Vulgar words in The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3) (Page 1)

This book at a glance

ass x 3
bastard x 3
fart x 2
make love x 1
whore x 17
            

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~   ~   ~   Sentence 167   ~   ~   ~

As she spake this, her tongue tripp'd, For unawares "Come thither" from her slipp'd; And suddenly her former colour chang'd, And here and there her eyes through anger rang'd; 360 And, like a planet moving several ways At one self instant, she, poor soul, assays, Loving, not to love at all, and every part Strove to resist the motions of her heart: And hands so pure, so innocent, nay, such As might have made Heaven stoop to have a touch, Did she uphold to Venus, and again Vow'd spotless chastity; but all in vain; Cupid beats down her prayers with his wings; Her vows above [22] the empty air he flings: 370 All deep enrag'd, his sinewy bow he bent, And shot a shaft that burning from him went; Wherewith she strooken, look'd so dolefully, As made Love sigh to see his tyranny; And, as she wept, her tears to pearl he turn'd, And wound them on his arm, and for her mourn'd.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 417   ~   ~   ~

Shall slick-tongu'd Fame, patch'd up with voices rude, The drunken bastard of the multitude (Begot when father Judgment is away, And, gossip-like, says because others say, Takes news as if it were too hot to eat, And spits it slavering forth for dog-fees meat), [Pg 54] Make me, for forging a fantastic vow, Presume to bear what makes grave matrons bow?

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,230   ~   ~   ~

20 The whore stands to be bought for each man's money, And seeks vild wealth by selling of her coney.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,727   ~   ~   ~

Lo, how the miserable great-eared ass, Dulled with much beating, slowly forth doth pass!

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,247   ~   ~   ~

Nor doth her face please, but her husband's love: I know not what men think should thee so move [366] She is not chaste that's kept, but a dear whore: [367] Thy fear is than her body valued more.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,305   ~   ~   ~

men point at me for a whore, Shame, that should make me blush, I have no more."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,782   ~   ~   ~

He is a gull whose indiscretion Cracks his purse-strings to be in fashion; He is a gull who is long in taking roote In barraine soyle where can be but small fruite; He is a gull who runnes himselfe in debt For twelue dayes' wonder, hoping so to get; He is a gull whose conscience is a block, Not to take interest, but wastes his stock; He is a gull who cannot haue a whore, But brags how much he spends upon her score; He is a gull that for commoditie Payes tenne times ten, and sells the same for three; He is a gull who, passing finicall, Peiseth each word to be rhetoricall; And, to conclude, who selfe-conceitedly Thinks al men guls, ther's none more gull then he.'

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,789   ~   ~   ~

Yet doth not his particular humour shun The common stews and brothels of the town, 10 Though all the world in troops do thither run, Clean and unclean, the gentle and the clown: Then why should Rufus in his pride abhor A common seat, that loves a common whore?

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,798   ~   ~   ~

Quintus the dancer useth evermore His feet in measure and in rule to move: Yet on a time he call'd his mistress whore , And thought with that sweet word to win her love.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,833   ~   ~   ~

Liber doth vaunt how chastely he hath liv'd Since he hath been in town, seven years [472] and more, For that he swears he hath four only swiv'd, A maid, a wife, a widow, and a whore: Then, Liber, thou hast swiv'd all womenkind, For a fifth sort, I know, thou canst not find.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,839   ~   ~   ~

"There is no castle so well fortified, 10 But if an ass laden with gold comes on, The guard will stoop, and gates fly open wide."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,856   ~   ~   ~

[475] Leuca in presence once a fart did let: Some laugh'd a little; she forsook the place; And, mad with shame, did eke her glove forget, Which she return'd to fetch with bashful grace; And when she would have said "this is [476] my glove," "My fart," quod she; which did more laughter move.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,872   ~   ~   ~

Cosmus hath more discoursing in his head Than Jove when Pallas issu'd from his brain; And still he strives to be deliverèd Of all his thoughts at once; but all in vain; For, as we see at all the playhouse-doors, When ended is the play, the dance, and song, A thousand townsmen, gentlemen, and whores, Porters, and serving-men, together throng,- So thoughts of drinking, thriving, wenching, war, And borrowing money, ranging in his mind, 10 To issue all at once so forward are, As none at all can perfect passage find.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,944   ~   ~   ~

I am as good a man, 10 And better too by many a quality, For vault, and dance, and fence, and rhyme I can: You keep a whore at your own charge, men tell me; Indeed, friend Cineas, therein you excel me.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,952   ~   ~   ~

[505] The MS. adds- "You keepe a whore att your [own] charge in towne; Indeede, frend Ceneas, there you put me downe."

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,984   ~   ~   ~

If Gella's beauty be examinèd, She hath a dull dead eye, a saddle nose, An ill-shap'd face, with morphew overspread, And rotten teeth, which she in laughing shows; Briefly, she is the filthiest wench in town, Of all that do the art of whoring use: But when she hath put on her satin gown, Her cut [512] lawn apron, and her velvet shoes, Her green silk stockings, and her petticoat Of taffeta, with golden fringe around, 10 And is withal perfum'd with civet hot, Which doth her valiant stinking breath confound,- Yet she with these additions is no more Than a sweet, filthy, fine, ill-favour'd whore.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,996   ~   ~   ~

When I dare swear he dares adventure more Than the most brave and most [514] all-daring wight That ever arms with resolution bore; He that dare touch the most unwholesome whore That ever was retir'd into the spittle, And dares court wenches standing at a door (The portion of his wit being passing little); He that dares give his dearest friends offences, Which other valiant fools do fear to do, 10 And, when a fever doth confound his senses, Dare eat raw beef, and drink strong wine thereto: [Pg 231] He that dares take tobacco on the stage, [515] Dares man a whore at noon-day through the street, Dares dance in Paul's, and in this formal age Dares say and do whatever is unmeet; Whom fear of shame could never yet affright, Who dares affirm that Sylla dares not fight?

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,010   ~   ~   ~

He quotes also from Bastard's Chrestoleros , 1598 (Lib.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,043   ~   ~   ~

When Francus comes to solace with his whore, He sends for rods, and strips himself stark naked; For his lust sleeps, and will not rise before, By whipping of the wench, it be awakèd.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,100   ~   ~   ~

Philo, the lawyer, [537] and the fortune-teller, The school-master, the midwife, [538] and the bawd, The conjurer, the buyer and the seller Of painting which with breathing will be thaw'd, Doth practise physic; and his credit grows, As doth the ballad-singer's auditory, Which hath at Temple-Bar his standing chose, And to the vulgar sings an ale-house story: First stands a porter; then an oyster-wife Doth stint her cry and stay her steps to hear him; 10 Then comes a cutpurse ready with his [539] knife, And then a country client presseth [540] near him; There stands the constable, there stands the whore, And, hearkening [541] to the song, mark [542] not each other; [Pg 238] There by the serjeant stands the debitor, [543] And doth no more mistrust him than his brother: This [544] Orpheus to such hearers giveth music, And Philo to such patients giveth physic.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,124   ~   ~   ~

Fuscus is free, and hath the world at will; Yet, in the course of life that he doth lead, He's like a horse which, turning round a mill, Doth always in the self-same circle tread: First, he doth rise at ten; [545] and at eleven He goes to Gill's, where he doth eat till one; Then sees a play till six; [546] and sups at seven; [Pg 239] And, after supper, straight to bed is gone; And there till ten next day he doth remain; And then he dines; then sees a comedy; 10 And then he sups, and goes to bed again: Thus round he runs without variety, Save that sometimes he comes not to the play, But falls into a whore-house by the way.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,208   ~   ~   ~

Only this last in credit doth remain, That from henceforth each bastard cast-forth rhyme, Which doth but savour of a libel vein, Shall call me father, and be thought my crime; So dull, and with so little sense endued, Is my gross-headed judge the multitude.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,221   ~   ~   ~

Sweet wench, I love thee: yet I will not sue, Or show my love as musky courtiers do; I'll not carouse a health to honour thee, In this same bezzling [572] drunken courtesy, And, when all's quaff'd, eat up my bousing-glass [573] In glory that I am thy servile ass; Nor will I wear a rotten Bourbon lock, [574] As some sworn peasant to a female smock.

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