PERSONS REPRESENTED.

MACHIAVEL, the Prologue.

BARABAS, the Jew.

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.
ITHAMORE, Barabas' Slave.

BASHAWS, KNIGHTS, OFFICERS, READER, &c.

ABIGAIL, the Jews' Daughter.

ABBESS.

Two NUNS.

BELLAMIRA, a Courtezan.

Scene Malta.

PROLOGUE. MACHIAVEL. Albeit the world thinks Machiavel

is dead, Yet was his soul but flown beyond the Alps, And now the Guise is dead, is come from France, To view this land, and frolick with his friends. To some perhaps my name is odious, But such as love me, guard me from their tongues, And let them know that I am Machiavel, And weigh not men, and therefore not men's words. Admir'd I am of those that hate me most. Though some speak openly against my books, Yet they will read me, and thereby attain To Peter's chair : and when they cast me off, Are poison’d by my climbing followers. I count religion but a childish toy, And hold there is no sin but ignorance. Birds of the air will tell of murders past; I am asham’d to hear such fooleries : Many will talk of title to a crown.

What right had Cæsar to the empire* ?
Might first made kings, and laws were then most

sure

When like the Draco's they were writ in blood.
Hence comes it, that a strong built citadel
Commands much more than letters can import;
Which maxim had Phalaris observ'd,
He had never bellow'd in a brazen búll,
Of great one's envy ; o'th' poor petty wights,
Let me be envy'd and not pitied !
But whither am I bound? I come not, I,
To read a lecture here in Britain,
But to present the tragedy of a Jew,
Who smiles to see how full his bags are cramm’d
Which money was not got without my means.
I crave but this---grace him as he deserves,
And let him not be entertain'd the worse
Because he favours me.

Empire. The termination ire, was commonly used as a dissyllable, as in the word fire, which is so used several times in Tamburlaine. In the same manner the word empire ought in this place to be pronounced as a trissyllable, or it may have been a misprint for empery, which is equally commonly written for empire.

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 summ'd and satisfied. As for those Samnites, and the men of Uz, That bought my Spanish oils, and wines of Greece, Here have I purst their paltry silverlings. Fie; what a trouble 'tis to count this trash. Well fare the Arabians, who so richly pay The things they traffic for with wedge of gold, Whereof a man may easily in a day Tell that which may maintain him all his life. The needy groom that never finger'd groat, Would make a miracle of thus much coin : But he whose steel-barr'd coffers are cramm'd full, And all his life-time hath been tired, Wearying his fingers' ends with telling it, Would in his age be loth to labour so, And for a pound to sweat himself to death. Give me the merchants of the Indian mines, That trade in metal of the purest mould ; The wealthy Moor, that in the eastern rocks Without controul can pick his riches up, And in his house heap pearl like pebble stones ; Receive them free, and sell them by the weight,

Bags of fiery opals, sapphires, amethysts,
Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds,
Beauteous rubies, sparkling diamonds,
And seld seen costly stones of so great price,
As one of them indifferently rated,
And of a carat of this quantity, -
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 judgement frame
Their means of traffic from the vulgar trade,
And as their wealth increaseth, so inclose
Infinite riches in a little room.
But now how stands the wind ?
Into what corner peers my halcyon's bill?
Ha! to the east ? yes: see how stand the vanes?
East and by south: why then I hope my ships
I sent for Egypt and the bordering isles
Are gotten up by Nilus winding banks :
Mine argosy from Alexandria,
Loaden with spice and silks, now under sail,
Are smoothly gliding down by Candy shore
To Malta, through our Mediterranean sea.
But who comes here? How now.

Enter a MERCHANT.
Merch. Barabas, thy ships are safe,
Riding in Malta Road : and all the merchants
With other merchandise are safe arriv'd,
And have sent me to know whether yourself
Will come and custom them.

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