The Complete Plays

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by Christopher Marlowe


  No, no,

  80 I drank of poppy and cold mandrake juice,

  And, being asleep, belike they thought me dead,

  And threw me o’er the walls. So, or how else,

  The Jew is here, and rests at your command.

  CALYMATH

  ’Twas bravely done. But tell me, Barabas,

  Canst thou, as thou reportest, make Malta ours?

  BARABAS

  Fear not, my lord, for here against the sluice

  The rock is hollow and of purpose digged

  To make a passage for the running streams

  And common channels of the city.

  90 Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls,

  I’ll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault,

  And rise with them i’th’middle of the town,

  Open the gates for you to enter in,

  And by this means the city is your own.

  CALYMATH

  If this be true, I’ll make thee governor.

  BARABAS

  And if it be not true, then let me die.

  CALYMATH

  Thou’st doomed thyself. Assault it presently.

  Exeunt.

  [Scene 2]

  Alarms. Enter [CALYMATH,] TURKS, [and] BARABAS,

  [with] FERNEZE and KNIGHTS prisoners.

  CALYMATH

  Now vail your pride, you captive Christians,

  And kneel for mercy to your conquering foe.

  Now where’s the hope you had of haughty Spain?

  Ferneze, speak. Had it not been much better

  To keep thy promise than be thus surprised?

  FERNEZE

  What should I say? We are captives and must yield.

  CALYMATH

  Ay, villains, you must yield, and under Turkish yokes

  Shall groaning bear the burden of our ire.

  And, Barabas, as erst we promised thee,

  For thy desert we make thee governor.

  10 Use them at thy discretion.

  BARABAS Thanks, my lord.

  FERNEZE

  O, fatal day, to fall into the hands

  Of such a traitor and unhallowed Jew!

  What greater misery could heaven inflict?

  CALYMATH

  ’Tis our command; and Barabas, we give,

  To guard thy person, these our janizaries;

  Entreat them well, as we have usèd thee.

  And now, brave bashaws, come, we’ll walk about

  The ruined town and see the wrack we made.

  20 Farewell, brave Jew, farewell, great Barabas.

  BARABAS

  May all good fortune follow Calymath!

  Exeunt [CALYMATH and BASHAWS].

  And now, as entrance to our safety,

  To prison with the governor and these

  Captains, his consorts and confederates.

  FERNEZE

  O villain, heaven will be revenged on thee!

  BARABAS

  Away, no more! Let him not trouble me.

  Exeunt [TURKS with FERNEZE and KNIGHTS].

  Thus hast thou gotten, by thy policy,

  No simple place, no small authority.

  I now am governor of Malta. True,

  30 But Malta hates me, and, in hating me,

  My life’s in danger; and what boots it thee,

  Poor Barabas, to be the governor,

  Whenas thy life shall be at their command?

  No, Barabas, this must be looked into;

  And since by wrong thou got’st authority,

  Maintain it bravely by firm policy,

  At least unprofitably lose it not.

  For he that liveth in authority,

  And neither gets him friends nor fills his bags,

  40 Lives like the ass that Aesop speaketh of,

  That labours with a load of bread and wine

  And leaves it off to snap on thistle tops.

  But Barabas will be more circumspect.

  Begin betimes; Occasion’s bald behind;

  Slip not thine opportunity, for fear too late

  Thou seek’st for much but canst not compass it.

  [Calling offstage]

  Within, there!

  Enter FERNEZE, with a GUARD [of TURKISH JANIZARIES].

  FERNEZE My lord?

  BARABAS [aside]

  Ay, ‘lord’; thus slaves will learn.

  [To him] Now, governor.

  [To the GUARD] Stand by, there.

  50

  Wait within.

  [Exit GUARD.]

  This is the reason that I sent for thee:

  Thou seest thy life and Malta’s happiness

  Are at my arbitrament, and Barabas

  At his discretion may dispose of both.

  Now tell me, governor, and plainly too,

  What think’st thou shall become of it and thee?

  FERNEZE

  This, Barabas: since things are in thy power,

  I see no reason but of Malta’s wrack,

  Nor hope of thee but extreme cruelty,

  Nor fear I death, nor will I flatter thee.

  60 BARABAS

  Governor, good words, be not so furious.

  ’Tis not thy life which can avail me aught.

  Yet you do live, and live for me you shall;

  And as for Malta’s ruin, think you not

  ’Twere slender policy for Barabas

  To dispossess himself of such a place?

  For sith, as once you said, within this isle,

  In Malta here, that I have got my goods,

  And in this city still have had success,

  And now at length am grown your governor,

  70 Yourselves shall see it shall not be forgot.

  For, as a friend not known but in distress,

  I’ll rear up Malta, now remediless.

  FERNEZE

  Will Barabas recover Malta’s loss?

  Will Barabas be good to Christians?

  BARABAS

  What wilt thou give me, governor, to procure

  A dissolution of the slavish bands

  Wherein the Turk hath yoked your land and you?

  What will you give me if I render you

  80 The life of Calymath, surprise his men,

  And in an outhouse of the city shut

  His soldiers till I have consumed ’em all with fire?

  What will you give him that procureth this?

  FERNEZE

  Do but bring this to pass which thou pretendest,

  Deal truly with us as thou intimatest,

  And I will send amongst the citizens

  And by my letters privately procure

  Great sums of money for thy recompense.

  Nay, more; do this, and live thou governor still.

  BARABAS

  90 Nay, do thou this, Ferneze, and be free.

  Governor, I enlarge thee. Live with me,

  Go walk about the city, see thy friends.

  Tush, send not letters to ’em, go thyself,

  And let me see what money thou canst make.

  Here is my hand that I’ll set Malta free.

  And thus we cast it: to a solemn feast

  I will invite young Selim Calymath,

  Where be thou present only to perform

  One stratagem that I’ll impart to thee,

  100 Wherein no danger shall betide thy life,

  And I will warrant Malta free for ever.

  FERNEZE

  Here is my hand. Believe me, Barabas,

  I will be there and do as thou desirest.

  When is the time?

  BARABAS Governor, presently.

  For Calymath, when he hath viewed the town,

  Will take his leave and sail toward Ottoman.

  FERNEZE

  Then will I, Barabas, about this coin,

  And bring it with me to thee in the evening.

  BARABAS

  Do so, but fail not. Now farewell, Ferneze.

  [Exit FERNEZE.]<
br />
  And thus far roundly goes the business.

  110 Thus, loving neither, will I live with both,

  Making a profit of my policy;

  And he from whom my most advantage comes

  Shall be my friend.

  This is the life we Jews are used to lead,

  And reason, too, for Christians do the like.

  Well, now about effecting this device:

  First, to surprise great Selim’s soldiers,

  And then to make provision for the feast,

  That at one instant all things may be done.

  120 My policy detests prevention.

  To what event my secret purpose drives,

  I know, and they shall witness with their lives.

  Exit.

  [Scene 3]

  Enter CALYMATH [and] BASHAWS.

  CALYMATH

  Thus have we viewed the city, seen the sack,

  And caused the ruins to be new repaired,

  Which with our bombards’ shot and basilisks

  We rent in sunder at our entry.

  And, now I see the situation,

  And how secure this conquered island stands

  Environed with the Mediterranean Sea,

  Strong countermured with other petty isles,

  And, toward Calabria, backed by Sicily

  (Where Syracusian Dionysius reigned),

  10 Two lofty turrets that command the town –

  I wonder how it could be conquered thus.

  Enter a MESSENGER.

  MESSENGER

  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.

  CALYMATH

  20 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.

  MESSENGER

  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 valued but indifferently,

  30 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.

  CALYMATH

  I cannot feast my men in Malta walls,

  Except he place his tables in the streets.

  MESSENGER

  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 bashaws and brave followers.

  CALYMATH

  40 Well, tell the governor we grant his suit.

  We’ll in this summer evening feast with him.

  MESSENGER I shall, my lord.

  Exit [MESSENGER].

  CALYMATH

  And now, bold bashaws, let us to our tents,

  And meditate how we may grace us best

  To solemnize our governor’s great feast.

  Exeunt.

  [Scene 4]

  Enter FERNEZE, KNIGHTS, [and MARTIN] DEL BOSCO.

  FERNEZE

  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, kindled thus;

  Then issue out and come to rescue me,

  For happily I shall be in distress,

  Or you releasèd of this servitude.

  FIRST KNIGHT

  Rather than thus to live as Turkish thralls,

  What will we not adventure?

  FERNEZE

  On then, begone.

  10 FIRST KNIGHT Farewell, grave governor.

  [Exeunt.]

  [Scene 5]

  Enter [BARABAS] with a hammer above, very busy, [and CARPENTERS].

  BARABAS

  How stand the cords? How hang these hinges, fast?

  Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?

  CARPENTER All fast.

  BARABAS

  Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.

  Why, now I see that you have art indeed.

  [He gives money.]

  There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you.

  Go swill in bowls of sack and muscadine;

  Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.

  CARPENTER

  We shall, my lord, and thank you.

  Exeunt [CARPENTERS].

  BARABAS

  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.

  Enter MESSENGER.

  Now, sirrah, what, will he come?

  MESSENGER

  He will, and has commanded all his men

  To come ashore and march through Malta streets,

  That thou mayst feast them in thy citadel.

  [Exit MESSENGER.]

  BARABAS

  Then now are all things as my wish would have ’em.

  There wanteth nothing but the governor’s pelf –

  Enter FERNEZE [to BARABAS, with a bag of money],

  And see, he brings it. Now, governor, the sum?

  FERNEZE

  20 With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds.

  BARABAS

  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,

  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,

  30 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.

  [He gives FERNEZE a knife.]

  Here, hold that knife, and when thou seest he comes,

  And with his bashaws shall be blithely set,

  A warning-piece shall be shot off from the tower

  To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord

  40 And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave?

  FERNEZE

  O, excellent! [He offers the bag of money.]

  Here, hold thee, Barabas.

  I trust thy word. Take what I promised thee.

  BARABAS

  No, governor, I’ll satisfy thee first.

  Thou shalt not live in doubt of anything.

  Stand close, for here they come. [FERNEZE hides himself.]

  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.

  50 Enter CALYMATH and BASHAWS.

  CALYMATH

  Come, my companion bashaws, see, I pray,

  How busy Barabas is there above

  To entertain us in his gallery.

  Let us salute him. Save thee, Barabas!

  BARABAS

&nbs
p; Welcome, great Calymath.

  FERNEZE [aside]

  How the slave jeers at him!

  BARABAS

  Will’t please thee, mighty Selim Calymath,

  To ascend our homely stairs?

  CALYMATH Ay, Barabas.

  Come, bashaws, attend.

  FERNEZE [coming forward]

  Stay, Calymath!

  60 For I will show thee greater courtesy

  Than Barabas would have afforded thee.

  FIRST KNIGHT [within]

  Sound a charge there!

  A charge [sounded], the cable cut, a cauldron discovered

  [into which BARABAS falls].

  [Enter MARTIN DEL BOSCO and KNIGHTS.]

  CALYMATH

  How now, what means this?

  BARABAS

  Help, help me, Christians, help!

  FERNEZE

  See, Calymath, this was devised for thee.

  CALYMATH

  Treason, treason! Bashaws, fly!

  FERNEZE

  No, Selim, do not fly.

  See his end first, and fly then if thou canst.

  BARABAS

  O, help me, Selim, help me, Christians!

  70 Governor, why stand you all so pitiless?

  FERNEZE

  Should I, in pity of thy plaints or thee,

  Accursèd Barabas, base Jew, relent?

  No, thus I’ll see thy treachery repaid,

  But wish thou hadst behaved thee otherwise.

  BARABAS

  You will not help me, then?

  FERNEZE No, villain, no.

  BARABAS

  And, villains, know you cannot help me now.

  Then, Barabas, breathe forth thy latest fate,

  And in the fury of thy torments strive

  To end thy life with resolution.

  Know, governor, ’twas I that slew thy son;

  80 I framed the challenge that did make them meet.

  Know, Calymath, I aimed thy overthrow,

  And had I but escaped this stratagem,

  I would have brought confusion on you all,

  Damned Christians, dogs, and Turkish infidels!

  But now begins the extremity of heat

  To pinch me with intolerable pangs.

  Die, life! Fly, soul! Tongue, curse thy fill and die!

  [He dies.]

  CALYMATH

  Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?

  FERNEZE

  This train he laid to have entrapped thy life.

  90 Now, Selim, note the unhallowed deeds of Jews:

  Thus he determined to have handled thee,

  But I have rather chose to save thy life.

  CALYMATH

  Was this the banquet he prepared for us?

  Let’s hence, lest further mischief be pretended.

  FERNEZE

  Nay, Selim, stay, for since we have thee here,

  We will not let thee part so suddenly.

  Besides, if we should let thee go, all’s one,

  For with thy galleys couldst thou not get hence

 

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