Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 45 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 45: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Page This is a running prose page from what appears to be an early modern narrative poem (likely 16th or 17th century, not Victorian as suggested). The text is titled "ALBIONS ENGLAND" and recounts a mythological episode involving Cerberus, Ceres, and Greek heroes Theseus and Pirithous. The narrative describes Ceres' grief over Proserpine's abduction, her journey to seek aid, and a battle at the gates of Hell against the three-headed dog Cerberus. The heroes are wounded in combat but survive, their hopes "exceeded." The page contains only dense printed verse in early modern English, with no illustrations or advertisements.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
“ i eas ie 5 z ’ » ~ ” hah Ue ma So 4 P oo : . = ee rie Dye ; | | hah Wiest rey GL ND. Meeks . . eG as A tae But cows se <a for Fach aduantage waites: — Who ftill detayning her,did fhuc her Husband out the gates, Bs) ~ When Ceres heard of this mifchance,the Cicilleaues anon ae - Andknowing all cheKnights of Greece to The/falie were gone, es Shethether goes in hope of helpe: where prefently fhe meetes ‘ — With Thefeusand Pirsthous,whofe falutings fhe regreetes. a _ 'They,wondring whatthe noble Queene of Cicill there fhouldmake, Become inquifitive thereof: to whom {ad Ceres fpake, _ Firft of Proferpine her griefe,and then of Plutoes guile; a For her fhe weepes,on him fhe railes and mooueth them meane while. “i The mother of falfe D# his rape bad more behinde vnfaid, "aa ~ When AEgews and Ixions Sonnes did iointly offer aide. a ~ About the defert parts of Greece there isa valley lowe, — Towhich the roaring waters fall that from the Mountaines flowe: So Rockes doe ouerfhadow it that fcarce a man.may vewe B, _ The open ayre: no Son fhines there: Amid{ft this darkefome Mewe - Doth ftand a Citie,to the fame belongs one onely Gate, | But one at once may come thereto the entrance is fo ftraite, a Cut out the rough maine-{tonie Rocke: This Citie did belong” 4 To P/uto,and becaufe that he was ever doing wrong, a And kept a theeuith Rable that in mifchiefes did excell, “a His Citizens were Diuels faid,and Citie named Hell. 4 When to this Cities rutbleffe gate were come the friendly Knights, a Fierce Cerberus did rovfe himfelfe,and {carcely barkingbites. 6 > ~ He thought the world had lackt the man that thether durft repaire: And troth to fay,not one till then to doo the like did dare. : Now itery {parks from thundering ftrokes in darke did giue them light, : And Ceres Champions valiantly maintaine their ven trous fight, 9 When ftout Pirithous,too too bold,a deadly woundhe catchr, 4 And Thafezsthough Combattan-like he long the Helhound match, Yeat with his fellowe had he falne,and flying feares to cope, ‘itl peeping noshing lefic thenlife:buthapexceededhope: - = j ‘tas : comichooks.com (@)