Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 91 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 91: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is a page of running verse text from Chapter XV of what appears to be a dramatic or narrative poem titled "Albions England." The text is printed in early modern typeface (likely 16th or 17th century, not Victorian as initially suggested). The verse describes political turmoil: after eighteen kings have ruled, the kingdom falls into conflict when King Porrex brings war from Gaul, resulting in his death. His mother Iden, seeking revenge for her murdered son, decides to take justice into her own hands. The final visible lines narrate how Iden steals into the sleeping king's chamber at night and, whispering softly to him, slits his throat while he sleeps. The page ends mid-narrative as the victim awakens.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
« a _ \ et @. atile » Ware f 4 . A 2 ; _Z ve 4 ’ r , v. “ ; a ) * re © " 4 pnd Pt - . a! on a eS . i, am! . ~*~ oT % ,* . z wir M = Le * _ -_ 7 f | 4 . f al } et > : i , J i - + . Me il wn; ee ek et @) ra - : LMa, sy D> ‘ -7 A” ; > 2 ; 4 . . . i yy ' ‘ é 4 « ¥ : } - ” E , ' . ‘ . ; 4 . te > s ; Fe , , . Oe “7 ’ , . . , > > . / ‘ j j 74 CHAP XV. ~— en oe = Kings were paft, | Hildioyntiy Empire inthis land, till Porrex ag S thelaft, : a </ Nottyed fo by brotherhood, but thathedid dif bf daine boat ‘tg 5 peo A fellowe King , (forneuer canone Kingdome — | brooke of twaine) , Br Did levie fecret bands: for dread whereof did Ferrex flie, 4 And out of Gallia bringeth Warre,in which himfelfe did die. Then Porrex onely raigned heere,and ruledallin peace: _ Till dea, mother Queene to both, her furie did increafe | So fearcely,as the feekes reuenge even in the higheft degree, id Why liueth this(quoth fhe)a King ?in graue why lieth he ? Dye sden, dye: nay dye thou wretch, that mea wretch haft made: His ghoft,whofe life ttood in thy light,commaundeth me of ayde, Nor want! ( Fervesx) will to ayde: tor why the Gods I fee ah Deferre reuenge,nor with a Deuill the Deuils difagree. (hell, The heauens,me thinks, with thunderbolts fhould preffe his foule to _ Or Earth giue pafiage,that at leaft with menhe mightnotdwell: | Borl my felfeeuen | my felfe,their flacknefle will {upplye, | nd Mothersname and Nature both tofuch a Sonnedenye. B Deadnightwas come,when /den found the King herfonneafleepe, — Andall was ftill(not then as now did Guards their Princes keepe : _ Admit they had,whowould baue feardfuch mifchiefeinamother?) She whifpring foftly fleepe thy laft,yea fleepeasdoththy brother. Did gath his throte:who {tarting vp, whé {trégth & {peech were gone, me] t She tte ee ee OT F 2 | : _ “ ' Fhe ere CoOmiecdooks.com . - " aa = i ? . i> = had -, . ~— t eo -_