You stars that reigned at my nativity, [The clock strikes the half-hour. Ah, half the hour is past! 'twill all be past anon. O God, If thou wilt not have mercy on my soul, Yet for Christ's sake, whose blood hath ransomed me, Let Faustus live in hell a thousand years, A hundred thousand, and at last be saved! Their souls are soon dissolved in elements; [The clock strikes twelve. O, it strikes, it strikes! Now, body, turn to air, [Thunder and lightning. O soul, be changed into little water drops, Enter Devils. My God, my God, look not so fierce on me! Chorus Ah, Mephistophilis ! [Exeunt Devils with FAUSTUS. Enter Chorus. Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight, 'And burnèd is Apollo's laurel bough, That some time grew within this learned man. Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits [Exit. Terminat hora diem; terminat auctor opus. A MALTESE MILLIONAIRE. By CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. (From "The Jew of Malta.") BARABAS discovered in his Countinghouse, with Heaps of Gold before Barabas him. So that of thus much that return was made: As for those Sabans, and the men of Uz, That bought my Spanish oils and wines of Greece, Fie; what a trouble 'tis to count this trash. Tell that which may maintain him all his life. But he whose steel-barred coffers are crammed full. . Jacinths, hard topaz, grass-green emeralds, And seld-seen costly stones of so great price, And of a carat of this quantity, May serve in peril of calamity To ransom great kings from captivity. This is the ware wherein consists my wealth; But now how stands the wind? Into what corner peers my halcyon's bill?1 Ha! to the east? yes: see, how stand the vanes? Loaden with spice and silks, now under sail, Enter a Merchant. How now? Merchant Barabas, thy ships are safe, Riding in Malta road: and all the merchants And have sent me to know whether yourself Barabas The ships are safe thou say'st, and richly fraught. Merchant They are. Barabas Why then go bid them come ashore, And bring with them their bills of entry: I hope our credit in the customhouse Will serve as well as I were present there. 1 A stuffed kingfisher (the halcyon), suspended by a string, was supposed to show the direction of the wind. Halcyon days were calm days, the belief being that the weather was always calm when kingfishers were breeding. 2 Pay the duties. Go send 'em threescore camels, thirty mules, The very custom barely comes to more Go tell 'em the Jew of Malta sent thee, man: I go. Barabas So then, there's somewhat come. Sirrah, which of my ships art thou master of? Merchant Of the "Speranza,” sir. Barabas And saw'st thou not Mine argosy at Alexandria? Thou couldst not come from Egypt, or by Caire, But at the entry there into the sea, Where Nilus pays his tribute to the main, Merchant I neither saw them, nor inquired of them: But this we heard some of our seamen say, They wondered how you durst with so much wealth Barabas Tush, they are wise! I know her and her strength. And bid my factor bring his loading in. [Exit Merchant. Enter a second Merchant. Second Merchant - Thine argosy from Alexandria, Know, Barabas, doth ride in Malta road, Laden with riches, and exceeding store Of Persian silks, of gold, and orient pearl. Barabas How chance you came not with those other ships Second Merchant Sir, we saw 'em not. VOL. XII. -23 Belike they coasted round by Candy shore Sir, we were wafted by a Spanish fleet, That had the galleys of the Turk in chase. Well, go, And bid the merchants and my men dispatch And come ashore, and see the fraught discharged. Second Merchant I go. Barabas Thus trowls our fortune in by land and sea, Or who is honored now but for his wealth? I cannot tell, but we have scambled up |