________________________________________________
_ ACT V - SCENE I
Enter FERNEZE, [179] KNIGHTS, MARTIN DEL BOSCO, and OFFICERS.
[Footnote 179: Enter Ferneze, &c.: Scene, the interior of the Council-house.]
FERNEZE.
Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms,
And see that Malta be well fortified;
And it behoves you to be resolute;
For Calymath, having hover'd here so long,
Will win the town, or die before the walls.
FIRST KNIGHT.
And die he shall; for we will never yield.
[Enter BELLAMIRA and PILIA-BORZA.]
BELLAMIRA.
O, bring us to the governor!
FERNEZE.
Away with her! she is a courtezan.
BELLAMIRA.
Whate'er I am, yet, governor, hear me speak:
I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain:
Mathias did it not; it was the Jew.
PILIA-BORZA.
Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen,
Poison'd his own daughter and the nuns,
Strangled a friar, and I know not what
Mischief beside.
FERNEZE.
Had we but proof of this----
BELLAMIRA.
Strong proof, my lord: his man's now at my lodging,
That was his agent; he'll confess it all.
FERNEZE.
Go fetch him [180] straight [Exeunt OFFICERS].
I always fear'd that Jew.
[Re-enter OFFICERS with BARABAS and ITHAMORE.]
[Footnote 180: him: Qy. "'em"?]
BARABAS.
I'll go alone; dogs, do not hale me thus.
ITHAMORE.
Nor me neither; I cannot out-run you, constable.--O, my belly!
BARABAS.
One dram of powder more had made all sure:
What a damn'd slave was I!
[Aside.]
FERNEZE.
Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetch'd.
FIRST KNIGHT.
Nay, stay, my lord; 't may be he will confess.
BARABAS.
Confess! what mean you, lords? who should confess?
FERNEZE.
Thou and thy Turk; 'twas that slew my son.
ITHAMORE.
Guilty, my lord, I confess. Your son and Mathias
were both contracted unto Abigail:
[he] forged a counterfeit challenge.
BARABAS.
Who carried that challenge?
ITHAMORE.
I carried it, I confess; but who writ it? marry,
even he that strangled Barnardine, poisoned the
nuns and his own daughter.
FERNEZE.
Away with him! his sight is death to me.
BARABAS.
For what, you men of Malta? hear me speak.
She is a courtezan, and he a thief,
And he my bondman: let me have law;
For none of this can prejudice my life.
FERNEZE.
Once more, away with him!--You shall have law.
BARABAS.
Devils, do your worst!--I['ll] live in spite of you.--
[Aside.]
As these have spoke, so be it to their souls!--
I hope the poison'd flowers will work anon.
[Aside.]
[Exeunt OFFICERS with BARABAS and ITHAMORE; BELLAMIRA, and PILIA-BORZA.]
[Enter KATHARINE.]
KATHARINE.
Was my Mathias murder'd by the Jew?
Ferneze, 'twas thy son that murder'd him.
FERNEZE.
Be patient, gentle madam: it was he;
He forg'd the daring challenge made them fight.
KATHARINE.
Where is the Jew? where is that murderer?
FERNEZE.
In prison, till the law has pass'd on him.
[Re-enter FIRST OFFICER.]
FIRST OFFICER.
My lord, the courtezan and her man are dead;
So is the Turk and Barabas the Jew.
FERNEZE.
Dead!
FIRST OFFICER.
Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body.
MARTIN DEL BOSCO.
This sudden death of his is very strange.
[Re-enter OFFICERS, carrying BARABAS as dead.]
FERNEZE.
Wonder not at it, sir; the heavens are just;
Their deaths were like their lives; then think not of 'em.--
Since they are dead, let them be buried:
For the Jew's body, throw that o'er the walls,
To be a prey for vultures and wild beasts.--
So, now away and fortify the town.
[Exeunt all, leaving BARABAS on the floor.] [181]
[Footnote 181: Exeunt all, leaving Barabas on the floor: Here the audience were to suppose that Barabas had been thrown over the walls, and that the stage now represented the outside of the city.] _
Read next: Act 5 - Scene 2
Read previous: Act 4 - Scene 6
Table of content of Jew of Malta
GO TO TOP OF SCREEN
Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book
