ACT II.

Enter BARABAS, with a light.

BARABAS. Thus, like the sad-presaging raven, that tolls

The sick man’s passport in her hollow beak,

And in the shadow of the silent night

Doth shake contagion from her sable wings,

Vex’d and tormented runs poor Barabas

With fatal curses towards these Christians.

The incertain pleasures of swift-footed time

Have ta’en their flight, and left me in despair;

And of my former riches rests no more

But bare remembrance; like a soldier’s scar,

That has no further comfort for his maim.—

O Thou, that with a fiery pillar ledd’st

The sons of Israel through the dismal shades,

Light Abraham’s offspring; and direct the hand

Of Abigail this night! or let the day

Turn to eternal darkness after this!—

No sleep can fasten on my watchful eyes,

Nor quiet enter my distemper’d thoughts,

Till I have answer of my Abigail.

Enter ABIGAIL above.

ABIGAIL. Now have I happily espied a time

To search the plank my father did appoint;

And here, behold, unseen, where I have found

The gold, the pearls, and jewels, which he hid.

BARABAS. Now I remember those old women’s words,

Who in my wealth would tell me winter’s tales,

And speak of spirits and ghosts that glide by night

About the place where treasure hath been hid:

And now methinks that I am one of those;

For, whilst I live, here lives my soul’s sole hope,

And, when I die, here shall my spirit walk.

ABIGAIL. Now that my father’s fortune were so good

As but to be about this happy place!

‘Tis not so happy: yet, when we parted last,

He said he would attend me in the morn.

Then, gentle Sleep, where’er his body rests,

Give charge to Morpheus that he may dream

A golden dream, and of the sudden wake,

Come and receive the treasure I have found.

BARABAS. Bueno para todos mi ganado no era:

As good go on, as sit so sadly thus.—

But stay: what star shines yonder in the east?

The loadstar of my life, if Abigail.—

Who’s there?

ABIGAIL. Who’s that?

BARABAS. Peace, Abigail! ‘tis I.

ABIGAIL. Then, father, here receive thy happiness.

BARABAS. Hast thou’t?

ABIGAIL. Here.[throws down bags] Hast thou’t?

There’s more, and more, and more.

BARABAS. O my girl,

My gold, my fortune, my felicity,

Strength to my soul, death to mine enemy;

Welcome the first beginner of my bliss!

O Abigail, Abigail, that I had thee here too!

Then my desires were fully satisfied:

But I will practice thy enlargement thence:

O girl! O gold! O beauty! O my bliss!

[Hugs the bags.]

ABIGAIL. Father, it draweth towards midnight now,

And ‘bout this time the nuns begin to wake;

To shun suspicion, therefore, let us part.

BARABAS. Farewell, my joy, and by my fingers take

A kiss from him that sends it from his soul.

[Exit ABIGAIL above.]

Now, Phoebus, ope the eye-lids of the day.

And, for the raven, wake the morning lark,

That I may hover with her in the air,

Singing o’er these, as she does o’er her young.

Hermoso placer de los dineros.

[Exit.]

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

FERNEZE. Now, captain, tell us whither thou art bound?

Whence is thy ship that anchors in our road?

And why thou cam’st ashore without our leave?

MARTIN DEL BOSCO. Governor of Malta, hither am I bound;

My ship, the Flying Dragon, is of Spain,

And so am I; Del Bosco is my name,

Vice-admiral unto the Catholic King.

FIRST KNIGHT. ‘Tis true, my lord; therefore entreat him well.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO.

Our fraught is Grecians, Turks, and Afric Moors;

For late upon the coast of Corsica,

Because we vail’d not to the Turkish fleet,

Their creeping galleys had us in the chase:

But suddenly the wind began to rise,

And then we luff’d and tack’d, and fought at ease:

Some have we fir’d, and many have we sunk;

But one amongst the rest became our prize:

The captain’s slain; the rest remain our slaves,

Of whom we would make sale in Malta here.

FERNEZE. Martin del Bosco, I have heard of thee:

Welcome to Malta, and to all of us!

But to admit a sale of these thy Turks,

We may not, nay, we dare not give consent,

By reason of a tributary league.

FIRST KNIGHT. Del Bosco, as thou lov’st and honour’st us,

Persuade our governor against the Turk:

This truce we have is but in hope of gold,

And with that sum he craves might we wage war.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO. Will knights of Malta be in league with Turks,

And buy it basely too for sums of gold?

My lord, remember that, to Europe’s shame,

The Christian isle of Rhodes, from whence you came,

Was lately lost, and you were stated here

To be at deadly enmity with Turks.

FERNEZE. Captain, we know it; but our force is small.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO. What is the sum that Calymath requires?

FERNEZE. A hundred thousand crowns.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO. My lord and king hath title to this isle,

And he means quickly to expel you hence;

Therefore be rul’d by me, and keep the gold:

I’ll write unto his majesty for aid,

And not depart until I see you free.

FERNEZE. On this condition shall thy Turks be sold.—

Go, officers, and set them straight in show.—

[Exeunt OFFICERS.]

Bosco, thou shalt be Malta’s general;

We and our warlike knights will follow thee

Against these barbarous misbelieving Turks.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO. So shall you imitate those you succeed;

For, when their hideous force environ’d Rhodes,

Small though the number was that kept the town,

They fought it out, and not a man surviv’d

To bring the hapless news to Christendom.

FERNEZE. So will we fight it out: come, let’s away.

Proud daring Calymath, instead of gold,

We’ll send thee bullets wrapt in smoke and fire:

Claim tribute where thou wilt, we are resolv’d,—

Honour is bought with blood, and not with gold.

[Exeunt.]

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