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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Orla. Yes, if he be a Lord, he gaue it me.
    Bel. 'Tis all gold.
    Orl. 'Tis like so: it may be, he thinkes you want money,
    860and therefore bestowes his almes brauely, like a Lord.
    Bel. He thinkes a siluer net can catch the poore,
    Here's baite to choake a Nun, and turne her whore.
    Wilt thou be honest to me?
    Orl. As your nailes to your fingers, which I thinke ne-
    865uer deceiued you.
    Bel. Thou to this Lord shalt goe, commend me to him,
    And tell him this, the Towne has held out long,
    Because (within) 'twas rather true, then strong.
    To sell it now were base; Say 'tis no hold
    870Built of weake stuffe, to be blowne vp with gold.
    He shall beleeue thee by this token, or this; if not, by this.
    Orla. Is this all?
    Bel. This is all.
    Orl. Mine owne Girle still.
    875Bel. A Starre may shoote, not fall. Exit Bellafront.
    Orl. A Starre? nay, thou art more then the moone, for
    thou hast neither changing quarters, nor a man standing in
    thy circle with a bush of thornes. Is't possible the Lord Hipollito, whose face is as ciuill as the outside of a Dedicato-
    880ry Booke, should be a Muttonmunger? A poore man has
    but one Ewe, and this Grandy Sheepe-biter leaues whole
    Flockes of fat Weathers (whom he may knocke downe)
    to deuoure this. Ile trust neither Lord nor Butcher with
    quicke flesh for this tricke; the Cuckoo I see now sings all
    885the yeere, though euery man cannot heare him, but Ile
    spoyle his notes; can neither Loue-letters, nor the Deuils
    common Pick-lockes (Gold) nor Precious Stones make my
    Girle draw vp her Percullis: hold out still, wench.
    All are not Bawds (I see now) that keepe doores,
    890Nor all good wenches that are markt for Whores. Exit.

    Enter Candido, Lodouico like a Prentice.
    Lod. Come, come, come, what doe yee lacke, sir? what
    D 2 doe