Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 55 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 55: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# What This Page Contains This is running prose narrative verse from Chapter 7 of a work titled "Albions England." The page depicts an extended poetic account of a military siege and battle involving figures named Hercules, Achelous, and Thebane. The narrative describes a castle under siege, Achelous's contemptuous sortie against Greek forces, their fearful retreat upon seeing Hercules and his club, a subsequent ruse involving a fire-lit ship sent as bait, and Hercules detecting the ambush and engaging Achelous in combat. The verse employs early modern English spelling and typography typical of older printed texts.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
} é a" KLBIONS ENGLAND; a | Within a Caftle ncerethe Seajan Hold ofwonderous ftrengthh The Thebane then,as refolute to fpoyle both Foe and Fort, me Did burne his foes forfaken fhippes, left riding in the Port, oe And with a fewe befets the hold. When Achelous he 4 So {lender watch about the walles of Enemies did fee, , | He fcorned that fo weake a fiege thould pen him vp fo ftraight,? a | Who hauing ten for one of them,did iffue out the Gate i Againtt the Greekes,that willingly his comming did awaite. : Efpying Hercales,jhe cride,lo yond fame diuell is he ¢ "a That drouévs out of Cadden, who fo of minehe be P 2 -Thatflaieth him, thalbe ifricht with great rewards by me. s Bathe that made fuch offers large,did offer them in vaine : For when his men faw Hereales approching them amaine gt With fierie cies,and angrielookes,and dreadtull Club ia fift, They thought it needles to affaile,and booteles to refitte, And every man retired backe into the holde againe, Where many daies, attempting flight,they cowardly remaine.,. ‘a From warre at length they fell ro wieles. There lay. vponthefhore. 5 | Abroken Hoy,thac had not brooke the Seas of long before, | The Matt they boring full of holes,in euery hole did fticke. | | Aburning Torch,and lancht it out in night when clouds werethicke,. ~ Nofooner was the fierie keele a floate vpon the waues,. And thatthe Greekes efpyed it,but ech man rafhly cranes . Theviewing of fo {trangea fight: But Hercwles did {mell. ies The prefuppofed Stratagem,and raune’d his armie well: “ And marching neere the guilefull light ,did findeambufhmenttheare _ That playing on aduantage thus (preuented though) appeare. Occafion hapning, Herentes would not omit the fame, - Buttooke them as he foundthem now, and fights it out by aime.. When Achelous he beheld his guile by guiletofaile,, _ ee ~ Wel mighthe chafe,but harder chatice hiscourage might not quaile:. _ For looke how fierce and boifterouflie achafedBulldothfght, = Se dchelowsluftily oncitherfidedidimite;, ~—-"