Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 159 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 159: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page This page contains **running prose poetry** from what appears to be an early modern work titled "Albions England" (note the header), not a Victorian penny dreadful as stated in the prompt. The visible text is verse commentary on English social inequality and mortality. The speaker criticizes the wealthy and idle ("Cuppes on Cuthions full secure we victorie define"), contrasts rich and poor ("The rich for meate secke stomackes, & the poore for stomacks meate"), and reflects on how wealth and status mean nothing in death—even great men like Alexander the Great end in coffins. The tone is moralistic, lamenting that virtue hides among the poor while the greedy accumulate meaningless possessions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Since for the Noddant they obferue no pen-note worth the coft, For pallace Hermites line fecure ob{curein roufes 1ipboft, Some few there be much honored (well woorthie of fo much, Once wanting wealthie,then and now in either fortune fuch: a But many a bace-ftoute bloodthere is morelordiythanbeLords, ~ Who wheare himfelfe once coucht & bowde nor cap orbeck affords: A 3 » But thould we finne (God thield we fhould in {malleft finnes offend) AF Px What fmaller finne then skoffe fuch fooles fo skornefulltonoend? - The Souldiers have nor pay nor pray bur(ifl maybe bolde) . a Themielues be prayed vpon by fome that do it vncontroulde : : And whilft the fame on thore or feas be ouer fet or pine, ; Or Cuppes on Cuthions full fecure we victorie define : a We caft what may bedone,butkeepethe helps meanetimeaway, And diet thriftily our friends to give our foes apray. | 4 The Citizens, like ponned Pikes,the leflers feed the greate : Ms The rich for meate fecke ftomackes, & the poore for {tomacks meate: Andeuery wheare no Gofpell is more Gofpelled than this, 4 To him that hath is giuen,from him that hath not taken is. Court,Citie,Counttie,Campe,and Lat ods,thuseuen bee, J intermeddle hot with them, they intercept not mee, For ftill I tether thence mine eyes, fo heere my heart is free. ad Beleeue mee,Sir,fuch is this world,this crofle-blifle world of onrs =, That Vertue hardly hides her felfe in poore and defart Bowres, a And fuch be beft that feeme not beft: Content exceeds a Crowne: They may be richer,but more fweete mv penniethantheirpowne: For wreft they,cark they, build they, fport they,get they worldstoge-) At firft or laftchey die fr6 al,8¢ paffe they wotnotwhether: — ther,e Then comes their pelfe in plea,themfelues not prayfed ata feather : And then(forfo the Princes of great Alexander did, Greedie of his,they ftroue and let the dead-man ftinke vahid) Then he that had a Countrie hath,perhaps,a Coffen now : Perhaps lefle Coft,a Sheete andcorfe: perhaps,hisheiresallow = ‘The coombe himfelfe aline hadbuild,els toombles mighthelye, try A < COMIEDOOKSTECOM - : re.