Digital Renaissance Editions

About this text

  • Title: The Honest Whore, Part 1 (Quarto 2, 1604)
  • Editor: Joost Daalder
  • 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 2, 1604)

    The converted Curtezan.
    not all things belonging to a man.
    Fust: Gods my life, hees a very mandrake, or else (God blesse
    225vs,) one a these whiblins, and thats woorse, and then all the chil-
    dren that he gets lawfully of your body sister, are bastards by
    a statute.
    Vio. O you runne over me too fast brother; I have heard it
    often said, that he who cannot be angry, is no man. I am sure
    230my husband is a man in print, for all things else, save onely in
    this, no tempest can move him.
    Fust. Slid, would he had beene at sea with vs, hee should ha
    beene movde and movde agen, for Ile be sworne la, our drun-
    ken ship reelde like a Dutchman.
    235Viola No losse of goods can increase in him a wrinckle, no
    crabbed language make his countenance sowre, the stubburn-
    nes of no servant shake him, he haz no more gall in him than a
    Dove, no more sting than an Ant: Musitian will he never bee,
    (yet I finde much musicke in him,) but he loves no frets, and is
    240so free from anger, that many times I am readie to bite off my
    tongue, because it wants that vertue which all womens tongues
    have (to anger their hu bands:) Brother, mine can by no thun-
    der turne him into a sharpenes.
    Fust. Belike his blood sister, is well brewd then.
    245Uiola I protest to thee Fustigo, I love him most affecti-
    onately, but I know not ---- I ha such a tickling with-
    in mee ---- such a strange longing; nay, verily I doo
    long.
    Fustigo Then y'are with childe sister; by all signes and
    250tokens; nay, I am partly a Phisitian, and partly something
    else. I ha read Albertus Magnus, and Aristotles em-
    blemes.
    Uiola Y'are wide ath bow hand still brother: my longings
    are not wanton, but wayward: I long to have my patient hus-
    255band eate vp a whole Porcupine, to the intent, the bristling
    quills may sticke about his lips like a flemish mustacho, and be
    shot at mee: I shall be leaner than the new Moone, vnlesse I
    can make him horne mad.
    Fust: Sfoote halfe a quarter of an houre does that: make him
    260a cuckold.
    B Viola