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?
_Gov._ Do but bring this to pa.s.s which thou pretend"st,[148]
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. 90
_Bar._ 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.
_Gov._ Here is my hand, believe me, Barabas, I will be there, and do as thou desirest; When is the time?
_Bar._ Governor, presently.
For Calymath, when he hath viewed the town, Will take his leave and sail towards Ottoman.
_Gov._ Then will I, Barabas, about this coin, And bring it with me to thee in the evening. 110
_Bar._ Do so, but fail not; now farewell, Ferneze: [_Exit_ Governor.
And thus far roundly goes the business: 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, 120 And then to make provision for the feast, That at one instant all things may be done: My policy detests prevention: To what event my secret purpose drives, I know; and they shall witness with their lives.
[_Exit._
SCENE III.
_Enter_ CALYMATH _and_ Ba.s.soes.
_Caly._ Thus have we viewed the city, seen the sack, And caused the ruins to be new repaired, Which with our bombards"[149] shot and basilisk[s][150]
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 countermined with other petty isles;
And,[151] 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.
_Mess._ 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.
_Caly._ To banquet with him in his citadel? 20 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.
_Mess._ Selim, for that, thus saith the Governor, That he hath in [his] store a pearl so big, So precious, and withal so orient, As, be it valued but indifferently, The price thereof will serve to entertain 30 Selim and all his soldiers for a month; Therefore he humbly would entreat your highness Not to depart till he has feasted you.
_Caly._ I cannot feast my men in Malta walls, Except he place his tables in the streets.
_Mess._ 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 ba.s.soes and brave followers.
_Caly._ Well, tell the Governor we grant his suit, 40 We"ll in this summer evening feast with him.
_Mess._ I shall, my lord. [_Exit._
_Caly._ And now, bold ba.s.soes, let us to our tents, And meditate how we may grace us best To solemise our Governor"s great feast.
[_Exeunt._
SCENE IV.
_Enter_[152] Governor, Knights, _and_ DEL BOSCO.
_Gov._ 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,[153] kindled thus; Then issue out and come to rescue me, For happily I shall be in distress, Or you released of this servitude.
_Knight._ Rather than thus to live as Turkish thralls What will we not adventure?
_Gov._ On then, begone.
_Knight_. Farewell, grave Governor! [_Exeunt._ 11
SCENE V.
_Enter,_[154] _above,_ BARABAS, _with a hammer, very busy; and_ Carpenters.
_Bar._ How stand the cords? How hang these hinges? fast?
Are all the cranes and pulleys sure?
_First Carp._[155] All fast.
_Bar._ Leave nothing loose, all levelled to my mind.
Why now I see that you have art indeed.
There, carpenters, divide that gold amongst you: Go swill in bowls of sack and muscadine!
Down to the cellar, taste of all my wines.
_Carp._ We shall, my lord, and thank you. [_Exeunt._
_Bar._ 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.
Now, sirrah, what, will he come?
_Enter_ Messenger.
_Mess._ He will; and has commanded all his men To come ash.o.r.e, and march through Malta streets, That thou mayest feast them in thy citadel.
_Bar._ Then now are all things as my wish would have "em, There wanteth nothing but the Governor"s pelf, And see, he brings it. 20
_Enter_ Governor.
Now, Governor, the sum.
_Gov._ With free consent, a hundred thousand pounds.
_Bar._ 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 take 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, 30 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, And with his ba.s.soes shall be blithely set, 40 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?