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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    How does my father? I so much doe shame him,
    So much doe wound him, that I scarce dare name him.
    675Orl. I can speake no more.
    Mat. How now old Lad, what doest cry?
    Orl The rhewme still, sir, nothing else; I should be well
    seasond, for mine eyes lye in brine: looke you, sir, I haue a suite to you.
    680Math. What is't my little white pate?
    Orl. Troth, sir, I haue a mind to serue your Worship.
    Mat. To serue me? Troth, my friend, my fortunes are, as
    a man may say----
    Orl. Nay looke you, sir, I know when all sinnes are old
    685in vs, and goe vpon Crutches, that Couetousnesse does but
    then lie in her Cradle; 'Tis not so with me. Letchery loues
    to dwell in the fairest lodging, and Couetousnesse in the oldest buildings, that are ready to fall: but my white head,
    sir, is no Inne for such a gossip. If a Seruingman at my yeeres
    690be not stored with bisket enough, that has sayled about the
    world to serue him the voyage out of his life, and to bring
    him East-home; Ill pitty but all his daies should be fasting daies: I care not so much for wages, for I haue scraped a
    handfull of gold together; I haue a little money, sir, which
    695I would put into your Worships hands, not so much to
    make it more.
    Mat. No, no, you say well, thou sayest well; but I must
    tell you: How much is the money, sayest thou?
    Orl. About twenty pound, Sir.
    700Mat. Twenty pound? Let me see: that shall bring thee in,
    after ten per centum, per annum.
    Orl. No, no, no, sir, no; I cannot abide to haue money in-
    gender: fye vpon this siluer Lechery, fye; if I may haue
    meat to my mouth, and rags to my backe, and a flock-bed
    705to snort vpon, when I die, the longer liuer take all.
    Mat. A good old Boy, yfaith, if thou seruest me, thou shalt
    eat as I eat, drinke as I drinke, lye as I lye, and ride as I ride.
    Orl. That's if you haue money to hire horses.
    Mat. Front. What doest thou thinke on't? This good old
    Lad