Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 252 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 252: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running verse narrative text from *Albions England*, Chapter 49. The page presents an allegorical tale in early modern English poetry about a man of great stature who, upon learning that the Emperor fears the Devil as his "ghostly Foe," abandons his service to the Emperor and instead seeks to serve the Devil. The narrative follows this man's eventual encounter with a hermit who redirects him toward Christ through humility and alms-works. The story culminates when the man, now serving Christ humbly, faints while carrying a child who reveals himself to be Christ—thereby reconciling the man's soul to Christ through humility. The text employs archaic spelling and religious allegory typical of early modern didactic verse.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
s ALBIONS ENGLAND. me And what could moreour Ghoftly Foe then Faith & Practice {pight? _ His auncient Stratageme therefore to plant he cafts anew, a And by the pride of only Workes ftom Faitha many drew. (time) _ Then were {uch Honours heapt on Popes, (Worlds-Abiects ere that | That Lwerfer hinvfelfe than they prefam’d not more to clyme. eo | Their golden Legend ,though not it autentike be in aught, | Tovsdoth teach a Storie that to them might now be taught. % a 7 sh - f Hearewas a Man of {tature bigge,and bigge withall in minde, | #& Forferue he would, yet One tha who he greater none might find, | He,hearing that the Emperor was in the world moft great, | Came to his Court,was interraynd,and,feruing hin) at meate, | Itchanc’t the Diuell was nam’d,whereat the Emperor him bleft: | When as,vntill he knew the caufe,the Pagane would not reft. | Butwhenheheard his Lord to feare the Diuell his ghoftly Foe, | | Heleft his Seruice,and to feeke and ferne the Diuell did goe: | Ofheauen,or hell,God,or che Diuell,he earft nor heard nor carde, Alone he fought to ferue the fanve that would by nonebe darde, | He met(Who foone is met) the Diuell,was intertayn’d,they walke, | Till,comming toa Crofle,the Diuell did fearfully it balke: | The Seruant,mufing,queftioned his Matter of his feare : | One Chrift,quoth he,with dread,I mind when doth acrofleappeare : | Then ferue thy felfe,the Gyant faid,that Chrift to ferue Ple fecke. | ¥ or him he askt an Hermit,who aduifde him to be mecke, (found, By which,by Faith, andworkes of Almes, would fought-for Chirift be © _ And how and where to practice thefe he gaue DireGtions found, Then he,thatskornd his Seruice late to greateft Potentates, x lénatacommon Ferry row to carrie all awaites. Thus doing long,as with a Child he ouer once did waide, | Vnder his Loode midway he faints,from finking hardly ftaide, Admiring how,and asking who,was an{wered of the Childe, 4 As onhis Shoulders Chrift he bore,by being humbly milde, ex So through Humilitiehis Soule to Chrift was reconcilde, J ; ; ‘S an a y 4 * ho a Ls \ ¥ i, * M4 » Je. 4 ‘~ -_ * a @ a *? COMME NOC)