Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 301 of 400
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What you’re looking at
# Page from "Albions England" This is a page of running prose poetry from *Albions England*, a historical narrative poem (not a Victorian penny dreadful as the prompt suggests—this is an early modern work, likely 17th century). The visible text consists of verse monologue in which a female speaker at court defends herself regarding a man named Stafford from Mandeuill, who has self-exiled from his native home. She argues that his departure is not her fault, discusses the nature of beauty and courtly love, and expresses hurt that he has judged her harshly despite her high birth and court favor. The speaker wrestles with questions of virtue, form, and the vanity of court life.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
—_ *, x 4 f * a . > rl o- ve te ee © ll ~ Se - = oe ne th ~arat Cr ee P = Vr r x Sad a we ad q They Nero-like fing Troy when Rome by them is fet on fire, | _ And werenot my Defcent,and I-a Fauorite in Court, Vnworthie that lam,fhould haue indanger’d him to dye) a “ ALBIONS ENGLAND. "a Ti then their loue dothdietovswhen ourstothemdothlives > é. it Left at our earneft. Lervsnow to Elenor retier. ‘A More modeft fhe tha fuch (though moft in més behalfe might better} Andcomes,quoth fhe,from A/andeuill this il-come-welcome letter 2 = Beleene me, Stafford,ill it comes that fayesa caufe in me, x Pe if B% ~ 4 ad “1. “ . a, 3 — i) That from his Natiue home he fhould thus felfe-exiled be. | If amorous Hopes,or Hopes vnheldto himfrom mehadpaft, I had indeed bin euiltie,astoo forward,ornotfaft: Ay Butto the Caufe,Effect and all not-guiltie doe! pleade, a His lone is Newes,mine to defpaire what was ithim fhouldleade2 * Our Court([ will not wrong the Man,nor flatter hima whit) fi Can hardly fhew another-fuch for Perfon,Prowfe,and Wit, of But as for me(ferting a-part my Birth,to which, or any ye So borne the State is intereft)what am I more than Many ? ee If beautious now(herelet me chide his Indifcretion,who’ OVE Farre froma Meaneofitfo meanedoth makefomuchadoe, And,leaft perhaps he fhould haue glib’d,a vertue doth notnote, | Whéce loue fhuld fpring, which makes me geffe he doth notlouebue_ If beautious,as I faid what elsis Forme but vaiding aire 2 (dote) Yea oft, becaufe aflaulted oft ithurceth to be faire, ie My comimon Forme,vnheeded then might pafle without report, Butwere my wifhes mine,the Court by me fhouldbe thelefle: — - So much it hath of Vanitie,and painfull Idleneffe. ou Since fuchis he,and of my felfe my felfe but fo efteeme, Agi Himfelfe by filence me he wrong’d difdainfull me to deeme, i I couldbe angrie,were hehere,withhimforerringfo, Difdaine(the Vulgars Fault)is not inGentrie found, troei Butfeare he did,and wifely too(for God forbid thatl, _ - ~ - - ’ sete Mara... sf «<* he Kings difpleafure : Or perhaps,vnpoffible he thoughe bell GoImicbooks.cc