(Where Syracusian Dionysius reign'd), Two lofty turrets that command the town, I wonder how it could be conquer'd 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 pillag'd, Will be too costly and too troublesome : Yet would I gladly visit Barabas, For well has Barabas deserv'd of us.

MESS. Selim, for that, thus saith the governor, That he hath in store a pearl so big, So precious, and withal so orient, As, be it valu'd but indifferently, The price thereof will serve to entertain Selim and all his soldiers for a month; 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 out-house 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.

[Exit. CALY. And now, bold bassoes, let us to our tents,

And meditate how we may grace us best,

To solemnize our governor's great feast.

[Exeunt.

Enter FERNEZE*, KNIGHTS, and MARTIN DEL

Bosco.

FERN. In this, my countrymen, be rul'd by me:

Have special care that no man sally forth

Till you shall hear a culverin discharg'd

By him that bears the linstock †, kindled thus;
Then issue out and come to rescue me,

For hapily I shall be in distress,

FIRST KNIGHT. Rather than thus to live as Turkish

thralls,

What will we not adventure?

FERN. On, then; begone.

KNIGHTS. Farewell, grave governor.

[Exeunt, on one side, Knights and Martin Del

Bosco; on the other, Ferneze.

*Enter Ferneze, &c.] Scene, a street.

+ linstock] "i.e. the long match with which cannon are fired." STEEVENS (apud Dodsley's O. P.).

Enter, above 1, BARABAS, with a hammer, very busy; and Carpenters.

BARA. How stand the cords? how hang these hinges? fast?

Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?

FIRST CARP*. All fast.

BARA. Leave nothing loose, all levell'd to my mind.
Why, now I see that you have art, indeed :
There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you;
[Giving money.

Go, swill in bowls of sack and muscadine;
Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.
FIRST CARP. We shall, my lord, and thank you.
[Exeunt Carpenters.

BARA. And, if you like them, drink your fill and

die;

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

Enter MESSEnger.

Now, sirrah; what, will he come?

MESS. He will; and has commanded all his men To come ashore, and march through Malta-streets, That thou mayst feast them in thy citadel.

Enter, above, &c.] Scene, a hall in the Citadel, with a gallery,

First Carp.] Old ed. here "Serv."; but it gives "Carp." as the prefix to the second speech after this.

BARA. Then now are all things as my wish would

have 'em ;

There wanteth nothing but the governor's pelf;

And see, he brings it.

Enter FERNeze.

Now, governor, the sum?

FERN. With free consent, a hundred thousand

pounds.

BARA. 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 partake my policy.
First, for his army, they are sent before,
Enter'd the monastery, and underneath
In several places are field-pieces pitch'd,
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,

[Throws down a knife.

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?
FERN. Oh, excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas;
I trust thy word; take what I promis'd thee.
BARA. No, governor; I'll satisfy thee first;
Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing.
Stand close, for here they come.

[Ferneze 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
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!

BARA. Welcome, great Calymath!

FERN. How the slave jeers at him!

[Aside.

BARA. Will't please thee, mighty Selim Calymath, To ascend our homely stairs?

CALY. Ay, Barabas.—Come, bassoes, ascend†.
FERN. [coming forward] Stay, Calymath;

For I will shew thee greater courtesy