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" BARABAS: As for myself, I walk abroad a-nights,
And kill sick people groaning under walls.
Sometimes I go about and poison wells;
And now and then, to cherish Christian thieves,
I am content to lose some of my crowns,
That I may, walking in my gallery,
See 'em go pinion'd along by my door.
Being young, I studied physic, and began
To practice first upon the Italian;
There I enrich'd the priests with burials,
And always kept the sexton's arms in ure
With digging graves and ringing dead men's knells.
And, after that, was I an engineer,
And in the wars 'twixt France and Germany,
Under pretence of helping Charles the Fifth,
Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems:
Then, after that, was I an usurer,
And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting,
And tricks belonging unto brokery,
I fill'd the gaols with bankrupts in a year,
And with young orphans planted hospitals;
And every moon made some or other mad,
And now and then one hang himself for grief,
Pinning upon his breast a long great scroll
How I with interest tormented him.
But mark how I am blest for plaguing them:
I have as much coin as will buy the town. "

Christopher Marlowe , The Jew of Malta


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Christopher Marlowe quote : BARABAS: As for myself, I walk abroad a-nights,<br />And kill sick people groaning under walls.<br />Sometimes I go about and poison wells;<br />And now and then, to cherish Christian thieves,<br />I am content to lose some of my crowns,<br />That I may, walking in my gallery,<br />See 'em go pinion'd along by my door.<br />Being young, I studied physic, and began<br />To practice first upon the Italian;<br />There I enrich'd the priests with burials,<br />And always kept the sexton's arms in ure<br />With digging graves and ringing dead men's knells.<br />And, after that, was I an engineer,<br />And in the wars 'twixt France and Germany,<br />Under pretence of helping Charles the Fifth,<br />Slew friend and enemy with my stratagems:<br />Then, after that, was I an usurer,<br />And with extorting, cozening, forfeiting,<br />And tricks belonging unto brokery,<br />I fill'd the gaols with bankrupts in a year,<br />And with young orphans planted hospitals;<br />And every moon made some or other mad,<br />And now and then one hang himself for grief,<br />Pinning upon his breast a long great scroll<br />How I with interest tormented him.<br />But mark how I am blest for plaguing them:<br />I have as much coin as will buy the town.