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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.
    a Maidenhead, and had not you it leerer.
    Mat. Out you mad Asse away.
    Duk. Had he thy Maiden-head? he shall make thee a-
    2845mends, and marry thee.
    Bell. Shall he? ô braue Arthur of Bradly then?
    Duk. And if he beare the minde of a Gentleman,
    I know he will.
    Mat. I thinke I rifled her of some such paltry Iewell.
    2850Duk. Did you? then mary her, you see the wrong
    Has led her spirits into a lunacie.
    Mat. How, marry her my Lord? sfoot marry a mad-wo-
    man: let a man get the tamest wife he can come by, sheele be
    mad enough afterward, doe what he can.
    2855Duk. Nay then, father Anselmo here shall do his best,
    To bring her to her wits, and will you then?
    Mat. I cannot tell, I may choose.
    Duk. Nay then law shall compell: I tell you sir,
    So much her hard fate moues me: you should not breath
    2860Vnder this ayre, vnlesse you marryed her.
    Mat. Well then, when her wits stand in their right place, (ile mary her.
    Bell. I thanke your grace, Mathaeo thou art mine,
    I am not mad, but put on this disguise,
    Onely for you my Lord, for you can tell
    2865Much wonder of me, but you are gon: farewell.
    Mathaeo thou didst first turne my soule black,
    Now make it white agen, I doe protest,
    Ime pure as fire now, chaste as Cynthias brest.
    Hip. I durst be sworne Mathaeo she's indeed.
    2870Mat. Cony-catcht, guld, must I saile in your flie-boate,
    Because I helpt to reare your maine-mast first:
    Plague found you fort,-tis well.
    The Cuckolds stampe goes currant in all Nations,
    Some men haue hornes giuen them at their creations,
    2875If I be one of those, why so: its better
    To take a common wench, and make her good,
    Than one that simpers and at first, will scarse
    Be tempted forth ouer the threshold dore,
    Yet in one sennight, zounds, turnes arrant whore,
    Come