Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 152 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 152: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a page of running poetic verse from *Albions England*, Chapter 26. The text describes a lusty nobleman surveying a group of beautiful women brought to his chamber. Written in early modern English (not Victorian), the passage catalogs his admiration of twelve or more females—ranking them sequentially from "fair" to "lovely" to "modest"—while he struggles to choose among them, comparing himself to mythological figures like King Midas. The verse employs classical allusions and ornate language typical of Elizabethan/Jacobean literature, depicting a scene of seduction and courtly intrigue.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
és fA * we F ~ ALBI ONS. EN al LAND. a Whole faces very Stoickes would, Warci/fw-like,ad mire; Such Semelesas might confume Zones felfe with glorious Se, _ And fromthe Smith of heavens wife allurethe amoroushaunr, _ And reintife the Club-God Dys andallhis diuellestodaunt, 9. And make the Sunne- God {wifterthan himfelfe fuch Daphnes chaced, And Loue to fallin loue with them, bis P/ehés quite difgraced, Thefe rarerthen the onely Fowle of Spice burnt Athes bread, And {weeter than the Flower that with Phabuws turneth head, _ Refembling her from gaze of whomtransformde4éfeon Ged, From Methcameto Ter ge (ius Court,as Prefents for his bed, In fecret was theircomming,and their chambering the fame, And now the luftfull Chuffe was come to fingle out his game, His Pages onely,and a youth ortwaine attending him, Wheare Banquet,Bed,Perfumes,and all were delicately trim. _ He giues them curteous welcome,and did finde them merry talke: _ Meane while (the Harbengers of lutt) his amorous eyes did walke, More clogd with change of Beauties than King Adidas once with gold: Now This,now That,and one by one hedid them all behold. This feemed faire,and Thatas faire,and, letting either paffe, | _ AThird he thought a proper Girle,a Fourth a pleafant Lafle, . Louely the Fift,Jinely the Sixt,the Seuenth a goodly Wench,: The Eight of fweete Complexion,to the Ninthhe alereth thence, Who mildly feem’d maiefticall Tenth modeft looke and tongue, _ ‘The’Eleuenth could {weetly entertain, the Tw elfe was frefh & yong, _ "The Nexta gay Brownetta,Next and Next admirde among : Andeury feature fo intyfte his intricate affection, , Asliking all alike he lou’d confounded in election, peel _ Sweeteharts,quoth he,or /wpiter fetcht hence tull many a Theft,” = ~ Orhether brought his Thetts that here their Leiayan Children lef | ‘Here wandring Cadmus fhould haue fought his miffed Sifter,wheare Faire Ledahatcht her Cignets,whilft nor Cocke, nor Henne did I g How many view I fairer than Ewropa orthereft, Ss