Act 5 — [Scene I.][581]
Reading edition
[Scene I.][581]
Enter Ferneze, Knights, del Bosco, [and Officers].
Fern. Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms, And see that Malta be well fortifi’d; And it behoves you to be resolute; For Calymath, having hover’d here so long, Will win the town, or die before the walls.5 1 Knight. And die he shall, for we will never yield.
Enter Courtesan [Bellamira] and Pilia-Borsa.
Bell. O, bring us to the governor. Fern. Away with her! she is a courtesan. Bell. Whate’er I am, yet, governor, hear me speak;9 I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain: Mathias did it not; it was the Jew. Pilia. Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen, Poison’d his own daughter and the nuns, Strangled a friar and I know not what14 Mischief beside. Fern. Had we but proof of this—— Bell. Strong proof, my lord; his man ’s now at my lodging, That was his agent; he’ll confess it all. Fern. Go fetch him straight [Exeunt Officers]. I always fear’d that Jew.
Enter [Officers with] Barabas and Ithamore.
Bar. I’ll go alone; dogs! do not hale me thus. Itha. Nor me neither, I cannot outrun you, constable:—O my belly!21 Bar. [Aside.] One dram of powder more had made all sure. What a damn’d slave was I!
Fern. Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetch’d.
1 Knight. Nay, stay, my lord; ’t may be he will confess.25
Bar. Confess! what mean you, lords? Who should confess?
Fern. Thou and thy Turk; ’t was you that slew my son.
Itha. Guilty, my lord, I confess. Your son and Mathias were both contracted unto Abigail; he forg’d a counterfeit challenge.30
Bar. Who carried that challenge?
Itha. I carried it, I confess; but who writ it? Marry, even he that strangled Barnardine, poison’d the nuns and his own daughter.
Fern. Away with him! his sight is death to me.35
Bar. For what, you men of Malta? Hear me speak: She is a courtesan, and he a thief, And he my bondman. Let me have law, For none of this can prejudice my life. Fern. Once more, away with him; you shall have law.40 Bar. [Aside.] Devils, do your worst! I’ll live in spite of you.— As these have spoke, so be it to their souls!— [Aside.] I hope the poison’d flowers will work anon.
Exeunt [Officers with Barabas and Ithamore, Bellamira and Pilia-Borsa].
Enter [Katherine.][582]
Kath. Was my Mathias murder’d by the Jew? Ferneze, ’t was thy son that murder’d him.45
Fern. Be patient, gentle madam, it was he; He forg’d the daring challenge made them fight.
Kath. Where is the Jew? Where is that murderer?
Fern. In prison till the law has pass’d on him.
Re-enter [First] Officer.
1 Off. My lord, the courtesan and her man are dead:50 So is the Turk and Barabas the Jew. Fern. Dead! 1 Off. Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body. Bosco. This sudden death of his is very strange. Fern. Wonder not at it, sir, the Heavens are just;55 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.60 Exeunt.