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BAR. Thou know'st, and heaven can witness this

is true,

That I intend my daughter shall be thine.

MATH. Aye, Barabas, or else thou wrong'st me much.

BAR. Oh, heaven forbid I should have such a
thought.

Pardon me though I weep; the governor's son
Will, whether I will or no, have Abigail :
He sends her letters, bracelets, jewels, rings.
MATH. Does she receive them?

BAR. She? No, Mathias, no, but sends them
back,

And when he comes, she locks herself up fast :
Yet through the key-hole will he talk to her,
While she runs to the window looking out,
When you
should come and hale him from the door.
MATH. O treacherous Lodowick!

BAR. Even now as I came home, he slipt me in, And I am sure he is with Abigail.

MATH. I'll rouze him thence.

BAR. Not for all Malta, therefore sheath your

sword;

If you love me, no quarrels in my house;
But steal you in, and seem to see him not;
I'll give him such a warning e'er he goes
As he shall have small hopes of Abigail.

Away, for here they come.

Enter LODOWICK, ABIGAIL.

MATH. What hand in hand, I cannot suffer this.

BAR. Mathias, as thou lov'st me, not a word. MATH. Well, let it pass, another time shall serve.

[Exit.

LOD. Barabas, is not that the widow's son?
BAR. Aye, and take heed, for he hath sworn your

death.

LOD. My death? what is the base born peasant mad?

BAR. No, no, but hapily he stands in fear Of that which you, I think, ne'er dream upon, My daughter here, a paltry silly girl.

LOD. Why, loves she Don Mathias?

will.

BAR. Doth she not with her smiling answer you?
ABIG. He has my heart, I smile against my
LOD. Barabas, thou know'st I have lov'd thy
daughter long.

BAR. And so has she done you, even from a child.
LOD. And now I can no longer hold my mind.
BAR. Nor I the affection that I bear to you.
LOD. This is thy diamond, tell me, shall I have it?
BAR. Win it, and wear it, it is yet unsoil'd.
Oh! but I know your lordship would disdain
To marry with the daughter of a Jew:
And yet I'll give her many a golden cross
With christian posies round about the ring.
LOD. 'Tis not thy wealth, but her that I esteem,
Yet crave I thy consent.

BAR. And mine you have, yet let me talk to her; This offspring of Cain, this Jebusite,

That never tasted of the Passover,

Nor e'er shall see the land of Canaan,
Nor our Messias that is yet to come,
This gentle maggot, Lodowick, I mean,
Must be deluded: let him have thy hand,

[Aside.

But keep thy heart till Don Mathias comes.

ABIG. What, shall I be betroth'd to Lodowick ?
BAR. It's no sin to deceive a Christian;

For they themselves hold it a principle,
Faith is not to be held with hereticks;
But all are hereticks that are not Jews;

This follows well, and therefore, daughter, fear not.
I have intreated her, and she will grant.

[To Lodowick. LOD. Then, gentle Abigail, plight thy faith to me. ABIG. I cannot chuse, seeing my father bids: Nothing but death shall part my love and me.

LOD. Now have I that for which my soul hath long'd.

BAR. So have not I, but yet I hope I shall.

[Aside. ABIG. Oh wretched Abigail, what hast thou

done?

LOD. Why on the sudden is your colour chang'd? ABIG. I know not, but farewell, I must be gone.

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BAR. Stay her, but let her not speak one word

more.

LOD. Mute o' the sudden; here's a sudden change.

BAR. Oh, muse not at it, 'tis the Hebrew's guise, That maidens new betroth'd should weep awhile:

Trouble her not, sweet Lodowick depart:
She is thy wife, and thou shalt be mine heir.
LOD. Oh, is't the custom, then I am resolv'd:
But rather let the brightsome heavens be dim,
And nature's beauty choke with stifling clouds,
Than my fair Abigail should frown on me.
There comes the villain, now I'll be reveng'd.
Enter MATHIAS.

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BAR. Be quiet Lodowick, it is enough That I have made thee sure to Abigail.

LOD. Well, let him go.

[Exit.

BAR. Well, but for me, as you went in at doors
You had been stabb'd, but not a word on't now;
Here must no speeches pass, nor swords be drawn.
MATH. Suffer me, Barabas, but to follow him.
BAR. No; so shall I, if any hurt be done,
Be made an accessory of your deeds;

Revenge it on him when you meet him next.
MATH. For this I'll have his heart.

BAR. Do so; lo here I give thee Abigail.
MATH. What greater gift can poor Mathias have?
Shall Lodowick rob me of so fair a love?

My life is not so dear as Abigail?

BAR. My heart misgives me, that to cross your love,

He's with your mother, therefore after him.

MATH. What, is he gone

unto my

mother?

BAR. Nay, if you will, stay till she comes herself.
MATH. I cannot stay; for if my mother come,

[Exit.

She'll die with grief.

ABIG. I cannot take my leave of him for tears: Father, why have you thus incens'd them both?

BAR. What's that to thee?

ABIG. I'll make 'em friends again.
BAR. You'll make 'em friends!
Are there not Jews enough in Malta.
But thou must doat upon a Christian?

ABIG. I will have Don Mathias, he is my love.
BAR. Yes, you shall have him: go, put her in.
ITHA. Aye, I'll put her in.

BAR. Now tell me, Ithamore, how lik'st thou this?

ITHA. Faith, master, I think by this

You purchase both their lives; is it not so?

BAR. True; and it shall be cunningly perform'd. ITHA. Oh, master, that I might have a hand in this.

BAR. Aye, so thou shalt, 'tis thou must do the deed :

Take this, and bear it to Mathias straight,

And tell him that it comes from Lodowick.
ITHA. 'Tis poison'd, is it not?

BAR. No, no, and yet it might be done that way :

It is a challenge feign'd from Lodowick.

ITHA. Fear not, I'll so set his heart a fire, that he

Shall verily think it comes from him.

BAR. I cannot choose but like thy readiness: Yet be not rash, but do it cunningly.

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