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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Hip. Ile take no such deare payment, harke you Matheo,
    I know, the prison is a gulfe, if money runne low with you,
    785my purse is yours: call for it.
    Mat. Faith my Lord, I thanke my starres, they send me
    downe some; I cannot sinke, so long as these bladders hold.
    Hip. I will not see your fortunes ebbe, pray try.
    To starue in full barnes were fond modesty.
    790Mat. Open the doore, sirra.
    Hip. Drinke this, and anon I pray thee giue thy Mistris
    this. Exit.
    Orl. O Noble Spirit, if no worse guests here dwell,
    My blue coate sits on my old shoulders well.
    795Mat. The onely royall fellow, he's bounteous as the Indies,
    what's that he said to thee, Bellafront?
    Bel. Nothing.
    Mat. I prethee good Girle?
    Bel. Why I tell you nothing.
    800Mat. Nothing? it's well: trickes, that I must be behol-
    den to a scald hot-liuerd gotish Gallant, to stand with my
    cap in my hand, and vaile bonnet, when I ha spred as lofty
    sayles as himselfe, wud I had beene hanged. Nothing? Pa-
    checo, brush my cloake.
    805Orl. Where is't, sir?
    Mat. Come, wee'll flye hye.
    Nothing? there is a whore still in thine eye. Exit.
    Orl. My twenty pounds flyes high, O wretched woman,
    This varlot's able to make Lucrece common.
    810How now Mistris? has my Master dyed you into this sad
    colour?
    Bel. Fellow, be gone I pray thee; if thy tongue itch after
    talke so much, seeke out thy Master, th'art a fit instrument
    for him.
    815Orl. Zownes, I hope he will not play vpon me?
    Bel. Play on thee? no, you two will flye together,
    Because you are rouing arrowes of one feather.
    Would thou wouldst leaue my house, thou ne'r shalt
    Please, me weaue thy nets ne'r so hye,
    D Thou