The Honest Whore, Part 1 (Modern)

 1567[3.3]
3.0.11568Enter Bellafront with a lute; pen, ink and paper 1569being placed before her [on a table by Servants. She sings:]
3.0.21570Song
3.11571
  The courtierʼs flattʼring jewels,
3.21572Temptationʼs only fuels;
3.31573The lawyerʼs ill-got moneys,
3.41574That suck up poor beesʼ honeys;
3.51575The citizenʼs sonʼs riot;
3.61576The gallantʼs costly diet;
3.71577Silks and velvets, pearls and ambers,
3.81578Shall not draw me to their chambers.
3.91579Silks and velvets, etc.
3.9.1She writes [but soon stops].
3.101580O, ʼtis in vain to write! It will not please.
3.111581Ink on this paper would haʼ but presented
3.121582The foul black spots that stick upon my soul,
3.131583And rather made me loathsomer than wrought
3.141584My loveʼs impression in Hippolitoʼs thought.
3.151585No, I must turn the chaste leaves of my breast,
3.161586And pick out some sweet means to breed my rest.
3.171587Hippolito, believe me, I will be
3.181588As true unto thy heart as thy heart to thee,
3.191589And hate all men, their gifts, and company.
3.19.11590Enter Mattheo, Castruccio, Fluello, and Pioratto.
3.201591Mattheo
 You, Goody Punk, subaudi Cockatrice! O, youʼre a 1592sweet whore of your promise, are you not, think you? How 1593well you came to supper to us last night! Mew, a whore and 1594break her word! Nay, you may blush and hold down your 1595head at it well enough. ʼSfoot, ask these gallants if we stayed 1596not till we were as hungry as sergeants.
3.211597Fluello
 Ay, and their yeomen too.
3.221598Castruccio
 Nay, faith, acquaintance, let me tell you you forgot 1599yourself too much. We had excellent cheer, rare vintage, 1600and were drunk after supper.
3.231601Pioratto
 And when we were in our woodcocks, sweet 1602rogue, a brace of gulls dwelling here in the city came 1603in and paid all the shot.
3.24Mattheo
 Pox on her! Let her alone.
3.251604Bellafront
 O, I pray do, if you be gentlemen;
3.261605I pray depart the house. Beshrew the door
3.271606For being so easily entreated! Faith,
3.281607I lent but little ear unto your talk;
3.291608My mind was busied otherwise, in troth,
3.301609And so your words did unregarded pass.
3.311610Let this suffice: I am not as I was.
3.321611Fluello
 ‘I am not what I wasʼ! No, Iʼll be sworn thou art not. 1612For thou wert honest at five, and now thouʼrt a punk at 1613fifteen; thou wert yesterday a simple whore, and now thouʼrt a 1614cunning cony-catching baggage today.
3.331615Bellafront
 Iʼll say Iʼm worse; I pray forsake me then.
3.341616I do desire you leave me, gentlemen.
3.351617And leave yourselves. O, be not what you are,
3.361618Spendthrifts of soul and body!
3.371619Let me persuade you to forsake all harlots,
3.381620Worse than the deadliest poisons; they are worse,
3.391621For oʼer their souls hangs an eternal curse.
3.401622In being slaves to slaves, their labours perish;
3.411623Theyʼre seldom blest with fruit, for ere it blossoms
3.421624Many a worm confounds it.
3.431625They have no issue but foul ugly ones
3.441626That run along with them eʼen to their graves;
3.451627For ʼstead of children they breed rank diseases,
3.461628And all you gallants can bestow on them
3.471629Is that French infant which neʼer acts but speaks.
3.481630What shallow son and heir, then, foolish gallant,
3.491631Would waste all his inheritance to purchase
3.501632A filthy, loathed disease, and pawn his body
3.511633To a dry evil? That usuryʼs worst of all
3.521634When thʼinterest will eat out the principal.
3.531635Mattheo
 [Aside] ʼSfoot, she gulls ʼem the best! This is always 1636her fashion, when she would be rid of any 1637company that she cares not for, to enjoy mine alone.
3.541638Fluello
 Whatʼs here? Instructions, admonitions, and 1639caveats? Come out, you scabbard of vengeance. 
3.54.1[He grabs his scabbard.]
3.551640Mattheo
 Fluello, spurn your hounds when they fist; you 1641shall not spurn my punk. I can tell you my blood is vexed.
3.561642Fluello
 Pox oʼyour blood! Make it a quarrel.
3.571643Mattheo
 Youʼre a slave. Will that serve turn? 
3.57.1[He draws; they fight.]
3.581644All [but Fluello and Mattheo] 
 ʼSblood, hold, hold!
3.591645Castruccio
 Mattheo, Fluello, for shame, put up!
3.59.1[They sheathe their swords.]
3.601646Mattheo
 Spurn my sweet varlet!
 1647Bellafront
 Spurn my sweet varlet!  O how many, thus
3.611648Moved with a little folly, have let out
3.621649Their souls in brothel-houses, fell down and died
3.631650Just at their harlotʼs foot, as ʼtwere in pride!
3.641651Fluello
 Mattheo, we shall meet.
3.651652Mattheo
 Ay, ay, anywhere, saving at church; pray take heed 1653we meet not there.
3.661654Fluello
 [To Bellafront] Adieu, damnation!
 1655Castruccio
 [To Bellafront] Adieu, damnation!  Cockatrice, farewell!
3.671656Pioratto
 Thereʼs more deceit in women than in hell.
3.67.1Exeunt [Castruccio, Fluello, and Pioratto].
3.681657Mattheo
 Ha, ha, thou dost gull ʼem so rarely, so naturally! If 1658I did not think thou hadst been in earnest! Thou art a sweet 1659rogue forʼt, iʼfaith.
3.691660Bellafront
 Why are not you gone too, Signor Mattheo?
3.701661I pray depart my house. You may believe me,
3.711662In troth I have no part of harlot in me.
3.721663Mattheo
 Howʼs this?
3.731664Bellafront
 Indeed I love you not, but hate you worse
3.741665Than any man, because you were the first
3.751666Gave money for my soul. You brake the ice
3.761667Which after turned a puddle; I was led
3.771668By your temptation to be miserable.
3.781669I pray seek out some other that will fall;
3.791670Or rather, I pray, seek out none at all.
3.801671Mattheo
 Isʼt possible to be impossible, an honest whore? I 1672have heard many honest wenches turn strumpets with 1673a wet finger; but for a harlot to turn honest is one of 1674Herculesʼ labours. It was more easy for him in one night to 1675make fifty queans than to make one of them honest 1676again in fifty years. Come, I hope thou dost but jest.
3.811677Bellafront
 ʼTis time to leave off jesting; I had almost
3.821678Jested away salvation. I shall love you
3.831679If you will soon forsake me.
 1680Mattheo
 If you will soon forsake me.  God bʼwiʼ thee.
3.841681Bellafront
 O, tempt no more women! Shun their weighty curse!
3.851682Women at best are bad; make them not worse.
3.861683You gladly seek our sexʼs overthrow,
3.871684But not to raise our states. For all your wrongs
3.881685Will you vouchsafe me but due recompense,
3.891686To marry with me?
3.901687Mattheo
 How, marry with a punk, a cockatrice, a 1688harlot? Marry faugh, Iʼll be burnt through the nose first.
3.911689Bellafront
 Why, la, these are your oaths! You love to undo us,
3.921690To put heaven from us, whilst our best hours waste;
3.931691You love to make us lewd, but never chaste.
3.941692Mattheo
 Iʼll hear no more of this, this ground upon:
3.951693Thouʼrt damned for altʼring thy religion. 
3.95.1Exit.
3.961694Bellafront
 Thy lust and sin speak so much. Go thou, my ruin,
3.971695The first fall my soul took. By my example
3.981696I hope few maidens now will put their heads
3.991697Under menʼs girdles. Who least trusts is most wise;
3.1001698Menʼs oaths do cast a mist before our eyes.
3.1011699My best of wit be ready! Now I go
3.1021700By some device to greet Hippolito. 
3.102.1[Exit.]
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The Honest Whore, Part 1 (Modern)
