Scene + 

I + 

Enter Ferneze, Knights, Martin del Bosco, and Officers. + 

Ferneze + 

Now, gentlemen, betake you to your arms, + 

And see that Malta be well fortified; + 

And it behoves you to be resolute; + 

For Calymath, having hovered here so long, + 

Will win the town, or die before the walls. + 

First Knight + 

And die he shall; for we will never yield. + 

Enter Bellamira and Pilia-Borza. + 

Bellamira + 

O, bring us to the governor. + 

Ferneze + 

Away with her! she is a courtesan. + 

Bellamira + 

Whate’er I am, yet, governor, hear me speak: + 

I bring thee news by whom thy son was slain: + 

Mathias did it not; it was the Jew. + 

Pilia-Borza + 

Who, besides the slaughter of these gentlemen, + 

Poisoned his own daughter and the nuns, + 

Strangled a friar, and I know not what + 

Mischief beside. + 

Ferneze + 

Had we but proof of this⁠— + 

Bellamira + 

Strong proof, my lord; his man’s now at my lodging, + 

That was his agent; he’ll confess it all. + 

Ferneze + 

Go fetch him straight. + 

Exeunt Officers. + 

I always feared that Jew. + 

Enter Officers with Barabas and Ithamore. + 

Barabas + 

I’ll go alone; dogs! do not hale me thus. + 

Ithamore + 

Nor me neither, I cannot outrun you, constable:⁠—O, my belly! + 

Barabas + 

One dram of powder more had made all sure; + 

What a damned slave was I! Aside. + 

Ferneze + 

Make fires, heat irons, let the rack be fetched. + 

First Knight + 

Nay, stay, my lord; ’t may be he will confess. + 

Barabas + 

Confess! what mean you, lords? who should confess? + 

Ferneze + 

Thou and thy Turk; ’twas you that slew my son. + 

Ithamore + 

Guilty, my lord, I confess. Your son and Mathias were both contracted unto Abigail; he forged a counterfeit challenge. + 

Barabas + 

Who carried that challenge? + 

Ithamore + 

I carried it, I confess; but who writ it? Marry, even he that strangled Barnardine, poisoned the nuns and his own daughter. + 

Ferneze + 

Away with him! his sight is death to me. + 

Barabas + 

For what, you men of Malta? hear me speak: + 

She is a courtezan, and he a thief, + 

And he my bondman. Let me have law, + 

For none of this can prejudice my life. + 

Ferneze + 

Once more, away with him; you shall have law. + 

Barabas + 

Devils, do your worst! I’ll live in spite of you. Aside. + 

As these have spoke, so be it to their souls!⁠— + 

I hope the poisoned flowers will work anon. Aside. + 

Exeunt Officers with Barabas and Ithamore, Bellamira, and Pilia-Borza. + 

Enter Katharine. + 

Katharine + 

Was my Mathias murdered by the Jew? + 

Ferneze, ’twas thy son that murdered him. + 

Ferneze + 

Be patient, gentle madam, it was he; + 

He forged the daring challenge made them fight. + 

Katharine + 

Where is the Jew? where is that murderer? + 

Ferneze + 

In prison till the law has passed on him. + 

Reenter First Officer. + 

First Officer + 

My lord, the courtesan and her man are dead; + 

So is the Turk and Barabas the Jew. + 

Ferneze + 

Dead! + 

First Officer + 

Dead, my lord, and here they bring his body. + 

Martin del Bosco + 

This sudden death of his is very strange. + 

Reenter Officers, carrying Barabas as dead. + 

Ferneze + 

Wonder not at it, sir, the Heavens are just; + 

Their deaths were like their lives; then think not of ’em. + 

Since they are dead, let them be buried; + 

For the Jew’s body, throw that o’er the walls, + 

To be a prey for vultures and wild beasts.⁠— + 

So now away and fortify the town. + 

Exeunt all, leaving Barabas on the floor. + 