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  • Title: The Honest Whore, Part 1 (Quarto 1, 1604)
  • Editor: Joost Daalder
  • Contributing editor: Brett Greatley-Hirsch
  • Coordinating editor: Brett Greatley-Hirsch
  • General textual editor: Eleanor Lowe
  • ISBN: 978-1-55058-490-5

    Copyright Digital Renaissance Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Authors: Thomas Dekker, Thomas Middleton
    Editor: Joost Daalder
    Peer Reviewed

    The Honest Whore, Part 1 (Quarto 1, 1604)

    THE HONEST WHORE.
    Both slaine ith quarrell of your families,
    2805Those scars are now tane off: And I beseech you,
    To seale our pardon, all was to this end
    To turne the ancient hates of your two houses
    To fresh greene friendship, that your Loues might looke:
    Like the springs forehead, comfortably sweete,
    2810And your vext soules in peacefull vnion meete,
    Their bloud will now be yours, yours will be theirs,
    And happinesse shall crowne your siluer haires.
    Flu. You see my Lord theres now no remedy.
    Omn. Beseech your Lordship.
    2815Duk. You beseech faire, you haue me in place fit
    To bridle me, rise Frier. you may be glad
    You can make madmen tame, and tame men mad,
    Since fate hath conquered, I must rest content,
    To striue now would but ad new punishment:
    2820I yeeld vnto your happinesse, be blest,
    Our families shall henceforth breath in rest.
    Omn. O happy change.
    Duk. Yours now is my consent,
    I throw vpon your ioyes my full consent.
    2825Bell. Am not I a good girle, for finding the Frier in the wel?
    gods so you are a braue man: will not you buy me some Su-
    ger plums because I am so good a fortune teller.
    Duk. Would thou hadst wit thou pretty soule to aske,
    As I haue will to giue.
    2830Bell. Pretty soule, a prety soule is better than a prety body:
    do not you know my prety soule? I know you: Is not your
    name Mathaeo.
    Mat. Yes lamb.
    Bell. Baa, lamb! there you lie for I am mutton; looke fine
    man, he was mad for me once, and I was mad for him once,
    and he 2835was madde for her once, and were you neuer mad?
    yes I warrant, I had a fine iewell once, a very fine iewell
    and that naughty man stoale it away from me, a very fine
    iewell.
    2840Duk. What iewell pretty maide.
    Bell. Maide nay thats a lie, O twas a very rich iewell, calde
    K 3 a mai-