Digital Renaissance Editions

About this text

  • Title: The Honest Whore, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1630)
  • 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.
    Author: Thomas Dekker
    Editor: Joost Daalder
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Honest Whore, Part 2 (Quarto 1, 1630)

    The Honest Whore.
    as well as the daintiest.
    350Hip. Why, Friscabaldo, was she homely?
    Orla. O my Lord! a Strumpet is one of the Deuils Vines;
    all the sinnes like so many Poles are stucke vpright out of
    hell, to be her props, that she may spread vpon them. And
    when she's ripe, euery Slaue has a pull at her, then must she
    355be prest. The yong beautifull Grape sets the teeth of Lust
    on edge, yet to taste that lickrish Wine, is to drinke a mans
    owne damnation. Is she dead?
    Hip. Shee's turned to earth.
    Orla. Wod she were turn'd to heauen; Vmh, is she dead!
    360I am glad the world has lost one of his Idols; no Whore-
    monger will at midnight beat at the doores; In her graue
    sleepe all my shame, and her owne; and all my sorrowes,
    and all her sinnes.
    Hip. I'm glad you are wax, not marble; you are made
    365Of mans best temper, there are now good hopes
    That all these heapes of
    Ice about your heart,
    By which a fathers loue was frozen vp,
    Are thawed in these sweet showres fetcht from your eyes,
    370We are ne'r like Angels till our passion dyes,
    She is not dead, but liues vnder worse fate,
    I thinke she's poore, and more to clip her wings,
    Her Husband at this houre lies in the Iayle,
    For killing of a man, to saue his blood,
    375Ioyne all your force with mine: mine shall be showne,
    The getting of his life preserues your owne.
    Orla. In my daughter you will say! does she liue then?
    I am sorry I wasted teares vpon a Harlot, but the best is I
    haue a handkercher to drinke them vp, sope can wash them
    380all out agen.
    Is she poore?
    Hip. Trust me, I thinke she is.
    Orla. Then she's a right Strumpet; I ne'r knew any of
    their trade rich two yeeres together; Siues can hold no
    B 3 water,