Enter FERNEZE, 179 KNIGHTS, MARTIN DEL BOSCO, and OFFICERS.

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.

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
BARABAS. [rising] What, all alone! well fare, sleepy drink!
I'll be reveng'd on this accursed town;
For by my means Calymath shall enter in:
I'll help to slay their children and their wives,
To fire the churches, pull their houses down,
Take my goods too, and seize upon my lands.
I hope to see the governor a slave,
And, rowing in a galley, whipt to death.

Enter CALYMATH, BASSOES, 182 and TURKS.

CALYMATH. Whom have we there? a spy?

BARABAS. Yes, my good lord, one that can spy a place
Where you may enter, and surprize the town:
My name is Barabas; I am a Jew.

CALYMATH. Art thou that Jew whose goods we heard were sold
For tribute-money?

BARABAS. The very same, my lord:
And since that time they have hir'd a slave, my man,
To accuse me of a thousand villanies:
I was imprisoned, but scap [']d their hands.

CALYMATH. Didst break prison?

BARABAS. No, no:
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 report'st, make Malta ours?

BARABAS. Fear not, my lord; for here, against the trench, 183 The rock is hollow, and of purpose digg'd,
To make a passage for the running streams
And common channels 184 of the city.
Now, whilst you give assault unto the walls,
I'll lead five hundred soldiers through the vault,
And rise with them i' the 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 doom'd thyself.—Assault it presently.
[Exeunt.]

Alarums within. Enter CALYMATH, 185 BASSOES, TURKS, and
BARABAS; with FERNEZE and KNIGHTS prisoners.

CALYMATH. Now vail 186 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 kept 187 thy promise than be thus surpris'd?

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 promis'd thee,
For thy desert we make thee governor;
Use them at thy discretion.

BARABAS. Thanks, my lord.

FERNEZE. O fatal day, to fall into the hands
Of such a traitor and unhallow'd Jew!
What greater misery could heaven inflict?

CALYMATH. 'Tis our command:—and, Barabas, we give,
To guard thy person, these our Janizaries:
Entreat 188 them well, as we have used thee.—
And now, brave bassoes, 189 come; we'll walk about
The ruin'd town, and see the wreck we made.—
Farewell, brave Jew, farewell, great Barabas!

BARABAS. May all good fortune follow Calymath!
[Exeunt CALYMATH and BASSOES.]
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 reveng'd on thee.

BARABAS. Away! no more; let him not trouble me.
[Exeunt TURKS with FERNEZE and KNIGHTS.]
Thus hast thou gotten, 190 by thy policy,
No simple place, no small authority:
I now am governor of

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