The Works of Christopher Marlowe

The Jew of Malta


Act: 2 Scene: 2
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.
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.
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.
What is the summe that Calymath requires?
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.
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.