Digital Renaissance Editions

About this text

  • Title: The Whore of Babylon (Quarto, 1607)
  • Editors: Frances E. Dolan, Anna Pruitt

  • 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
    Editors: Frances E. Dolan, Anna Pruitt
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Whore of Babylon (Quarto, 1607)

    The Whore of Babylon.
    Vpon my sword (as on the Axell tree)
    A world of kingdomes mooue: and yet I write
    450 Non sufficit that lu stie sonne of Ioue
    That twelue times shewed himselfe more then a man,
    Reard vp two pillars for me, on whose Capitals
    I stand (Colo s s us-like) striding ore seas,
    And with my head knock at the roofe of Heauen:
    455Hence come I, this I am, (O mo st diuine)
    All that I am is yours, be you but mine.
    2. King. The country (a) at whose brea st, hundreds of Kings
    Haue royally bin fed, is nurce to me:
    (a) France.
    The god of grapes is mine, whose bounteous hand
    460In clu sters deales his gifts to euery land:
    My Empire beares for greatnes, pollicy,
    State, skill in Arts and Armes, sole soueraigntie
    Of this Globe vniuersall. All her Princes
    Are warriours borne: whose battels to be told,
    465Would make the hearers souldiers: t'is a land
    Of breath so sweet, and of aspect so faire,
    That to behold her, and to conquer her,
    (In amorous combats,) great king Oberon,
    Your awefull father, oft ha's thither come,
    470Like to a bridegrome, or a Reueller,
    And gone agen in goodly triumphs home.
    From hence I spring, (faire st and mo st diuine)
    All that this is, is yours, be you but mine.
    3. King. Be you but mine, and doubly will I treble
    475Their glories and their greatne s s e: like to thunder
    My voyce farre off, shakes kingdomes; whil st mine owne
    Stands on Seauen (b) hills, whose towers, and pinnacles,
    And renarend Monuments, hold in them such worth,
    And are so sacred, Emperours and Kings
    480(Like barefoote pilgrims) at her feet doe fall,
    Bowing to her trible crowne imperiall.
    The language which shee speakes, goes through the world,
    To proue that all the world should stoope to her,
    And (saue your selfe) they doe; you thinke you leaue
    485A rich inheritance, if to your sonnes,
    Our fluent tongue you leaue, (nor need they more)
    Who