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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.
    Vpon his name and death, O would t'were true.
    Doctor It may my Lord.
    415Duke May? how? I wish his death.
    Doctor And you may have your wish: say but the word,
    And tis a strong Spell to rip vp his grave:
    I have good knowledge with Hipolito;
    He calls me friend, Ile creepe into his bosome,
    420And sting him there to death; poison can doo't.
    Duke Performe it; Ile create thee halfe mine heire.
    Doctor It shall be done, although the fact be fowle.
    Duke Greatnes hides sin, the guilt vpon my soule. Exeunt
    Enter Castruchio, Pioratto, and Fluello.
    425Cast: Signior Pioratto, signior Fluello, shalls be merry? shalls
    play the wags now?
    Flu: I, any thing that may beget the childe of laughter.
    Cast: Truth I have a pretty sportive conceit new crept into
    my braine, will moove excellent mirth.
    430Pio: Lets ha't, lets ha't, and where shall the sceane of mirth (lie?
    Cast. At signior Candidoes house, the patient man, nay the
    monstrous patient man; they say his bloud is immoveable, that
    he haz taken all patience from a man, and all constancie from
    a woman.
    435Flu. That makes so many whoores nowadayes.
    Cast. I, and so many knaves too.
    Pio. Well sir.
    Cast. To conclude, the reporte goes, hees so milde, so affa-
    ble, so suffering, that nothing indeede can moove him: now do
    440but thinke what sport it will be to make this fellow (the mirror
    of patience) as angry, as vext, and as madde as an English cuc-
    kolde.
    Flu. O, twere admirable mirth, that: but how wilt be done
    signior?
    445Cast. Let me alone, I have a tricke, a conceit, a thing, a de-
    vice will sting him yfaith, if he have but a thimblefull of blood
    ins belly, or a spleene not so bigge as a taverne token.
    Pio. Thou stirre him? thou moove him? thou anger him?
    alas, I know his approoved temper: thou vex him? why hee
    450haz a patieuce above mans iniuries: thou maiest sooner raise a
    spleane