Digital Renaissance Editions

Toolbox




Jump to line
Help on texts

About this text

  • 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.
    1890The heauen cannot allure you to doe well
    From doing ill let hell fright you: and learne this,
    The soule whose bosome lust did neuer touch,
    Is Gods faire bride, and maidens soules are such:
    The soule that leauing chastities white shore,
    1895Swims in hot sensuall streames, is the diuels whore,
    How now: who comes. Enter his seruant.
    Ser. No more knaues my Lord that weare smocks: heres
    a letter from doctor Benedict; I would not enter his man, tho
    he had haires at his mouth, for feare he should be a woman, for
    1900some women haue beardes, mary they are halfe witches,
    Slid you are a sweete youth to weare a codpeece, and haue no
    pinnes to sticke vpont.
    Hip. Ile meete the doctor, tell him, yet to night
    I cannot: but at morrow rising Sunne
    1905I will not faile: go: woman fare thee well. Exeunt.
    Bel. The lowest fall can be but into hell,
    It does not moue him. I must therefore fly,
    From this vndoing Cittie, and with teares,
    Wash off all anger from my fathers brow,
    1910He cannot sure but ioy seeing me new borne,
    A woman honest first and then turne whore,
    Is (as with me) common to thousands more,
    But from a strumpet to turne chast: that sound,
    Has oft bin heard, that woman hardly found. Exit.
    191511. SCE. Enter Fustigo, Crambo and Poli.
    Fus. Hold vp your hands gentlemen: heres one, two, three,
    (nay I warrant they are sound pistols, and without flawes, I
    had them (of my sister, and I know she vses to put nothing
    thats crackt,) three, foure, fiue, sixe, seuen, eight and nine, by
    1920this hand bring me but a piece of his bloud. and you shall
    haue 9. more. Ile lurke in a tauerne not far off, & prouide sup-
    per to close vp the end of the Tragedy, the linnen drapers re-
    mēber-stand toot I beseech you, & play your partes perfectly.
    Cram. Looke you Signior, tis not your golde that we way.
    1925Fust. Nay, nay, way it and spare not, if it lacke one graine of (corne;
    Ile giue you a bushell of wheate to make it vp.
    Cram. But by your fauour Signior, which of the seruants
    G 3 is