Penny Dreadfuls, 1912 · page 58 of 118
The Medea — page 58: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This is a page of running dramatic dialogue—specifically, a scene from Euripides' *Medea* in English translation. The page shows two characters, Medea and Aegeus, in conversation. Medea pleads with Aegeus for refuge in Athens, promising him children through magical means in exchange for his protection. Aegeus responds sympathetically but cautiously, agreeing to shelter her in Athens only if she reaches his house of her own accord, since he cannot openly defy Creon's rule in Corinth. The text is printed prose dialogue formatted as drama, not a sensational penny dreadful narrative as initially suggested—this appears to be a classical dramatic text, not Victorian sensation fiction.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
42 EURIPIDES MEDEA. He loveth to bear bravely ills like these! But, Aegeus, by thy beard, oh, by thy knees, I pray thee, and I give me for thine own, Thy suppliant, pity me! Oh, pity one So miserable. Thou never wilt stand there And see me cast out friendless to despair. Give me a home in Athens. . . by the fire Of thine own hearth! Oh, so may thy desire Of children be fulfilled of God, and thou Die happy! ... Thou canst know not; even now Thy prize is won! JI, I will make of thee A childless man no more. The seed shall be, I swear it, sown. Such magic herbs I know. AEGEUS. Woman, indeed my heart goes forth to show This help to thee, first for religion’s sake, Then for thy promised hope, to heal my ache Of childlessness. ’Tis this hath made mine whole Life asra shadow, and starved out my soul. But thus it stands with me. Once make thy way To Attic earth, I, as in law I may, Will keep thee and befriend. But in this land, . Where Creon rules, I may not raise my hand To shelter thee. Move of thine own essay To seek my house, there thou shalt alway stay, Inviolate, never to be seized again. But come thyself from Corinth. I would fain Even in foreign eves be alway just. Eomicbooks..com