Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 233 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 233: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a **chapter opening page** (Chapter 44) from *Albions England*, a work of early modern English verse narrative—**not** a Victorian penny dreadful as the premise suggests. The ornamental border and typeface indicate this is a 16th or 17th-century printed book, predating Victorian literature by centuries. The visible text is an **address to the reader** and a poetic passage about Queen Elizabeth. The speaker defends serious poetry against contemporary critics, then praises Elizabeth as an "Alchemist" who has transformed England from base to noble metals ("From gold to silver, then to iron, and now to golde againe"), celebrating her as a "Godesse on the Earth."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
EN cae aree: ee cme ALBIONS ENGLAND. CHAT. elk Vert your eies and eares,all yee,that enuy her the | fame 4 Ofmore renowmed Regment, than our fluent ) Thoughts can name. > \i Yeathat conceit fuch Poemes as more leamed * not conceaue, =7 Reade notthe et: but filently euen at thisling «doe leaue. | _ Ridled Poefies,and thofe fignificantly flowe, | Dyfferin eares as doe in mouths the Apricock and Slowe. Phifitians bylles not Patients but Apothecaries know: es Some moderne Poets with themfelues be hardly inward fo, wee Notintelletiuely to write is learnedly they troe: _ a Whereby they hit Capacities,as blind-man hitsthe Croe, ~~ Nor Thofejnor Thefe,feare thou,my Mufe,but mildly fing the prayes Ofthefe our prefenttimes,lefle eee than thofe of elder daies. Our world hath made it courfe, thatas the Moone doth wax & waine, » From goldto filuer,then to iron,and now to golde againe. Of whofe faire-cured Leaprofie from foriner twaine to golde, a (For in a Quinteflence was alleare Gods worlds-curfe ofolde) Thevndeluding Alcumift is that E4zaberh, ah Whom Englifb,yea and Alenesjbolda Goddefte on the Earth. | Ebzabethby Peace,by warte,for Maieftie,for Milde, ae | P | niche, 7 Ba i | | , Eon Ebooks:com & Ww Fae mee