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.

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.

PLOT

Enter FERNEZE.

Now governor, the sum?

Fern.

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? GOES TO

Fern. O, 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 anything.
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!

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 show thee greater courtesy

Than Barabas would have afforded thee.

Knight. [within] Sound a charge there!

[Aside.

[A charge sounded within: Ferneze cuts the cord; the floor of the gallery gives way, and Barabas falls into a cauldron placed in a pit.

Enter Knights and MARTIN DEL Bosco.

Caly. How now! what means this?

Bara. Help, help me, Christians, help!

Fern. See, Calymath! this was devis'd for thee.
Caly. Treason, treason! bassoes, fly!

Fern. No, Selim, do not fly:

See his end first, and fly then if thou canst. Bara. O, help me, Selim! help me, Christians! Governor, why stand you all so pitiless? Fern. Should I in pity of thy plaints or thee, Accursed Barabas, base Jew, relent?

No, thus I'll see thy treachery repaid,

But wish thou hadst behav'd thee otherwise.

Bara. You will not help me, then?

Fern. No, villain, no.

Bara. 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,--
I fram'd the challenge that did make them meet:
Know, Calymath, I aim'd thy overthrow:
And, had I but escap'd this stratagem,

I would have brought confusion on you all,
Damn'd Christian 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!

Caly. Tell me, you Christians, what doth this portend?
Fern. This train he laid to have entrapp'd thy life;
Now, Selim, note the unhallow'd deeds of Jews;
Thus he determin'd to have handled thee,
But I have rather chose to save thy life.
Caly. Was this the banquet he prepar'd for us?
Let's hence, lest further mischief be pretended.
Fern. 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,
Without fresh men to rig and furnish them.

Caly. Tush, governor, take thou no care for that;

My men are all aboard,

And do attend my coming there by this.

[Dies.

Fern. Why, heard'st thou not the trumpet sound a charge? Caly. Yes, what of that?

Fern. Why, then the house was fir'd,

Blown up, and all thy soldiers massacred.

Caly. O, monstrous treason!

Fern. A Jew's courtesy;

For he that did by treason work our fall,

By treason hath deliver'd thee to us:

Know, therefore, till thy father hath made good
The ruins done to Malta and to us,

Thou canst not part; for Malta shall be freed,
Or Selim ne'er return to Ottoman.

Caly. Nay, rather, Christians, let me go to Turkey,
In person there to mediate your peace:

To keep me here will naught advantage you.
Fern. Content thee, Calymath, here thou must stay,
And live in Malta prisoner; for come all the world
To rescue thee, so will we guard us now,
As sooner shall they drink the ocean dry,
Than conquer Malta, or endanger us.
So, march away; and let due praise begin
Neither to Fate nor Fortune, but to Heaven.

[Exeunt.

LIGHTBORN.

KENT, brother to KING EDWARD SIR JOHN OF HAINAULT.

THE SECOND.

GAVESTON.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.

BISHOP OF COVENTRY.

BISHOP OF WINCHESTER.

LEVUNE.

RICE AP HOWEL.

WARWICK.

LANCASTER.

PEMBROKE.

ARUNDEL.

LEICESTER.

BERKELEY.

MORTIMER the elder.

MORTIMER the younger, his nephew.
SPENSER the elder.

SPENSER the younger, his son.
BALDOCK.

BEAUMONT.

Аввот.

MONKS.

HERALD.

LORDS, POOR ΜΕΝ, JAMES,
MOWER, CHAMPION, MESSEN-
GERS, SOLDIERS, and ATTEN-

DANTS.

QUEEN ISABELLA, wife to KING
EDWARD THE SECOND.

NIECE to KING EDWARD THE
SECOND, daughter to the DUKE
OF GLOCESTER.
LADIES.

Enter GAVESTON, reading a letter.

Gav. My father is deceas'd. Come, Gaveston,
And share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.
Ah, words that make me surfeit with delight!
What greater bliss can hap to Gaveston
Than live and be the favourite of a king!

Sweet prince, I come! these, these thy amorous lines
Might have enforc'd me to have swum from France,
And, like Leander, gasp'd upon the sand,

So thou wouldst smile, and take me in thine arms.
The sight of London to my exil'd eyes
Is as Elysium to a new-come soul:
Not that I love the city or the men,
But that it harbours him I hold so dear,-
The king, upon whose bosom let me lie,
And with the world be still at enmity.