The Jew of Malta.
Without controule can picke his riches up,
And in his house heape pearle like pibble-stones:
Receive them free, and sell them by the weight,
Bags of fiery Opals, Saphires, Amatists,
Iacints, hard Topas, grasse-greene Emeraulds,
Beauteous Rubyes, sparkling Diamonds,
And seildsene costly stones of so great price,
As one of them indifferently rated,
And of a Carrect of this quantity,
May serve in perill of calamity
To ransome great Kings from captivity.
This is the ware wherein consists my wealth:
And thus me thinkes should men of judgement frame
Their meanes of traffique from the vulgar trade,
And as their wealth increaseth, so inclose
Infinite riches in a little roome.
But now how stands the wind?
Into what corner peeres my Halcions bill?
Ha, to the East? yes: See how stands the Vanes?
East and by-South: why then I hope my ships
I sent for Egypt and the bordering Iles
Are gotten up by Nilus winding bankes:
Mine Argosie from Alexandria,
Loaden with Spice and Silkes, now under saile,
Are smoothly gliding downe by Candie shoare
To Malta, through our Mediterranean sea.
But who comes heare? How now.
Enter a Merchant.
Merch.
Barabas, thy ships are safe,
Riding in Malta Rhode: And all the Merchants
With other Merchandize are safe arriv'd,
And have sent me to know whether your selfe
Will come and custome them.
Iew.
The ships are safe thou saist, and richly fraught.
Merch.
They are.
Jew.
Why then goe bid them come ashore,
And bring with them their bils of entry:
I
