SCENE VI.
Reading edition
Enter [132] Bellamira, Ithamore, and Pilia-Borsa. Bell.. I'll pledge thee, love, and therefore drink it off. Itha. Say'st thou me so? have at it; and do you hear? [Whispers. Bell. Go to, it shall be so. Itha. Of that condition I will drink it up. Here's to thee. Bell. [133] Nay, I'll have all or none. Itha. There, if thou lov'st me do not leave a drop. Bell. Love thee! fill me three glasses. Itha. Three and fifty dozen, I'll pledge thee. Pilia. Knavely spoke, and like a knight at arms. Itha. Hey, Rivo [134] Castiliano! a man's a man.10 Bell. Now to the Jew. Itha. Ha! to the Jew, and send me money he were best. Pilia. What would'st thou do if he should send thee none? Itha. Do nothing; but I know what I know; he's a murderer. Bell. I had not thought he had been so brave a man.
Itha. You knew Mathias and the Governor's son; he and I killed 'em both, and yet never touched 'em. Pilia. O, bravely done. Itha. I carried the broth that poisoned the nuns; and he and I, snickle hand too fast, [135] strangled a friar.
Bell. You two alone!21 Itha. We two, and 'twas never known, nor never shall be for me. Pilia. This shall with me unto the Governor. [Aside to Bellamira. Bell. And fit it should: but first let's ha' more gold. [Aside. Come, gentle Ithamore, lie in my lap. Itha. Love me little, love me long; let music rumble. Whilst I in thy incony [136] lap do tumble. Enter Barabas, with a lute, disguised. Bell. A French musician; come, let's hear your skill? Bar. Must tuna my lute for sound, twang, twang first.31 Itha. Wilt drink, Frenchman? here's to thee with a—— Pox on this drunken hiccup! Bar. Gramercy, monsieur. Bell. Prythee, Pilia-Borsa, bid the fiddler give me the posy in his hat there. Pilia. Sirrah, you must give my mistress your posy. Bar. A votre commandment, madame. Bell. How sweet, my Ithamore, the flowers smell. Itha. Like thy breath, sweetheart, no violet like 'em.40 Pilia. Foh! methinks they stink like a hollyhock. Bar. So, now I am revenged upon 'em all. The scent thereof was death; I poisoned it. [Aside. Itha. Play, fiddler, or I'll cut your cat's guts into chitterlings. Bar. Pardonnez moi, be no in tune yet; so now, now all be in. Itha. Give him a crown, and fill me out more wine. Pilia. There's two crowns for thee, play. Bar. How liberally the villain gives me mine own gold. [Aside.51 Pilia. Methinks he fingers very well. Bar. So did you when you stole my gold. [Aside. Pilia. How swift he runs. Bar. You ran swifter when you threw my gold out of my window. [Aside. Bell. Musician, hast been in Malta long? Bar. Two, three, four month, madam. Itha. Dost not know a Jew, one Barabas? Bar. Very mush; monsieur, you no be his man?60 Pilia. His man? Itha. I scorn the peasant; tell him so. Bar. He knows it already. [Aside.
Itha. 'Tis a strange thing of that Jew, he lives upon pickled grasshoppers and sauced mushrooms.
Bar. What a slave's this? the Governor feeds not as I do. [Aside. Itha. He never put on clean shirt since he was circumcised. Bar. O rascal! I change myself twice a day. [Aside.70 Itha. The hat he wears, Judas left under the elder [137] when he hanged himself. Bar. 'Twas sent me for a present from the great Cham. [Aside. Pilia. A musty [138] slave he is; whither now, fiddler? Bar. Pardonnez moi, monsieur, me [139] be no well. [Exit. Pilia. Farewell, fiddler: one letter more to the Jew. Bell. Prythee, sweet love, one more, and write it sharp.
Itha. No, I'll send by word of mouth now; bid him deliver thee a thousand crowns, by the same token, that the nuns loved rice,— that Friar Barnardine slept in his own clothes; any of 'em will do it.
Pilia. Let me alone to urge it, now I know the meaning.82
Itha. The meaning has a meaning; come let's in: To undo a Jew is charity, and not sin.
[Exeunt.