The Jew of Malta | Page 8

She-asses: but for every one of those, Had they been valu'd at indifferent rate, I had at home, and in mine argosy, And other ships that came from Egypt last, As much as would have bought his beasts and him, And yet have kept enough to live upon; So that not he, but I, may curse the day, Thy fatal birth-day, forlorn Barabas; And henceforth wish for an eternal night, That clouds of darkness may inclose my flesh, And hide these extreme sorrows from mine eyes; For only I have toil'd to inherit here The months of vanity, and loss of time, And painful nights, have been appointed me.
SECOND JEW. Good Barabas, be patient.
BARABAS. Ay, I pray, leave me in my patience. You, that Were ne'er possess'd of wealth, are pleas'd with want; But give him liberty at least to mourn, That in a field, amidst his enemies, Doth see his soldiers slain, himself disarm'd, And knows no means of his recovery: Ay, let me sorrow for this sudden chance; 'Tis in the trouble of my spirit I speak: Great injuries are not so soon forgot.
FIRST JEW. Come, let us leave him; in his ireful mood Our words will but increase his ecstasy.<41>
SECOND JEW. On, then: but, trust me, 'tis a misery To see a man in such affliction.-- Farewell, Barabas.
BARABAS. Ay, fare you well. [Exeunt three JEWS.]<42> See the simplicity of these base slaves, Who, for the villains have no wit themselves, Think me to be a senseless lump of clay, That will with every water wash to dirt! No, Barabas is born to better chance, And fram'd of finer mould than common men, That measure naught but by the present time. A reaching thought will search his deepest wits, And cast with cunning for the time to come; For evils are apt to happen every day.
Enter ABIGAIL.
But whither wends my beauteous Abigail? O, what has made my lovely daughter sad? What, woman! moan not for a little loss; Thy father has enough in store for thee.
ABIGAIL. Nor for myself, but aged Barabas, Father, for thee lamenteth Abigail: But I will learn to leave these fruitless tears; And, urg'd thereto with my afflictions, With fierce exclaims run to the senate-house, And in the senate reprehend them all, And rent their hearts with tearing of my hair, Till they reduce<43> the wrongs done to my father.
BARABAS. No, Abigail; things past recovery Are hardly cur'd with exclamations: Be silent, daughter; sufferance breeds ease, And time may yield us an occasion, Which on the sudden cannot serve the turn. Besides, my girl, think me not all so fond<44> As negligently to forgo so much Without provision for thyself and me: Ten thousand portagues,<45> besides great pearls, Rich costly jewels, and stones infinite, Fearing the worst of this before it fell, I closely hid.
ABIGAIL. Where, father?
BARABAS. In my house, my girl.
ABIGAIL. Then shall they ne'er be seen of Barabas; For they have seiz'd upon thy house and wares.
BARABAS. But they will give me leave once more, I trow, To go into my house.
ABIGAIL. That may they not; For there I left the governor placing nuns, Displacing me; and of thy house they mean To make a nunnery, where none but their own sect<46> Must enter in; men generally barr'd.
BARABAS. My gold, my gold, and all my wealth is gone!-- You partial heavens, have I deserv'd this plague? What, will you thus oppose me, luckless stars, To make me desperate in my poverty? And, knowing me impatient in distress, Think me so mad as I will hang myself, That I may vanish o'er the earth in air, And leave no memory that e'er I was? No, I will live; nor loathe I this my life: And, since you leave me in the ocean thus To sink or swim, and put me to my shifts, I'll rouse my senses, and awake myself.-- Daughter, I have it: thou perceiv'st the plight Wherein these Christians have oppressed me: Be rul'd by me, for in extremity We ought to make bar of no policy.
ABIGAIL. Father, whate'er it be, to injure them That have so manifestly wronged us, What will not Abigail attempt?
BARABAS. Why, so. Then thus: thou told'st me they have turn'd my house Into a nunnery, and some nuns are there?
ABIGAIL. I did.
BARABAS. Then, Abigail, there must my girl Entreat the abbess to be entertain'd.
ABIGAIL. How! as a nun?
BARABAS. Ay, daughter; for religion Hides many mischiefs from suspicion.
ABIGAIL. Ay, but, father, they will suspect me there.
BARABAS. Let 'em suspect; but be thou so precise As they may think it done of holiness: Entreat 'em fair, and give them friendly speech, And seem to them as if thy sins were great, Till thou hast gotten to be entertain'd.
ABIGAIL. Thus, father, shall I much dissemble.
BARABAS. Tush! As good dissemble