hat; nay, keep it still,
For, if I keep not promise, trust not me:
And, governor, now partake my policy.
First, for his army, they are sent before,
Enter'd the monastery, and underneath
In several places are field-pieces pitch'd,
Bombards, whole barrels full of gunpowder,
That on the sudden shall dissever it,
And batter all the stones about their ears,
Whence none can possibly escape alive:
Now, as for Calymath and his consorts,
Here have I made a dainty gallery,
The floor whereof, this cable being cut,
Doth fall asunder, so that it doth sink
Into a deep pit past recovery.
Here, hold that knife; and, when thou seest he comes,
[Throws down a knife.]
And with his bassoes shall be blithely set,
A warning-piece shall be shot off [202] from the tower,
To give thee knowledge when to cut the cord,
And fire the house. Say, will not this be brave?

FERNEZE. O, excellent! here, hold thee, Barabas;
I trust thy word; take what I promis'd thee.

BARABAS. No, governor; I'll satisfy thee first;
Thou shalt not live in doubt of any thing.
Stand close, for here they come.
[FERNEZE retires.]
Why, is not this
A kingly kind of trade, to purchase towns
By treachery, and sell 'em by deceit?
Now tell me, worldlings, underneath the sun [203]
If greater falsehood ever has been done?

Enter CALYMATH and BASSOES.

CALYMATH. Come, my companion-bassoes: see, I pray,
How busy Barabas is there above
To entertain us in his gallery:
Let us salute him.--Save thee, Barabas!

BARABAS. Welcome, great Calymath!

FERNEZE. How the slave jeers at him!
[Aside.]

BARABAS. Will't please thee, mighty Selim Calymath,
To ascend our homely stairs?

CALYMATH. Ay, Barabas.--
Come, bassoes, ascend. [204]

FERNEZE. [coming forward] Stay, Calymath;
For I will shew thee greater courtesy
Than Barabas would have afforded thee.

KNIGHT. [within] Sound a charge there!
[A charge sounded within: FERNEZE cuts the cord; the floor
of the gallery gives way, and BARABAS falls into a caldron
placed in a pit.

Enter KNIGHTS and MARTIN DEL BOSCO. [205]

CALYMATH. How now! what means this?

BARABAS. Help, help me, Christians