Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 120 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 120: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page from "Albions England" This is a running prose page of poetry from what appears to be an early modern work titled *Albions England* (not a Victorian penny dreadful, as the archaic typography and language indicate this is much earlier). The text presents a narrative poem about a merchant abroad who suspects his wife's infidelity, then shifts to describe a shepherd's contented life, and finally records dialogue in which an old man praises the beauty of a king's daughter—describing her in elaborate detail from her globe-like head and golden hair to her rosy cheeks and dimpled chin. The passage celebrates contentment and rustic simplicity while dwelling extensively on physical beauty.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
a ALB IC x 5” ENC G LA N D. awe | The Marchant,teaffiquing abroad, fufpedts his wifeathome: .- | Ayouth will play the Wanton,and an old man proouea Mote, _ Then chufe a Shepheard : with the Sun he doth his Flocke vnfold, re ~ Andall the day on Hill or Plaine he merrie chat can hold, | 4 And with the Sun doth folde againe : then iogging home betime,. _ Heturnesa Crab,or tunes a round,or fings {ome merrie tyme: ce _ Nor lacks he gleefull tales,whil{t round the nut-brown Bole doth tror, ~ And fitteth fin ging care-away,till he to bed be got: : B Theare {leepes he foundly all the night, forgetting Morrow-cares, ' 4 No feares he blafting of his Corne nor vetering of his wares, ~ Orftormes by feas,or {tires on Jand yor cracke of credite loft, Not {pending franklier then his Flocke fhall itll defray thecoft :* ~ Well wot I, footh they fay thatfay more quiet nights and dates | E The Shepheard fleeps & wakes than he whofe Cartel he doth gkaize. . 7 | Beleeue me, Laffeja King is butaman,and foam I: ~ Content is worth a Monarchie,and mifchiefeshitthehie: ~~ Aslateitdida King and his,not dwelling farre from hence, a Wholeft a Daughter, (faue thy felfe) for faire a matchleffe wench: (Here didhe paufe,as if histongue haddone his heart offence) The Neatreffe,longing for the relt,did egge him onto tell. 4 How faire the was,and who fhewas. She bore(quoth he)thebell _ For Beautie: though I clownifh am,I know what Beantie is, — OrdidI not,yeat,feeing thee, I fen celes wereto mis, | _ Suppofe her Beautie Hedlens-like,or Hellens {omewhat lefic, And euery Starreconforting toa puer Complexion eefle: Her ftature comely tall her gate well graced, and her wit _ To maruell at,not meddle with ,as natchles I omit: _A Globe-like head,a Gold-like haire,a Forhead {mooth and hie, _ Aneuen Nofe,on either fide did fhinea grayith Eie: "Two rofie Cheekes, round ruddy Lips,white 1uft-fer Teeth wichin : _ Amouth in meane,and vnderneath around and dimpled Chin: He: {nowifh necke with blewith Vaines ftood bolt vpright vpon. - eA be ; ra ‘ 6 % ¥ } a a | ” “4 | , ; rt be il Sa - ee Peomicbooks:cor