Peer Reviewed
- Edition: The Honest Whore, Part 2
The Honest Whore, Part 2 (Modern)
- Introduction
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Acknowledgements
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Abbreviations
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Introduction
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Analysis of the Plays
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: The Plays in Performance
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Textual Introduction
- The Honest Whore, Parts 1 and 2: Appendices
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
2050.1[4.2]
4.2.0.12051Enter the Duke, Lodovico, and Orlando [as Pacheco]; after them Infelice, 2052Carolo, Astolfo, Beraldo, [and] Fontinell.
I beseech your Grace, though your eye be so piercing as 2054under a poor blue coat to cull out an honest father from 2055an old servingman, yet, good my lord, discover not the plot 2056to any but only this gentleman that is now to be an 2057actor in our ensuing comedy.
Thou hast thy wish, Orlando. Pass unknown;
To attach him upon felony for two pedlars, isʼt not so?
Right, my noble knight. Those pedlars were two 2063knaves of mine; he fleeced the men before, and now he 2064purposes to flay the master. He will rob me; his teeth water to 2065be nibbling at my gold. But this shall hang him by thʼgills, till 2066I pull him on shore.
Away; ply you the business.
Thanks to your Grace. But, my good lord, for my 2069daughter –
You know what I have said.
And remember what I have sworn. Sheʼs more 2072honest, on my soul, than one of the Turkʼs wenches watched 2073by a hundred eunuchs.
So she had need, for the Turks make them whores.
Heʼs a Turk that makes any woman a whore; heʼs 2076no true Christian, Iʼm sure. I commit your Grace.
Infelice?
Here, sir.
4.2.14.1[The Duke and Infelice step aside.]
Signor Frescobaldo –
Frisking again? Pacheco!
Uds-so, Pacheco! Weʼll have some sport with this 2082warrant; ʼtis to apprehend all suspected persons in the 2083house. Besides, thereʼs one Bots, a pander, and one Madam 2084Horseleech, a bawd, that have abused my friend; those two 2085conies will we ferret into the purse-net.
Let me alone for dabbing them oʼthʼ neck. Come, 2087come.
Do ye hear, gallants? Meet me anon at Mattheoʼs.
Enough.
4.2.20.1Exeunt Lodovido and Orlando.
[Speaking aside to Infelice]
4.2.21.1Thʼold fellow sings that note thou didst before,
ʼTis a good, honest servant, that old man.
I doubt no less.
2097Infelice
And it may be my husband,
It may be so, too, for to turn a harlot
2113Carolo, Astolfo, Beraldo, and Fontinell
Yes, my lord.
All the city thinks heʼs a whoremonger.
Yet I warrant heʼll swear no man marks him.
ʼTis like so, for when a man goes a-wenching is as if 2117he had a strong stinking breath; everyone smells him out, 2118yet he feels it not, though it be ranker than the sweat of 2119sixteen bearwarders.
I doubt, then, you have all those stinking breaths;
Troth, my lord, I think we are all as you haʼ been in 2123your youth when you went a-maying; we all love to hear 2124the cuckoo sing upon other menʼs trees.
Itʼs well yet you confess.
[To Infelice] But, girl, thy bed
4.2.51ʼTis strange!
2135Carolo
I haʼ noted
Heʼs no more like unto Hippolito
4.2.65[To Astolfo] Whatʼs the drabʼs name?
2142Astolfo
In troth, my lord, I know not;
2144Duke
O, Bellafront!
A drench thatʼs able to kill a horse cannot kill this 2147disease of smock-smelling, my lord, if it have once eaten 2148deep.
Iʼll try all physic, and this medʼcine first:
No, my lord, and light wenches are no idle freight. 2156But whatʼs your Graceʼs reach in this?
This, Carolo: if she whom my son dotes on
But say she be not?
2161Duke
Yet on harlotsʼ heads
Attach all the light heels iʼthʼ city and clap ʼem up? 2167Why, my lord, you dive into a well unsearchable. All the 2168whores within the walls, and without the walls? I would not 2169be he should meddle with them for ten such dukedoms; 2170the army that you speak on is able to fill all the prisons 2171within this city, and to leave not a drinking-room in any 2172tavern besides.
They only shall be caught that are of note;
4.2.89Come, girl.
4.2.89.1[Exeunt Duke and Infelice.]
Arraign the poor whore!
Iʼll not miss that sessions.
Nor I.
Nor I, 2181though I hold up my hand there myself.
4.2.93.1Exeunt.