in 2 The Honest Whore (2 The Converted Courtesan) — Dekker, Thomas
Metadata
Play
2 The Honest Whore (2 The Converted Courtesan)
Author
Dekker, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1630
First performance
1605
Decade
1630s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Prince Henry's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Cat.
Words
364
Characters
1975
Typicality
0.32 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A20065
BritDrama no.
1459
Cluster
Cluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 15 (ang, hunc, fleire, shillings, chil, sblood…). Matches are highlighted.
Sirrah, when I cry hold your hands, hold, you Rogue- Catcher, hold: Bawd, are the French Chilblaines in your heals, that you can come no faster? are not you (Bawd) a Whores Ancient, and must not I follow my Colours? Marry foh, honest? burned at fourteen,
World, a World to keep Bawds and Whores honest? How many times hast thou given Gentlemen a quart of wine in a gallon pot? how ma nigh twelve-penny Fees, nay two shillings Fees, nay, when any Ambassadors would been here, how many half crown Fees hast thou taken? how many Carriers hast thou bribed for Country Wenches? how often have
crown Fees hast thou taken? how many Carriers hast thou bribed for Country Wenches? how often have I rinst your lungs in Aquavitae, and yet you are honest? Marry hang you, Master Slave, who made you and examiner? What art thou prithee? A Whore, art thou a Thief? Found with a pox to ye, ye abominable Rogue! you a Soldier? you
Full speech
Sirrah, when I cry hold your hands, hold, you Rogue- Catcher, hold: Bawd, are the French Chilblaines in your heals, that you can come no faster? are not you (Bawd) a Whores Ancient, and must not I follow my Colours? Marry foh, honest? burned at fourteen, seven times whipped, six times carted, nine times ducked, searched by some hundred and fifty Constables, and yet you are honest? Honest Mistress Horsleach, is this World, a World to keep Bawds and Whores honest? How many times hast thou given Gentlemen a quart of wine in a gallon pot? how ma nigh twelve-penny Fees, nay two shillings Fees, nay, when any Ambassadors would been here, how many half crown Fees hast thou taken? how many Carriers hast thou bribed for Country Wenches? how often have I rinst your lungs in Aquavitae, and yet you are honest? Marry hang you, Master Slave, who made you and examiner? What art thou prithee? A Whore, art thou a Thief? Found with a pox to ye, ye abominable Rogue! you a Soldier? you in Skirmishes? where? amongst pottle pots in a Bawdyhouse? Look, look here, you Madam Wormeaten, do not you know him? He a Soldier? a Pander, a Dog that will lick up six pence: do ye hear, you Master Swines snout, how long is't since you held the door for me, and cried too't again, no body comes, ye Rogue you? Not at your cost, Master Codshead, Is any man here blear-eyed to see me brave? Marry muff Master Whoremaster, you come upon me with sentences. Marry come out, You're so busy about my Petticoat, you'll creep up to my placket, and ye cood but attain the honour, but and the outsides offend your Rogueships, look o'the lining, it's Silk. Silk? I Silk, Master Slave, you would be glad to wipe your nose with the skirt on't: this it's to come a mong a company of Codshead that know not how to use a Gentlewoman. If the Devil were here, I care not: set forward, ye Rogues, and give attendance according to your places, let Bawds and Whores be sad, for I'll sing and the Devil were a dying.
Plot summary
Plot — 2 The Honest Whore (2 The Converted Courtesan)
On his way to court, Hippolito receives petitioners, including the reformed courtesan Bellafront: she wants his help in petitioning the Duke to pardon her husband Matheo, who has been condemned to death for homicide. Hippolito solicits the help of Bellafront’s father Orlando, but he is still morally outraged at her former sexual misconduct. Nevertheless he secretly arranges for Matheo’s release, and enters his household disguised as a servingman, Pacheco. Matheo proves dissolute, and when ‘Pacheco’ gives him money for safe keeping, he gambles it all away. Bellafront is trying not to let poverty and Matheo’s prodigality force her back into prostitution. Hippolito, who converted her from whoredom, now tries to seduce her back again. She sends ‘Pacheco’ to return his love-tokens, but ‘Pacheco’ instead takes them to Infelice, who identifies them as her own gifts to Hippolito. She interrogates Hippolito’s go-between, Brian the footman, then tells her husband that Brian gave her the love-tokens and had an affair with her. Brian is dismissed and goes home to Ireland. Desperate for money, Matheo strips the gown from his wife’s back and sells it. Lodovico promises to furnish him as a gentleman, so he is properly dressed when Orlando visits in his own person. The old man feigns lack of sympathy, then returns as Pacheco in time to prevent Matheo assaulting Bellafront. Prompted by Orlando, the Duke takes a hand: he issues a warrant to arrest Matheo for robbing two pedlars (who were actually Orlando’s men); and, hearing that Hippolito is in love with a whore, but not knowing her identity, passes new anti-prostitution laws. Meanwhile, Candido is married a second time, but his bride tests his patience with unruly behaviour on their wedding day. He determines to tame her, and Lodovico helps in the guise of an apprentice; she submits herself after a mock duel with measuring sticks. Some gallants attempt to seduce her into a brothel, but fail, and Candido still keeps his temper when, drawn to an alehouse for a business deal, he is forced to drink to a bawd’s health. Matheo is arrested at the alehouse on the Duke’s warrant, and Candido too for receiving the cloth stolen from the pedlars. At Bridewell, Matheo admits the robbery, but attempts to incriminate Bellafront out of jealousy for her supposed relationship with Hippolito. Orlando explains everything, and accepts his daughter’s forgiveness of her husband. The visitors see some of Bridewell’s new inmates: a pander and…