THE HONEST WHORE. (PART SECOND.)
Reading edition
125The Second Part of the Honest Whore, With the Humors of the Patient Man, the Impatient Wife: the Honest Whore, perswaded by strong Arguments to turne Curtizan againe: her braue refuting those Arguments. And lastly, the Comicall Passages of an Italian Bridewell, where the Scæne ends. Written by Thomas Dekker. London, Printed by Elizabeth All-de, for Nathaniel Butter, An. Dom. 1630. 4to.
No earlier impression than that of 1630 is known to exist. It has been reprinted in the second and third editions of Dodsley’s Old Plays, vol. iii.; and, as there given, is perhaps the most wretchedly edited drama in the English language.
It was licensed by Sir George Bucke, 29th April, 1608: see Chalmers’s Suppl. Apol. p. 202 (where it is by mistake called “the convicted,” instead of the “converted Courtisan, or Honest Whore”). As Middleton certainly wrote a portion of the First Part of this play (see p. 3 of the present vol.), there is every reason to believe that he was concerned in the composition of the Second Part.
Because the title-page makes no mention of its having been represented on the stage, Langbaine very unnecessarily concludes that it was never acted. “The passage,” he continues, “between the Patient Man and his Impatient Wife’s going to fight for the Breeches, with the happy Event, is exprest by Sr. John Harrington in Verse. See his Epigrams at the end of Orlando Furioso, Book 1. Epigr. 16.” Acc. of Engl. Dram. Poets, p. 122. The epigram in question is as follows:
“OF A HOUSEHOLD FRAY FRIENDLY ENDED.
A man and wife stroue earst who should be masters,
And hauing chang’d between them houshold speeches,
The man in wrath brought forth a paire of wasters,[251]
And swore those 2 should proue who ware the breeches.
She that could breake his head yet giue him plasters,
Accepts the challenge, yet withall beseeches
That shee (as weakest) then might strike the first,
And let him ward, and after doe his worst.
He swore that should be so, as God should blesse him,
And close he laid him to the sured locke.
126Shee flourishing as though she would not misse him,
Laid downe her cudgell, and with witty mocke
She told him for his kindnes she would kisse him
That now was sworne to giue her neuer knock:
You sware, said she, I should the first blow giue,
And I sweare I’le neuer strike you while I liue.
Ah flattring slut, said he, thou dar’st not fight!
I am no larke, quoth she, man doe not dare me,[252]
Let me point time and place, as ’tis my right
By law of challenge, and then neuer spare me.
Agreed, said he. Then rest (quoth she) to night;
To-morrow, at Cuckolds hauen, I’le prepare me.
Peace, wife, said he, wee’le cease all rage and rancor,
Ere in that Harbor I will ride at Ancor.”
“Although Harington’s Epigrams,” says the last editor of Dodsley’s Old Plays, “were not printed in an entire state until 1618 (see Ritson’s Bibl. Poet. 236), yet many of them were written when their author (who died in 1612) was a very young man. It seems probable that the incident was founded upon the epigram; for though Sir John Harington borrowed from the Latin and Italian, he most likely would not steal from an English play, especially when it appears that his originality had been attacked.”
127DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.
Gasparo Trebazzi, duke of Milan.
Hippolito, a count, husband to Infelice.
Orlando Friscobaldo,[253] father to Bellafront.
Matheo, husband to Bellafront.
Candido, a linen-draper.
Lodovico Sforza.
Beraldo.
Carolo.
Fontinell.
Astolfo.
Antonio Georgio, a poor scholar.
Bryan, an Irish footman.
Bots, a pander.
Masters of Bridewell, Prentices, Servants, &c.
Infelice, wife to Hippolito.
Bellafront, wife to Matheo.
Candido’s Bride.
Mistress Horseleech, a bawd.
Dorothea Target, Penelope Whorehound Catherina Bountinall} harlots
Scene, Milan.
129THE SECOND PART
OF
THE HONEST WHORE.