Volpone Jew Malta

7/25/2019 Volpone Jew Malta

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VOLPONE; OR, THE FOX

Ben Jonson

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

VOLPONE, a Magnifico.

MOSCA, his Parasite.

VOLTORE, an Advocate.

CORBACCIO, an od !ente"an.

CORVINO, a Merchant.BONARIO, son to Cor#accio.

SIR POLITIC$ %O&LD'BE, a $ni(ht.

PERE!RINE, a !ente"an Traveer.

NANO, a D)ar*.

CASTRONE, an E+n+ch.

ANDRO!NO, an -er"ahrodite.

!RE!E /or Mo#0.

COMMANDADORI, O**icers o* J+stice.

MERCATORI, three Merchants.

AVOCATORI, *o+r Ma(istrates.

NOTARIO, the Re(ister.LAD %O&LD'BE, Sir Poitic12s %i*e.

CELIA, Corvino2s %i*e.

SERVITORI, Servants, t)o %aitin(')o"en, etc.

SCENE3 VENICE.

T-E AR!&MENT.

Voone, chidess, rich, *ei(ns sic1, desairs,

O**ers his state to hoes o* severa heirs,

Lies an(+ishin(3 his arasite receivesPresents o* a, ass+res, de+des4 then )eaves

Other cross ots,)hich oe the"seves, are tod.

Ne) tric1s *or sa*et5 are so+(ht4 the5 thrive3 )hen #od,

Each te"ts the other a(ain, and a are sod.

PROLO!&E.

No), +c1 5et sends +s, and a itte )it

%i serve to "a1e o+r a5 hit4

/Accordin( to the aates o* the season0

-ere is rhi"e, not e"t5 o* reason.

This )e )ere #id to credit *ro" o+r oet, %hose tr+e scoe, i* 5o+ )o+d 1no) it,

In a his oe"s sti hath #een this "eas+re,

To "i6 ro*it )ith 5o+r eas+re4

And not as so"e, )hose throats their env5 *aiin(,

Cr5 hoarse5, A he )rites is raiin(3

And )hen his a5s co"e *orth, thin1 the5 can *o+t the",

%ith sa5in(, he )as a 5ear a#o+t the".

To this there needs no ie, #+t this his creat+re,

%hich )as t)o "onths since no *eat+re4

And tho+(h he dares (ive the" *ive ives to "end it,

2Tis 1no)n, *ive )ee1s *+5 enn2d it,

7ro" his o)n hand, )itho+t a co'ad8+tor, Novice, 8o+rne5'"an, or t+tor.

et th+s "+ch I can (ive 5o+ as a to1en

O* his a52s )orth, no e((s are #ro1en,

Nor 9+a1in( c+stards )ith *ierce teeth a**ri(hted,

%here)ith 5o+r ro+t are so dei(hted4


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Nor haes he in a (+ od ends recitin(,

To sto (as in his oose )ritin(4

%ith s+ch a dea o* "onstro+s and *orced action,

As "i(ht "a1e Bethe" a *action3

Nor "ade he his a5 *or 8ests stoen *ro" each ta#e,

B+t "a1es 8ests to *it his *a#e4

And so resents 9+ic1 co"ed5 re*ined,

As #est critics have desi(ned4

The a)s o* ti"e, ace, ersons he o#serveth,

7ro" no need*+ r+e he s)erveth. A (a and coeras *ro" his in1 he draineth,

On5 a itte sat re"aineth,

%here)ith he2 r+# 5o+r chee1s, ti red, )ith a+(hter,

The5 sha oo1 *resh a )ee1 a*ter.

ACT :. SCENE :.:.

A ROOM IN VOLPONE2S -O&SE.

ENTER VOLPONE AND MOSCA.

VOLP3 !ood "ornin( to the da54 and ne6t, my gold:

Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.

;MOSCA %IT-DRA%S T-E C&RTAIN, AND DISCOVERS PILES O7 !OLD, PLATE, JE%ELS, ETC.< Hail the orld!s so"l, and mine# "ore (ad than is

The tee"in( earth to see the on(2d'*or s+n

Pee thro+(h the horns o* the ceestia Ra",

A" I, to vie) th5 sendo+r dar1enin( his4

That 5in( here, a"on(st "5 other hoards,

She)2st i1e a *a"e #5 ni(ht4 or i1e the da5

Str+c1 o+t o* chaos, )hen a dar1ness *ed

&nto the centre. O tho+ son o* So,

B+t #ri(hter than th5 *ather, et "e 1iss,

%ith adoration, thee, and ever5 reic1

O* sacred treas+re, in this #essed roo".

%e did )ise oets, #5 th5 (orio+s na"e,

Tite that a(e )hich the5 )o+d have the #est4

$ho" %eing the %est of things: and far transcending

&ll style of 'oy, in children, parents, friends,

Or any other a(ing dream on earth:

Th5 oo1s )hen the5 to Ven+s did ascri#e,

The5 sho+d have (iven her t)ent5 tho+sand C+ids4

S+ch are th5 #ea+ties and o+r oves= Dear saint,

Riches, the d+"# !od, that (iv2st a "en ton(+es4

That canst do no+(ht, and 5et "a12st "en do a thin(s4

$he price of so"ls) e*en hell, ith thee to %oot,

Is made orth hea*en. $ho" art *irt"e, fame, Hono"r, and all things else.%ho can (et thee,

-e sha #e no#e, vaiant, honest, )ise,>

MOS3 And )hat he )i, sir. Riches are in *ort+ne

A (reater (ood than )isdo" is in nat+re.

VOLP3 Tr+e, "5 #eoved Mosca. et I glory

More in the c"nning p"rchase of my ealth,

$han in the glad possession)since I (ain

No co""on )a54 I +se no trade, no vent+re4

I )o+nd no earth )ith o+(h'shares4 *at no #easts,

To *eed the sha"#es4 have no "is *or iron, Oi, corn, or "en, to (rind the" into o)der3

I #o) no s+#te (ass4 e6ose no shis

To threat2nin(s o* the *+rro)'*aced sea4

I t+rn no "onies in the +#ic #an1,

Nor +s+re rivate.


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MOS3 No sir, nor devo+r

So*t rodi(as. o+ sha have so"e )i s)ao)

A "etin( heir as (i#5 as 5o+r D+tch

%i is o* #+tter, and ne2er +r(e *or it4

Tear *orth the *athers o* oor *a"iies

O+t o* their #eds, and co**in the" aive

In so"e 1ind casin( rison, )here their #ones

Ma5 #e *orth'co"in(, )hen the *esh is rotten3

B+t 5o+r s)eet nat+re doth a#hor these co+rses4 o+ othe the )iddo)2s or the orhan2s tears

Sho+d )ash 5o+r ave"ents, or their iteo+s cries

Rin( in 5o+r roo*s, and #eat the air *or ven(eance.

VOLP3 Ri(ht, Mosca4 I do othe it.

MOS3 And #esides, sir,

o+ are not i1e a thresher that doth stand

%ith a h+(e *ai, )atchin( a hea o* corn,

And, h+n(r5, dares not taste the s"aest (rain,

B+t *eeds on "ao)s, and s+ch #itter her#s4

Nor i1e the "erchant, )ho hath *i2d his va+ts %ith Ro"a(nia, and rich Candian )ines,

et drin1s the ees o* Lo"#ard2s vine(ar3

o+ )i not ie in stra), )hist "oths and )or"s

7eed on 5o+r s+"t+o+s han(in(s and so*t #eds4

o+ 1no) the +se o* riches, and dare (ive no)

7ro" that #ri(ht hea, to "e, 5o+r oor o#server,

Or to 5o+r d)ar*, or 5o+r her"ahrodite,

o+r e+n+ch, or )hat other ho+sehod'tri*e

o+r eas+re ao)s "aintenance.

VOLP3 -od thee, Mosca,

;!IVES -IM MONE.

-o) no)=


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THE JEW OF MALTA

Christoher Maro)e

/&M&$IS PE/SON&E.

7ERNE@E, (overnor o* Mata.

LODO%IC$, his son.

SELIM CALMAT-, son to the !rand Sei(nior.

MARTIN DEL BOSCO, vice'ad"ira o* Sain.

MAT-IAS, a (ente"an.

JACOMO,

BARNARDINE, *riars.

0&/&0&S, a ealthy 1e.

IT-AMORE, a save. PILIA'BOR@A, a #+5, attendant to BELLAMIRA.

T)o Merchants.

Three Je)s.

$ni(hts, Bassoes, O**icers, !+ard, Saves, Messen(er,

and Carenters

$AT-ARINE, "other to MAT-IAS.

ABI!AIL, da+(hter to BARABAS.

BELLAMIRA, a co+rtean.

A##ess.

N+n.

MAC-IAVEL as Proo(+e sea1er.

Scene, Mata.

Rather had I, a Je), #e hated th+s,

Than itied in a Christian overt54

7or I can see no *r+its in a their *aith,

B+t "aice, *asehood, and e6cessive ride,

%hich "ethin1s *its not their ro*ession.

-a5 so"e haess "an hath conscience,

And *or his conscience ives in #e((ar5.

The5 sa5 )e are a scatter2d nation3

I cannot te4 #+t )e have sca"#ed +

More )eath #5 *ar than those that #ra( o* *aith3

There2s $irriah Jairi", the (reat Je) o* !reece,

O#ed in Bairseth, Nones in Port+(a,

M5se* in Mata, so"e in Ita5,

Man5 in 7rance, and )eath5 ever5 one4

A5, ealthier far than any 2hristian.

I m"st confess e come not to %e (ings:

That2s not o+r *a+t3 aas, o+r n+"#er2s *e)=

And cro)ns co"e either #5 s+ccession,

Or +r(2d #5 *orce4 and nothin( vioent, O*t have I heard te, can #e er"anent.

3i*e "s a peacef"l r"le) ma(e 2hristians (ings,

$hat thirst so m"ch for principality.

I have no char(e, nor "an5 chidren,

B+t one sole da"ghter, hom I hold as dear


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&s &gamemnon did his Iphigen)

And a I have is hers.>B+t )ho co"es here ;

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Volpone Jew Malta