Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 35 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 35: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page This is a page of running prose poetry from what appears to be an early modern text (not Victorian—the OCR attribution seems mistaken; this is likely from *Albion's England*, a 16th-century work). Chapter IV recounts the mythological story of Hercules' infancy: his mother Alcmena's pregnancy by Jupiter, Juno's wrathful interference causing prolonged labor pains, and her dispatch of two poisoned serpents to kill the infant Hercules in his cradle. The text describes how the baby Hercules, playing with the serpents as a child might with puppies, ultimately strangles them to death. The passage establishes Hercules' precocious strength and sets up his later servitude to King Eurystheus under Juno's vindictive influence.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ALBIONS ENGLAND. His loue Alemena,that by him fhe traveled with childe Of Hercules: whofe famous Aas we orderly fhall tell, Whereof the ficft but not the leaft, in Cradle-time befell, AG aK OG se Veene luno, nota little wroth againft her buts WY in LE bahdsctime, 24 By whome (hee was a Cockqueane made, did therefore at the time § Inwhich Alcmena cride for helpeto bring her fruitto light, 4 Three nights and daies inchaunt her throwes: and ofa Diuelifh{pigtit) Ag Intended both the Ladies death andthat wherewith (he went: Po Till Galinthés,vowitching her did Zunos fj pels prevent. Howbeit cankered Innofiill purfuing her intent, | ‘Two poyfoned Serpents,gotby charmes,into the chamber bronghe VA Where Herenlesin cradle lay,and thinking to haue wrought ‘” A Tragedie, did let them loofe: who {melling out their prays Skaerd Hercules his brother that in felfefame cradle lay : But Hercules,as Children vfe with little wheipes to play, ue) Did dallie childifhly with them,and no whit did difimay : | : : Votill at laft his tender fieth did feele their {marting ftings , if And then difpleafd betwixt his hands the Snakes to death he rings, P Ores" Amphitrio andthe Thebanes all of this fame wonder tell: >. ey 3 And,yeeres permitting, Hercules did with Eurtiteus dwell. 90 This King, by fpitefull Z##os meanes,did fet him taske on sdb, ats” Ba Hercules perfourmed more then both of them Ont ashe. t, if oft - - ““ F ~~ ’ yr