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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    2550 Fid. Hah:---defie this noble, hone st gentleman,
    Defie him, he shal spit it on thy face,
    Thy beard scald Doctor.
    Pari. And doe st thou betray me? Sai st thou so?
    Cox. And will seale my speech with bloud.
    2555 Pari. My no again st his yea; My no is as good.
    Fid. Better, his yeas goe naked, and your noes
    Very well clokd: off, come, truth naked goes,
    And heres his naked truth. ---Shewes his drawn dagger.
    Tyta. Againe.
    2560 Pari. Oh me;---now nothing but your mercy me can saue.
    Tita. It mu st not: Princes that would safely liue,
    May grieue at traytors falles but not forgiue.
    Let him be sommond to the barre of shame.
    Pari. Tis welcome, a blacke life, ends in blacke fame. Exit.
    2565 Omn. Away with him.
    Parth. Now to the bu sines,
    We haue one foote.
    Fid. I, I, looke to the head.
    The hangman cures those members.
    2570 Tita. What is done?
    Flor. This (sacred Lady:) we with either hand
    Haue raisde an Armie both by sea and land.
    Your goodly ships beare the mo st royall freight,
    That the world owes (true hearts:) their wōbes are ful,
    2575Of noble spirits, each man in his face
    Shewes a Kings daunting looke, the souldiers stand
    So thickly on the decke, so brauely plum'd,
    (The Silken steamers wauing ore their heades)
    That (seeing them) you would iudge twere Penteco st,
    2580And that the iollie young sters of your townes,
    Had flockt togither in gay multitudes,
    For May-games, and for summer merriments,
    They looke so cheerely: in such little roome
    So many Faieries neuer dwelt at once,
    2585Neuer so many men were borne so soone,
    The drum that gaue the call, could not be heard
    For
    K