Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 226 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 226: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a page of **running verse narrative prose** from what appears to be a serialized poem or ballad (Chapter 42, Book 8), titled "Albions England." The visible text recounts a nobleman's seduction of a poor farmer's daughter. An Earl visits a cottage, is welcomed with humble food, admires the beautiful daughter, and after the meal proposes to her parents that he "bargain for her Love." The passage describes their liaison and hints at subsequent complications—the Earl frequents the area to hunt, his wife notices his absences and learns of his "amorous haunt elsewhere," and she grieves, questioning what fault in herself caused his infidelity. The page ends mid-thought with her reasoning that "He is a Man, and men / Have..."—trailing to the next page. The text employs Early Modern English spelling and verse form typical of period narrative ballads.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
pa tT 4 y wy : ‘ "y “ss eae * # ' ' : , J - . > = . < : * 1 i ad ow ee _ LP Ss 7 Pm, . o%, - : ¢ oy = 7” ve a y ; J , . 7 - p -. w® « a . reese | at * m bd P - — & . Wheare, Knowne, & welcom’d(as the place & perfons might afforde) Browne bread whig,bacon, curds, & milke were fet him onthe Borde, ; ‘Cuthion madé of Lifts, a Stoole halfe backed with a houpe eare brought him, & he firteth down befides a forry Coupe (Perry, ‘he poore old Couple wifh’ttheir bread were wheat, their whig were Their bac beefe,their milke & curds were creame to make him merry, Mleane while(in Ruflet neatly clad with linnen white as Swanne, Her felfe more white,faue rofie wheare the rudy colour ranne, hom naked Nature,not the Aydes of Arte,made to excell) The Good mans Daughter fterres to fee that all weare feat and veg he Earle did marke her,and admire fuch Beautie there to dwell, (eat fals he to their homely fare,and hild him at a feaft : ut as his hunger flacked fo an amorous beat increatt, en this repaft was paftyand thanks,and welcome tod, he fayd © /nto his Ofte and Ofteffe,in the hearing of the Mayd, | Yee know(quoth he)that lam Lord of this and many Townes, alfo know that yoube poore,andI can {pare you pownes, So will I, fo yee will confent that yonder Laffe and I Viay bargaine forher Loue,atleaft doe giue me leaue to og WVho needs to know it?Nay who dares into my doings pry 2) - ‘inft they miflike,yeat at the length for lucar were miflead, And then the gamefome Earle did wowe the Damfell for his bead, te tooke her in his armes,as yet fo coyith to be kift | As Mayds that know themfelues belou’d and yeeldingly refift. fewe,his offers were fo large fhelaftly did confent, Vith whom he lodged all that night,and early home he went, _ Hetooke occafion oftentimes in fuch a fort to hunt, Jhom when his Lady often myft,contrary to his wont, And laftly was informed of his amorous haunt elfewheare, cereeu'd her nota little,though fhe feenr’d it well to beare, id thus fhe reafons with her felfe : Some fault perbaps in me, ome what is done that fo he doth, Alas,what may itbe? ow may f winne hima to my felfe ? He isa Man, and men Gom WNO'G - Haue. ee Os WE i re