Scene + 

IV + 

Enter Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. + 

Bellamira + 

Pilia-Borza, did’st thou meet with Ithamore? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

I did. + 

Bellamira + 

And didst thou deliver my letter? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

I did. + 

Bellamira + 

And what think’st thou? will he come? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

I think so, but yet I cannot tell; for, at the reading of the letter he looked like a man of another world. + 

Bellamira + 

Why so? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

That such a base slave as he should be saluted by such a tall man as I am, from such a beautiful dame as you. + 

Bellamira + 

And what said he? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Not a wise word, only gave me a nod, as who should say, “Is it even so?” and so I left him, being driven to a non-plus at the critical aspect of my terrible countenance. + 

Bellamira + 

And where didst meet him? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Upon mine own freehold, within forty feet of the gallows, conning his neck-verse, I take it, looking of a friar’s execution; whom I saluted with an old hempen proverb, Hodie tibi, cras mihi, and so I left him to the mercy of the hangman: but, the exercise being done, see where he comes. + 

Enter Ithamore. + 

Ithamore + 

I never knew a man take his death so patiently as this friar; he was ready to leap off ere the halter was about his neck; and when the hangman had put on his hempen tippet, he made such haste to his prayers, as if he had had another cure to serve. Well, go whither he will, I’ll be none of his followers in haste: and, now I think on’t, going to the execution, a fellow met me with a muschatoes like a raven’s wing, and a dagger with a hilt like a warming-pan, and he gave me a letter from one Madam Bellamira, saluting me in such sort as if he had meant to make clean my boots with his lips; the effect was, that I should come to her house. I wonder what the reason is; it may be she sees more in me than I can find in myself: for she writes further, that she loves me ever since she saw me, and who would not requite such love? Here’s her house, and here she comes, and now would I were gone; I am not worthy to look upon her. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

This is the gentleman you writ to. + 

Ithamore + 

Gentleman! he flouts me: what gentry can be in a poor Turk of tenpence? I’ll be gone. Aside. + 

Bellamira + 

Is’t not a sweet-faced youth, Pilia? + 

Ithamore + 

Again, “sweet youth!” Aside.⁠—Did not you, sir, bring the sweet youth a letter? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

I did, sir, and from this gentlewoman, who, as myself, and the rest of the family, stand or fall at your service. + 

Bellamira + 

Though woman’s modesty should hale me back, I can withhold no longer: welcome, sweet love. + 

Ithamore + 

Now am I clean, or rather foully out of the way. Aside. + 

Bellamira + 

Whither so soon? + 

Ithamore + 

I’ll go steal some money from my master to make me handsome Aside.⁠—Pray, pardon me; I must go see a ship discharged. + 

Bellamira + 

Canst thou be so unkind to leave me thus? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

An ye did but know how she loves you, sir! + 

Ithamore + 

Nay, I care not how much she loves me⁠—Sweet Bellamira, would I had my master’s wealth for thy sake! + 

Pilia-Borza + 

And you can have it, sir, an if you please. + 

Ithamore + 

If ’twere above ground, I could and would have it; but he hides and buries it up, as partridges do their eggs, under the earth. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

And is’t not possible to find it out? + 

Ithamore + 

By no means possible. + 

Bellamira + 

What shall we do with this base villain then? Aside to Pilia-Borza. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Let me alone; do but you speak him fair.⁠—Aside to her. + 

But sir know some secrets of the Jew, + 

Which, if they were revealed, would do him harm. + 

Ithamore + 

Ay, and such as⁠—Go to, no more! I’ll make him send me half he has, and glad he ’scapes so too: I’ll write unto him; we’ll have money straight. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Send for a hundred crowns at least. + 

Ithamore + 

Ten hundred thousand crowns.⁠—Writing. “Master Barabas.” + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Write not so submissively, but threatening him. + 

Ithamore + 

Writing. “Sirrah Barabas, send me a hundred crowns.” + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Put in two hundred at least. + 

Ithamore + 

Writing. “I charge thee send me three hundred by this bearer, and this shall be your warrant: if you do not⁠—no more, but so.” + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Tell him you will confess. + 

Ithamore + 

Writing. “Otherwise I’ll confess all.”⁠—Vanish, and return in a twinkle. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Let me alone; I’ll use him in his kind. + 

Exit Pilia-Borza with the letter. + 

Ithamore + 

Hang him, Jew! + 

Bellamira + 

Now, gentle Ithamore, lie in my lap.⁠— + 

Where are my maids? provide a running banquet; + 

Send to the merchant, bid him bring me silks; + 

Shall Ithamore, my love, go in such rags? + 

Ithamore + 

And bid the jeweller come hither too. + 

Bellamira + 

I have no husband, sweet; I’ll marry thee. + 

Ithamore + 

Content: but we will leave this paltry land, + 

And sail from hence to Greece, to lovely Greece. + 

I’ll be thy Jason, thou my golden fleece; + 

Where painted carpets o’er the meads are hurled, + 

And Bacchus’ vineyards overspread the world; + 

Where woods and forests go in goodly green, + 

I’ll be Adonis, thou shalt be Love’s Queen. + 

The meads, the orchards, and the primrose-lanes, + 

Instead of sedge and reed, bear sugar-canes: + 

Thou in those groves, by Dis above, + 

Shalt live with me, and be my love. + 

Bellamira + 

Whither will I not go with gentle Ithamore? + 

Reenter Pilia-Borza. + 

Ithamore + 

How now! hast thou the gold? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Yes. + 

Ithamore + 

But came it freely? did the cow give down her milk freely? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

At reading of the letter, he stared and stamped and turned aside. I took him by the beard, and looked upon him thus; told him he were best to send it; then he hugged and embraced me. + 

Ithamore + 

Rather for fear than love. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Then, like a Jew, he laughed and jeered, and told me he loved me for your sake, and said what a faithful servant you had been. + 

Ithamore + 

The more villain he to keep me thus; here’s goodly ’parel, is there not? + 

Pilia-Borza + 

To conclude, he gave me ten crowns. Gives the money to Ithamore. + 

Ithamore + 

But ten? I’ll not leave him worth a grey groat. Give me a ream of paper: we’ll have a kingdom of gold for’t. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Write for five hundred crowns. + 

Ithamore + 

Writing. “Sirrah Jew, as you love your life, send me five hundred crowns, and give the bearer a hundred.⁠—” Tell him I must have’t. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

I warrant, your worship shall have’t. + 

Ithamore + 

And, if he ask why I demand so much, tell him I scorn to write a line under a hundred crowns. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

You’d make a rich poet, sir. I am gone. + 

Exit. + 

Ithamore + 

Take thou the money; spend it for my sake. + 

Bellamira + 

’Tis not thy money, but thyself I weigh; + 

Thus Bellamira esteems of gold. Throws it aside. + 

But thus of thee. Kisses him. + 

Ithamore + 

That kiss again! she runs division of my lips. + 

What an eye she casts on me! it twinkles like a star. + 

Bellamira + 

Come, my dear love, let’s in and sleep together. + 

Ithamore + 

O, that ten thousand nights were put in one, that we might sleep seven years together afore we wake! + 

Bellamira + 

Come, amorous wag, first banquet, and then sleep. + 

Exeunt. + 