Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 139 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 139: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# What This Page Contains This is a page of running verse from what appears to be *Albions England* (as indicated by the header). The text is a sustained poetic critique of papal authority and Catholic religious practices in England. The speaker argues that modern Popes, unlike Saint Peter, are tyrants who oppress secular rulers and extract wealth through religious fees, indulgences, pilgrimages, and sacraments. The verse contrasts Christ's humility with papal pride, and catalogs English Catholic observances—fasting, shrine offerings, rosaries, confession—as evidence of ecclesiastical corruption and financial exploitation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
F Per lexed therefore at th’ Ancated te pesivicit Becker made, . - Tofome,demaunding his difeafe,at Normandie he fayd : _ Axe quite volike to Peter rand Popes thirty three fore-paft “We kifie the Pix,we creepe the Crofle,our Beades we oucr-runne, i sa : ‘Their skaer-Sptight water, boxed Boans, their hoafts, and whatnot _ "Pee Belles call them from eafie beds to fing in gownes as watme, © © | And! meets isfo,bu out meetealfo that they protected thus, - f \P i op fa op , hy y* i 4 A, ls - . % Our Popes that feeme(they do but feeme) Saint Peter to fucceede (Who did denie,althongh deferue,high Styles to him decree’d) Who liu’'din miferie and died by Martyrdome at laft, Now neede not Tyrants, Popes to Popes be Tyrants,and they all Doe wreft euen Principalities fubmiffiue to their Pall. Peter did finne,and,finning,to repentante teares did flye: Popes finne not,but to others finnes giue pardon(elstheylye.) Chrift wafhed feet,Kings kiffe their feet, Chrift gaueto Cafar his, 7 They take,and fay that either Swordin their fubieCtion is. Bat The Pope did fo our mothers Pheare,the Emperour,intreate As that his proud attempts I fhame and forrow to repeate. Whatcite I forraine matters,when our natiue Stories yeeld Of myters medling with our Sword an ouerplenteous feeld 2 We offer Tapers pay our Tythes and Vowes,we Pilgrims goe Tocuery Sainét,at euery fhrine we Offtings doe beftoe, The Couent hath a Legacie, who fo is left vndone : We faft the Eaue, we feaft the day of euery Saint they make, Their houtlings sShriftssand Sacraments moft reaerently we take, By tale we fay Oryfons,and to words vnknowne Amen, | a doth chaunt,we knock our brefts,we bow and crofle vs chet A The Prieft,the Fier,or Pardoner we countnotholy things? (brings We featthem in our fatteft Soyles for Pafture,wood,and{pring, Ir y walles, we forrowing when they fing. But Larumsvsfrom reftles Campes, by wounds,to heale their fate 2, Eomicbooks.com