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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    (For any criminall breach of the highe st Law)
    After 'tis done: nay more, a voice as cleere
    As that of Angels, which proclaimes the act,
    Good, honourable, meritorious,
    2295Lawfull, and pyous, what if I shew you this?
    Cox: Come, come, you cannot, then let riotous heires
    beg pattents to kill fathers: graunt but this
    Murder may be a faire Monopoly,
    And Princes stab'd by Acts of parliament:
    2300Who i' st dare that thing meritorious call,
    Which feindes themselues count diabolicall?
    Pari: Your coldnes makes me wonder: why should you
    ronne vp to'th necke, from drowning to saue her,
    That treades vpon your head; your throat, to sincke you?
    2305 Coz: Say you should wound me; should I (in reuenge)
    Murder my selfe? for what can be the close
    But death, di shonour; yea, damnation
    To an act so base, nay so impo s sible.
    Pari: Impo s sible; the parting of the ayre,
    2310Is not more easy: looke vpon the Court,
    Through narrowe sights, and shees the faire st marke,
    And soone st hit of any: like the Turke
    Shee walkes not with a Ianisarie--Guard,
    Nor (as the Ru s siā with fowle-big-boand slaues,
    2315Strutting on each side with the slicing Axe,
    Like to a payre of hangmen: no, alas:
    Her Courts of Guard are Ladies, & (sometimes)
    Shee's in the garden with as small a trayne,
    As is the Sun in heauen: and our Acce s s e,
    2320May then as easy be as that of Clyents,
    To Lawyers out of terme--time.
    Coz: Grant all this:
    Nay, say the blow were giuen: how would you scape?
    Pari: Oh, Sir by water.--- Coz: I but.---
    2325 Pari: Nay, good cozen.----
    Crz: You leape as short at safety, as at starre:s
    By water: why the gates will all be lockt,
    Wayters