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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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    The Empres, Cardinals &c.

    Emp. Who sets those tunes to mocke vs? Stay them.
    Omn. Peace.
    1225 1. King. Peace there.
    1. Card. No more: your mu sicke mu st be dombe.
    Emp. When those Caele stiall bodies that doe moue,
    Within the sacred Spheres of Princes bosomes
    Goe out of order, tis as if yon Regiment,
    1230Weare all in vp-roare: heauen should then be vext,
    Me thinkes such indignation should resemble,
    Dreadfull eclypses, that portend dire plagues
    To nations, fall to Empires, death to Kings,
    To Citties deua station, to the world,
    1235That vniuersall hot calamitie
    Of the la st horror. But our royall bloud,
    Beates in our veines like seas strugling for bounds,
    Aetna, burns in vs: bearded Comets shoote
    Their vengeance through our eyes: our breath is lightning;
    1240Thunder our voyce; yet, as the idle Cannon,
    Strikes at the Aires Invulnerable bre st)
    Our darts are phillip'd backe in mockery,
    Wanting the poynts to wound.
    1. King. Too neere the heart,
    1245(Mo st royall Empre s s e) these di stempers fit,
    So please you, weele againe a s s ayle her bewtie
    In varied shapes, and worke on sutler Charmes,
    Again loues poysoned arrowes weele let flie.
    Emp. No: proud spirits once denying, still deny.
    1250 1. Car. Then be your selfe, (a woman) change those ouertures:
    You made so her of an vnusuall peace,
    To an vnusde defiance: giue your reuenge,
    A full and swelling saile, as from your greatnes
    You tooke, in veyling to her: you haue beene
    1255Too cold in puni shment, too soft in chyding,
    And like a mother (cause her yeares are greene)
    Haue winck't at Errors, hoping time, or councell,
    Or her owne guilt (seing how she goes awry,)
    Would