Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 144 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 144: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose poetry from what appears to be a narrative work titled "Albions England." The text recounts a story about a holy Hermit who discovers that thieves he had reformed have returned to gluttony and excess, living in plenty with "fat beefe and brewis, and great store of daintie fowle." Disappointed when his preaching of abstinence fails to persuade them, the Hermit departs, declaring them knaves. The passage then notes how this encounter led to the growth of monastic orders (cloistering and friars), before introducing a northern man who criticizes these institutions for making noise and mockery rather than mending behavior.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ALBIONS: *ENGI “AND. eget With Roabes, and Ropes, & eu’ri¢ tole for ev’rie worke “id | ' sather. So did they toyle as thereabout no Canfiewasvnrought, v Ec herefore new labours for his men the holie Hermite fought: But at departure prayed them to faft,to watch,and pray, pnd liuie remote from worldly men,and goeth fo his way. - The holy Theeues ( for now in them had cuftome wroughtcontér) Conld much of Scripture and, indeede,did hartely repent. Now when the countrey folke did heat of thefe faire men deuout Red ivioufly they haune their Celles, and laftly brought about hat fro the woods to Buldings braue they wonne the Hermits Crew, - EwWho was from found-out workereturnde, and their Apoflaknew. ‘He going to their ftately place did finde in euery dith Fat beefe and brewis,and great ftore of daintie fowle and fith. | Who feeing their faturitie, and practifing towinne | His Pupelsthence Exceffe, 1¢ fayd,doth worke accefle to finne: Who fareth fineft doth but feed and ouer-feedeth oft, “Who fleepeth fofteft doth but fleepejand fometimes ouer foft, B wis clads him trimmeftis but clad, the fairett is bur faire, é _ And all bur liue,yea,it fo long, yeat not with leffer care, ¢ { Than formes,backs,boans and bellies that more hoely cherifhtare: O - © carne a et? felicitie, Hawkes flying where they lift <q | Be kindlier and more found than Hawkes beft ended on the fift Thus preacht he promift abftinence,and bids them come away: No haft but good,well weare they, and fo wel as they would ftay. - The godly Hermit,when al] meanes in vaine he did perceiue, Ra sssing fayd,I found youknaues,and knaues I doe youleaue, | Hence fayd this merrie fellowe( ifthe merrimentbetrew) | That Cloyftring,Friers cloathing,anda Couentsnumber grew. This hearda fimple Northerne-man, no friend to Monke,or Prier,’ Orpreaching Lyromer, for his fpeach difclofed thus his yre, : s . y fA, Fowleill on their weazens,tor they Cirless garre fykea dinne, | d. That more they member vs of iapes than mend vs of our is, es iil i A ae 56 ad comicbooks.com