2 The Honest Whore (2 The Converted Courtesan) · chunk 31 of 47
Dekker, Thomas · published 1630 · first performed or written 1605 [1604-c.1605] (Annals) comedy · Prince Henry's Men unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
And here's another Vessel, (better fraught, But as ill manned) her sinking will be wrought, If rescue come not: like a Man of war I'll therefore bravely out: somewhat I'll do, And either save them both, or perish too. It is my fate to be bewitched by those eyes. Fate? your folly. Why should my face thus mad you? 'las, those colours Are wound up long ago, which beauty spread, The flowers that once grew here, are withered. You turned my black soul white, made it look new, And should I sin, it ne'er should be with you. Your hand, I'll offer you fair play: When first We met i'th' Lists together, you remember You were a common Rebel; with one parley I won you to come in. You did. I'll try If now I can beat down this Chastity With the same Ordnance; will you yield this Fort, If with the power of Argument now (as then) I get of you the conquest: as before I turned you honest, now to turn you whore, By force of strong persuasion? If you can, I yield. The alarm's struck up: I'm your man. A woman gives defiance. Sit. Begin: 'Tis a brave battle to encounter sin. You men that are to fight in the same war, To which I'm pressed, and plead at the same bar, To win a woman, if you would have me speed, Send all your wishes. No doubt y'are heard, proceed. To be a Harlot, that you stand upon, The very name's a charm to make you one. Harlot was a Dame of so divine And ravishing touch, that she was Concubine To an English King: her sweet bewitching eye Did the king's heartstrings in such love-knots tie, That even the coyest was proud when she could hear Men say, Behold; another Harlot there; And after her all women that were fair Were Harlots called, as to this day some are: Besides her dalliance, she so well does mix, That she's in Latin called the Meretrix. Thus for the name; for the profession, this, Who lives in bondage, lives laced, the chief bliss This world below can yield, is liberty: And who (than whores) with looser wings dare fly? As Juno's proud bird spreads the fairest tail, So does a Strumpet hoist the loftiest sail. She's no man's slave; (men are her slaves) her eye Moves not on wheels screwed up with Jealousy. She (horsed, or Coached) does merry journeys make, Free as the Sun in his gilt Zodiac: As bravely does she shine, as fast she's driven, But stays not long in any house of Heaven: But shifts from Sign, to Sign, her amorous prizes More rich being when she's down, then when she rises. In brief, Gentlemen haunt them, Soldiers fight for them, Few men but know them, few or none abhor them: Thus (for sport's sake) speak I, as to a woman, Whom (as the worst ground) I would turn to common: But you I would enclose for mine own bed.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
And here's another Vessell, (better fraught, But as ill man'd) her sinking will be wraught, If rescue come not: like a Man of warre Ile therefore brauely out: somewhat Ile doe, And either saue them both, or perish too. It is my fate to be bewitched by those eyes. Fate? your folly. Why should my face thus mad you? 'las, those colours Are wound vp long agoe, which beauty spred, The flowres that once grew here, are withered. You turn'd my blacke soule white, made it looke new, And should I sinne, it ne'r should be with you. Your hand, Ile offer you faire play: When first We met i'th Lists together, you remember You were a common Rebell; with one parlee I won you to come in. You did. Ile try If now I can beate downe this Chastity With the same Ordnance; will you yeeld this Fort, If with the power of Argument now (as then) I get of you the conquest: as before I turnd you honest, now to turne you whore, By force of strong perswasion? If you can, I yeeld. The allarm's strucke vp: I'm your man. A woman giues defiance. Sit. Beginne: 'Tis a braue battaile to encounter sinne. You men that are to fight in the same warre, To which I'm prest, and pleade at the same barre, To winne a woman, if you wud haue me speed, Send all your wishes. No doubt y'are heard, proceede. To be a Harlot, that you stand vpon, The very name's a charme to make you one. Harlot was a Dame of so diuine And rauishing touch, that she was Concubine To an English King: her sweet bewitching eye Did the Kings heart-strings in such loue-knots tye, That euen the coyest was proud when she could heare Men say, Behold; another Harlot there; And after her all women that were faire Were Harlots call'd, as to this day some are: Besides her dalliance, she so well does mix, That she's in Latine call'd the Meretrix. Thus for the name; for the profession, this, Who liues in bondage, liues lac'd, the chiefe blisse This world below can yeeld, is liberty: And who (than whores) with looser wings dare flie? As Iunoes proud bird spreads the fairest taile, So does a Strumpet hoist the loftiest saile. She's no mans slaue; (men are her slaues) her eye Moues not on wheeles screwd vp with Iealowsie. She (Horst, or Coacht) does merry iourneys make, Free as the Sunne in his gilt Zodiake: As brauely does she shine, as fast she's driuen, But staies not long in any house of Heauen: But shifts from Signe, to Signe, her amorous prizes More rich being when she's downe, then when she rizes. In briefe, Gentlemen haunt them, Soldiers fight for them, Few men but know them, few or none abhorre them: Thus (for sport sake) speake I, as to a woman, Whom (as the worst ground) I would turne to common: But you I would enclose for mine owne bed.