Digital Renaissance Editions

Toolbox

No annotations available
No variants available
Jump to line
Through Line Number
Help on texts
About this text
Print this page

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)

    1480SCENA 8.
    Enter a Bawd and Roger.
    Bawd. O Roger, Roger, where's your mistris, wher's your
    mistris? there's the finest, neatest Gentleman at my house,
    but newly come ouer: O where is she, where is she, where
    1485is she?
    Rog. My mistris is abroad, but not amongst em: my mi-
    stris is not the whore now that you take her for.
    Baw. How? is she not a whore? do you go about to take
    away her good name, Roger? you are a fine Pandar indeed.
    1490Rog. I tell you, Madona Finger-locke, I am not sad for
    nothing, I ha not eaten one good meale this three & thir-
    ty dayes: I had wont to get sixteene pence by fetching a
    pottle of Hypocras: but now those dayes are past: we had
    as good doings, Madona Finger-locke, she within dores and
    1495I without, as any poore yong couple in Millain.
    Baw. Gods my life, and is she chang'd now?
    Rog. I ha lost by her squeamishnesse, more then would
    haue builded 12. bawdy houses.
    And had she no time to turn honest but now? what a vile
    1500woman is this? twenty pound a night, Ile be sworne, Roger,
    in good gold and no siluer: why here was a time, if she
    should ha pickt out a time, it could not be better! gold y-
    nough stirring; choyce of men, choyce of haire, choyce of
    beards, choyce of legs, and choyce of euery, euery, euery
    1505thing: it cannot sink into my head, that she should be such
    an Asse. Roger, I neuer beleeue it.
    Rog. Here she comes now. Enter Bellafronte.
    Baw. O sweet Madona, on with your loose gowne, your
    felt & your feather, there's the sweetest, proprest, gallantest
    1510Gentleman at my house, he smells all of Muske & Amber
    greece, his pocket full of Crownes, flame-colourd dublet,
    red satin hose, Carnation silke stockins, and a leg and a
    body, oh!
    Bel. Hence
    The conuerted Courtizan.
    Bel. Hence, thou our sexes monster, poysonous Bawd,
    1515Lusts Factor, and damnations Orator,
    Gossip of hell, were all the Harlots sinnes
    Which the whole world conteynes, numbred together,
    Thine farre exceeds them all; of all the creatures
    That euer were created, thou art basest:
    1520What serpent would beguile thee of thy Office?
    It is detestable: for thou liu'st
    Vpon the dregs of Harlots, guard'st the dore,
    Whilst couples goe to dauncing: O course deuill!
    Thou art the bastards curse, thou brandst his birth,
    1525The lechers French disease; for thou dry-suckst him:
    The Harlots poyson, and thine owne confusion.
    Baw. Mary come vp with a pox, haue you no body to
    raile against, but your Bawd now?
    Bel. And you, Knaue Pandar, kinsman to a Bawd.
    1530Rog. You and I Madona, are Cozens.
    Bel. Of the same bloud and making, neere allyed,
    Thou, that slaue to sixpence, base-mettald villayne.
    Rog. Sixpence? nay that's not so; I neuer took vnder two
    shillings foure pence, I hope I know my fee.
    1535Bel. I know not against which most to inueigh:
    For both of you are damnd so equally.
    Thou neuer spar'st for oathes: swearst any thing,
    As if thy soule were made of shoe-leather.
    God dam me, Gentleman, if she be within,
    1540When in the next roome she's found dallying.
    Rog. If it be my vocation to sweare, euery man in his vo-
    cation: I hope my betters sweare and dam themselues, and
    why should not I? Bel. Roger, you cheat kind gentlemen?
    Rog. The more gulls they.
    1545Bel. Slaue, I casheere thee.
    Baw. And you do casheere him, he shalbe entertaynd.
    Rog. Shall I? then blurt a your seruice.
    Bel. As hell would haue it, entertaynd by you!
    I dare the deuill himselfe to match those two. Exit.
    1550Baw. Mary gup, are you growne so holy, so pure, so ho-
    nest with a pox?
    F 2 Rog. Scur-
    The conuerted Courtizan.
    Rog. Scuruy honest Punck! But stay Madona, how must
    our agreement be now? for you know I am to haue all the
    commings in at the hall dore, & you at the chamber dore.
    1555Ba. True Rog. except my vailes. Rog. Vailes, what vailes?
    Ba. Why as thus, if a couple come in a Coach, & light to
    lie down a little, then Roger, thats my fee, & you may walke
    abroad; for the Coach-man himselfe is their Pandar.
    Ro. Is a so? in truth I haue almost forgot, for want of ex-
    1560ercise: But how if I fetch this Citizens wife to that Gull, &
    that Madona to that Gallant, how then?
    Ba. Why then, Roger, you are to haue sixpence a lane,
    so many lanes, so many sixpences.
    Ro. Ist so? thē I see we two shall agree and liue together.
    1565Ba. I Roger, so long as there be any Tauernes and baw-
    dy houses in Millain. Exeunt.
    About
    Contact us
    Content quality
    Site guide
    © Digital Renaissance Editions
    Published by the ISE
    Copyright details
    Privacy policy
    This site is supported by:
    University of Victoria
    University of Western Australia
    Friends of the ISE