Penny Dreadfuls, 1866 · page 5 of 276
Ivan the Terrible; or, Dark Deeds of Night — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Ivan the Terrible This is the opening page of a penny dreadful installment featuring an engraved illustration at the top and running prose text below. The page introduces Chapter I of a serialized story set during King James II's reign in Cornwall. The narrative describes a violent storm in the Vale of Glenloch and various characters—drunken wreckers, coast guards, and gentlemen—gathered in an ale-house. The text hints at mysterious events unfolding in an upstairs room while the others drink below. The subtitle promises "Dark Deeds of Night," establishing the sensational, melodramatic tone typical of Victorian penny dreadfuls.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LVAN THE ANI Witt " AAAS Eze WK NM \ \\\\ hy DAN ie ‘\ iN \ \ . Aes ARS A ARI \ x j — j Jy S/S fA I / 4) cf, }/ / Uf / / / , JJ / 4 / / / / f (fy fy V/A // 3 / , / {my /j ; / CLS dg fig / ‘ / hy By : / bys / =" j i); / 7 Wy / Vf, / VS, / / / / / IVAN BINDS HIMSELF TO CHAPTER L IVAN THE TERRIBLE—THE MIDNIGHT STRUGGLE IN THE DARK ROOM OF THE VILLAGE INN—THE POISONED DAGGER—DEATH OF THE FRENCH SPY—THE WARNING VOICES. OuR story belongs to the later years of the reign of King James II, The opening scene is laid among the hills and mountains of Cornwall close beside the sea, It was a night of terrible storm, such as is seldom seen beyond the limits of the tropics, It seemed as if the constant and vivid sheets of lightning would rend the very rocks and hills, while the thunder crashed over head in deafening peals. The rain, heavy, and like a deluge, poured from the dark, storm-laden clouds without intermission, covering in a short space of time the whole face of the country with water. The Vale of Glenloch was within sight of the sea, and its heavy, storm-crested billows could be plainly heard rollin upon the dark rock-bound coast with dull and regular roar No, 1, ubscribers wishing to possess a superior impression of the printed on fine paper, by forwarding =) * r \ ee Se TERRIBLE; OR, DARK DEEDS OF NIGHT. / Xt : PN \y ‘ AN ° \\ \: \ eS \) f \ NOUS yell SRK aay | x Ay ~ Wi > j VSS i * a ‘ ; ¥ 5 sis i - <S - Af =o p = > ii SS SSS rat ! Dry atte Pe ) Ue \ \ \\ : Avy \\e j \ \ HAAN \ \ A oo SAS Aes AY NY WA Ny -4 ‘ = t.. —_ = \ \ \ — SEN \ WN AY ESE _—————eeee ANAS aye Qi SSS DONS r = —— Se BATA Aho ol ty ee OO pee. at A — MAN Cfealr0 2ecy SN ia ~ “wees The little town of Redfern could be seen dark and shadowy in the distant landscape. ; The lights of the few dwellings in the vale were extin- guished, and the inhabitants seemed to have sought their beds to escape the fury of the tempest, The ale-house was the only dwelling that was open, and from the noise of songs and the clatter of voices, breaking often into oaths, that issued from it, showed that a numerous company were assembled, In the tap-room were many drunken wreckers, coast guards- men, and idle tramps, who, with hot brandy and rum, were recaling themselves to their heart's content. In the parlour also were a party of gentlemen who had been overtaken by the storm, and sought shelter there, their horses still standing under a large shed in the stable yard. But while these were thus amusing themselves below, and ying, by the free use of ardent liquor, to sustain the f which the storm had partly deprived them, a e was occurring in the room above, ving given away Gif) chooks KAD, e Office, 147, Fleet Street. ta >, Oct \ ss