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    Not Peer Reviewed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.
    80Our chaire is counted, all our titles stolne.
    2. King. What bla sphemy dare speake so?
    Empr. All our roabes,
    Your ve stments, (reuerend, yet pontificall:)
    This sword, these keyes, (that open kingdoms hearts
    85To let in sweet obedience) All, but borrowed.
    3. King. What soule aboue the earth----
    Emp. Our royall signet,
    With which, we, (in a mothers holy loue)
    Haue sign'd so many pardons, is now counterfeit:
    90From our mouth flow riuers of bla sphemy
    And lies; our Babylonian Sinagogues
    Are counted Stewes, where Fornications
    And all vncleanne s s e Sodomiticall,
    (Whose leprosy touch'd vs neuer) are now daily acted:
    95Our Image, which (like Romane Cae sars) stamp'd
    In gold, through the whole earth did currant pa s s e;
    Is now blanch'd copper, or but guilded bra s s e.
    3. King. Can yonder roofe, thats naild so fa st with ( starres,
    Couer a head so impious, and not cracke?
    100That Sulphure boyling o're cele stiall fires,
    May drop in whizing flakes (with skalding vēgeāce)
    On such a horrid sinne!
    1. King. No mortall bosome
    Is so vnsanctified.
    105 2. King. Who i' st bright Empre s s e,
    That feeds so vlcerous, and so ranke a Spleene?
    Emp. A woman.
    Omn. Woman! who?
    Emp. The Fairie Queene:
    110Fiue Summers haue scarce drawn their glimmering (nights
    Through the Moons siluer bowe, since the crownd (heads
    Of that adored bea st, on which we ride,
    Were strucke and wounded, but so heal'd againe,
    The very scarres were hid. But now, a mortall,
    115An vnrecouerable blovv is taken,
    And it must bleed to death.
    3. King.