Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 245 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 245: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose poetry from *Albions England*, Chapter 47 (Book 9). The text consists of dialogue and narrative verse discussing love, marriage, and human folly. A speaker criticizes both men and women for their superficiality and vices—men for being curious, petulant, and jealous; women for being forward and mercenary. The passage describes people gossiping idly about widows, orphans, and mythological tales (Echos, Narcissus), attributing their foolish talk to drink and pride. The verse concludes with an invocation against "haughty Follies" and "Furies." This appears to be satirical social commentary in early modern English verse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
¢ sah i Peitohs 4 ti 3 dork ae ale Sagal "7 a7 fs 4 om 4, i a Ad a r{ ' f ‘ , ™ : id , ee] eo, wees FA ' Ay pits, OFF. he , bp Tf ~ a “i 4 | ioe Po Vie Bee é ” ‘ at, Yee Cts \4 . >» er » ~*) af a. * $b a NI am ’ a eae mt fia 9 yt un wv rev, oe = ue \ A } LL x y io ~ Ver 7, Kk ¢ SBS Se <= Na ’ PA A un . ' + : f . eke . -Wholoues not for the Perfon but the Portion ie no ge ) Bathe that loues for onely Lone doth reafon quite forgit, _ “Say men,and article the Marchleffe by trew Loue than Wit. pe i i Vigracefull men ,what would yee more than Loue for Loue, thanv Wwe Be clofe,neate, bountious,buckfome, and our bodies Mafters yee? Too curious, pettifh,ielous, too insperious, too vaftable ig Are Men fay Women: big to beat fuch fooles with their own ble ‘ As wheuthat I was yoong,our Sex is now, tro¢ I,as able. \ Old doting Foole,one foote in graue,what prattle I of youth, ~ Contrition,not Shrift -pennanice cure,if preach our Vicar truth ? Heere, after little paufe,they prateconfufedly,I wot, ae Whofe talke had often ended,hadthe Period been oe Pow ich et . 4 They toul!d how forward Widens weare how proude if in requeft, How brybed,prayfed,promifdfayre,men baddeft out the bett : They talked of a widowes teares,her hafte againe to weade, He gone forgot, his Orphant wrong’d,fhe {poyld,an Vnthrif frcadael They taik’t of times when Beaftes could f peake, of Foxes, and of Apes, Mauch needles prattel ;what through Drinke and Dotage,them apa ; Yeat Ecchos and Nareciffus Voice and Shadowe(nowas then, _ Working againft humilitie,of wants the worft in men) ~ ae Caus'd them as thus ro vie their prate,andmeofthismypen: = To thefe next haughtie Follies too thofe Furies fay Amen. a se?