Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 101 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 101: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 83 of a Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a page of running verse prose, numbered 83, from what appears to be a serialized narrative poem. The text describes a knight who wounds a "roaring beast" in combat but is himself poisoned by the creature's venomous bite, which he endures silently. A hag, grateful for rescue, warns the knight's companion Psyche away from a dangerous road toward a protective grove. Despite his own pain and an intensifying storm, the knight agrees to seek shelter via a different path, but soon becomes separated from Psyche in darkness—leaving her alone with only the garrulous hag for company.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
hI 83 Sharp were the wounds of his avenging steel, Which forced the roaring beast to quit the field :: Yet ere he fled, the knight unused to feel The power of any foe, or e’er to yield To any arm which sword or spear could wield, Perceived the venom of his tooth impure; But, with indignant silence, unrevealed The pain he bore, while through the gloom obscure The: beast, in vain pursued, urged on his flight secure. ; And now the hag, delivered from fer fear, Her grateful thanks upon the knight bestowed, And, as they onward went, in Psyche’s ear Her tongue with many a horrid tale o’erflowed, Which warned her to forsake that venturous road, _ And seek protection in the neighbouring grove ; | ‘Where dwelt a prudent dame, who oft bestowed ‘Her sage advice, when pilgrims doomed to rove, Benighted. there, had else, with lurking dangers strove. The knight now softly bade his charge beware, ' Nor trust Credulity whom well he knew: — - Yet he himself, harassed with pain and care, And heedful of the storm which fiercer grew, Yielded, a path more sheltered to pursue: Now soon entangled in a gloomy maze " Psyche no longer has her knight in view, Nor sees his page’s star-crowned helmet blaze ; Close at her side alone the hag loquacious stays. a ; Connicloooks.comnn