Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 84 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 84: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains running verse narrative from *Albions England*, a historical poem (not a Victorian penny dreadful, as the header dates to the early modern period). The visible text depicts the death of Hercules, describing in graphic detail his agony as a poisoned shirt burns his flesh, his removal to a funeral pyre, and his suicide. The passage also narrates Deianira's grief-stricken response—her affirmation of innocence to the gods and her own death by bloodletting. The language is early modern English with archaic spellings and typography.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
f U) RMEBIONS ENGEADS Phil ches, Pears valiant Sonne,and Lychas,he th at brought : The poyfoned Shirt,were prefent theare,bur of no treafon thought: IN OF Desantras {elfe(good Soule)till rryall madeit playne, - When as his body and the fire eaue moyfture to the bayne, __Hisftoutneshid {uch torments lon 2,45 els could none abyde, Yea till the baine his Bowels and his very Marrow fryde. Dut when his torments had no meane,the Altar downe hie throes “And from his martred body rents the gory {moking cloathes : | And {triuing to {trip off the Shirt he reareth flefh frombone, > Ad left his breaking Synoees bare, his Intrailes cuery one Did boyle,& burft,& thew themfelues where lumps of fleth did lacke, if nd (til! the murdrous Shirt did cleve vnto his mangled backe. >" Efpying Detaniras Squire,that quaking {tood, be f aide, | Andarethou,wretch,the Inftrument of my deftrution maide ? Whom {wirging chen about his head ,he flinged downe the hill: And fodid filly Lyeas dye,that purpofed noall. . | Then running wre: i hillto Playne,from Playneto hill againe, _Herents vp Rockesand mightie Hils in error of his paine: . Till,fadly leaning on his Club,he fighing ,vowes that none _ Should be the death of Hercules but Hercules alone. | _Andto his friend PAiloétes tooke his Arrowes and his Bow, And gladly to the hallowed fyer,as to his bed did go. e ~ |. Wheare lying downe,and taking leaue with reared hands to skye, The Earths Protector fo, ia peace,amidft the flames did dye. _ | Philodtes, neere o’rgone with griefe, his afhes did conuay ‘To raly,intbrined in his Temple there to flay : And wofull Deianira heaves of Herenles decay. His Ghoite fhe voucheth and the Gods to witnes that her minde Was giltles ofa traitrous thought : nor thinke me fo vnkinde - (Sweet Husband)as to haue the willto ouerline theeheere, | Butthat my Ghofte before thy Ghofte it felfe of guile fhallcleere: And now I come,ah now I come,forgiue ye gods the deed Shiefayde,and pearing fo er breattabreathles Corfe didbleed, ? \ -- ) ». ay "we . x | ae comicbooksicom # met, te 4 f ; : ’ gn § 4 : i ‘ ade