 Old ed. "summe."

2 Dyce reads "ascend."

3 The stage-direction in old ed. is "A charge, the cable cut. A caldron discovered." In Scene 4 the Governor had directed the Knights and Del Bosco to issue out at the discharge of the culverin.