Fear not their sale, for they'll be quickly bought.

2 OFF. Every one's price is written on his back, And so much must they yield or not be sold. 1 OFF. Here comes the Jew, had not his goods

been seiz'd, He'd give us present money for them all.

Enter BARABAS. Bar. In spite of these swine-eating Christians, (Unchosen nation, never circumcis'd; Such as poor villains were ne'er thought upon Till Titus and Vespasian conquer'd us.) Am I become as wealthy as I was: They hop'd my daughter would have been a pun; But she's at home, and I have bought a house As great and fair as is the governor's ; And there in spite of Malta will I dwell: Having Ferneze's hand, whose heart I'll have; Aye, and his son's too, or it shall go hard. I am not of the tribe of Levi, I, That can so soon forget an injury. We Jews can fawn like spaniels when we please; And when we grin we bite, yet are our looks As innocent and harmless as a lamb's. I learn’d in Florence how to kiss

my

hand,
Heave up my shoulders when they call me dog,
And duck as low as any bare-foot friar,
Hoping to see them starve upon a stall,
Or else be gather'd for in our Synagogue ;
That when the offering-bason comes to me,
Even for charity I may spit into it.

Here comes Don Lodowick the governor's son,
One that I love for his good father's sake.
Enter LODOWICK.

LOD. I hear the wealthy Jew walked this way; I'll seek him out, and so insinuate,

That I may have a sight of Abigail;

For Don Mathias tells me she is fair.

BAR. Now will I shew myself to have more of the serpent

Than the dove; that is, more knave than fool.

LOD. Yond' walks the Jew, now for fair Abigail. BAR. Aye, aye, no doubt but she's at your command.

LOD. Barabas, thou know'st I am the governor's

son.

BAR. I would you were his father too, sir, that's all the harm

I wish you the slave looks like a hog's cheek, new

singed.

LOD. Whither walk'st thou, Barabas?

[Aside.

BAR. No further: 'tis a custom held with us,
That when we speak with Gentiles like to you,
We turn into the air to purge ourselves :
For unto us the promise doth belong.

LOD. Well, Barabas, canst help me to a diamond?
BAR. Oh, sir, your father had my diamonds.

Yet I have one left that will serve your turn:
mean my daughter :—— but e'er he shall have her
I'll sacrifice her on a pile of wood.

I have the poison of the city for him, and the

White leprosy.

[Aside.

LOD. What sparkle does it give without a foil? BAR. The diamond that I talk of, ne'er was foil'd: But when he touches it, it will be foil'd : Lord Lodowick, it sparkles bright and fair.

LOD. Is it square or pointed, pray let me know. BAR. Pointed it is, good sir,--but not for you.

LOD. I like it much the better.

BAR. So do I too.

LOD. How shows it by night?

BAR. Outshines Cynthia's rays:

[Aside.

You'll like it better far a nights than days. [Aside. LOD. And what's the price?

BAR. Your life and if you have it. Oh my Lord We will not jar about the price; come to my house And I will give't your honour-with a vengeance.

LOD. No, Barabas, I will deserve it first.

[Aside.

BAR. Good sir, your father has deserv'd it at my

hands,

Who of mere charity and Christian truth,

To bring me to religious purity,

And as it were in catechising sort,

To make me mindful of my mortal sins,

Against my will, and whether I would or no,
Seiz'd all I had, and thrust me out a doors,
And made my
house a place for nuns most chaste.
LOD. No doubt your soul shall reap the fruit of it.
BAR. Aye, but my lord, the harvest is far off:

And yet I know the prayers of those nuns

And holy friars, having money for their pains,
Are wondrous; and indeed do no man good : [Aside.
And seeing they are not idle, but still doing,
'Tis likely they in time may reap some fruit,
I mean in fulness of perfection.

LOD. Good Barabas glance not at our holy nuns. BAR. No, but I do it through a burning zeal. Hoping ere long to set the house a-fire;

For though they do a while increase and multiply, I'll have a saying to that nunnery.

As for the diamond, sir, I told you of,

[Aside.

Come home and there's no price shall make us part,
Even for your honourable father's sake.

It shall go hard but I will see your death,
But now I must be gone to buy a slave.

[Aside.

LOD. And, Barabas, I'll bear thee company.
BAR. Come then, here's the market place; what's
the price

Of this slave, two hundred crowns? Do the Turks weigh so much?

OFF. Sir, that's his price.

BAR. What, can he steal that you demand so much?

Belike he has some new trick for a purse;

And if he has, he is worth three hundred plates.
So that, being bought, the town-seal might be got
To keep him for his life time from the gallows.
The sessions day is critical to thieves,
And few or none 'scape but by being purg'd.

LOD. Ratest thou this Moor but at two hundred

plates?

1 OFF. No more, my lord.

BAR. Why should this Turk be dearer than that Moor?

OFF. Because he is young and has more qualities. BAR. What, hast the philosopher's stone? and thou hast,

Break my head with it, I'll forgive thee.

If

SLAVE. No sir, I can cut and shave.

BAR. Let me see, sirrah, are you not an old shaver ?

SLAVE. Alas, sir, I am a very youth.

BAR. A youth? I'll buy you, and marry you to Lady Vanity,

you do well.