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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    Heart how art thou confinde? and bard of roome,
    875Thart quicke enough, yet liue st within a tombe.
    Tita. His name.
    Parth. (a) Campeius: Deeply learnd.
    (a) Ed. Campion.
    Tit. We heare so:
    But with it heare (from some whome we haue weied
    880For iudgement and experience) that he caries:
    A soule within him framde of a thousand wheeles
    Yet not one steddy.
    Parthe. It may be the rumor
    That thus spreades ouer him, flowes out of hate.
    885 Tita. Belieue vs no: of his, and tothers fate,
    The threedes are too vnlike, to haue that wouen.
    Camp. To gaine her crowne Ile not kneele thus.
    Tita. Be sides
    The harue st which he seekes is reapde already:
    890We haue be stowed it.
    Parth. Here then dies our sute.
    Tita. Now shall you trie with what impatience
    That bay tree will endure a little fire,
    My Lord, my Lord,
    895Such swelling spirites hid with humble lookes,
    Are kingdoms poysons, hung on golden hookes,
    Parth. I hope heele proue none such.
    Tita. Such men oft proue.
    Valleyes that let in riuers to confound
    900The hils aboue them, tho themselues lie drounde,
    My Lord, I like not calme and cunning seas
    That to haue great ships taken or di stre st,
    Suffer base gallyes to creepe ore their brea st,
    Let course harts weare course skins: you know our wil.
    905 Parth. Which (as a doome diuine) I shall fulfill.
    Camp. Thrown downe, or raizd?
    Parth. All hopes (for this) are gone,
    ome planet stands in oppo sition. Exeunt Parth Camp. Vmh: So. & Camp.
    Tita. Now Doctor Paridell.
    910 Pari. An humble suite,
    I am growne bold finding so free a giuer,
    Where
    D3