The Works of Christopher Marlowe

The Jew of Malta


Act: 2 Scene: 2<< <>>>
Enter Governor, Martin del Bosco, the Knights [and Officers].
Now Captaine tell us whither thou art bound?
Whence is thy ship that anchors in our Rhoad?
And why thou cam'st ashore without our leave?
Governor of Malta, hither am I bound;
My Ship, the flying Dragon, is of Spaine,
And so am I, Delbosco is my name;
Vizadmirall unto the Catholike King.
'Tis true, my Lord, therefore intreat him well.
Our fraught is Grecians, Turks, and Africk Moores.
For late upon the coast of Corsica,
Because we vail'd not to the Turkish Fleet,
Their creeping Gallyes had us in the chase:
But suddenly the wind began to rise,
And then we luft, and tackt, and fought at ease:
Some have we fir'd, and many have we sunke;
But one amongst the rest became our prize:
The Captain's slaine, the rest remaine our slaves,
Of whom we would make sale in Malta here.
Martin del Bosco, I have heard of thee;
Welcome to Malta, and to all of us;
But to admit a sale of these thy Turkes
We may not, nay we dare not give consent
By reason of a Tributary league.
Delbosco, as thou lovest and honour'st us,
Perswade our Governor against the Turke;
This truce we have is but in hope of gold,
And with that summe he craves might we wage warre.
Will Knights of Malta be in league with Turkes,
And buy it basely too for summes of gold?
My Lord, Remember that toEurop's shame,
The Christian Ile of Rhodes, from whence you came,
Was lately lost, and you were stated here
To be at deadly enmity with Turkes.
Captaine we know it, but our force is small.
What is the summe that Calymath requires?
A hundred thousand Crownes.
My Lord and King hath title to this isle,
And he meanes quickly to expell you hence;
Therefore be rul'd by me, and keepe the gold:
I'le write unto his majesty for ayd,
And not depart untill I see you free.
On this condition shall thy Turkes be sold.
Goe Officers and set them straight in shew.
[Exeunt Officers.]
Bosco, thou shalt be Malta's Generall;
We and our warlike Knights will follow thee
Against these barbarous mis-beleeving Turkes.
So shall you imitate those you succeed:
For when their hideous force inviron'd Rhodes,
Small though the number was that kept the Towne,
They fought it out, and not a man surviv'd
To bring the haplesse newes to Christendome.
So will we fight it out; come, let's away:
Proud-daring Calymath, instead of gold,
Wee'll send thee bullets wrapt in smoake and fire:
Claime tribute where thou wilt, we are resolv'd,
Honor is bought with bloud and not with gold.
Exeunt.
Nav.
Nav.
<<<>>>