Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 103 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 103: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 85 of a Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a page of running verse prose numbered 85, depicting a Gothic melodramatic scene. The text describes Psyche's arrival at the dark castle of the "gloomy princess" Disfida, complete with fortified gates, surly guards, and iron-barred windows. The princess sits alone in a dimly-lit hall, anxiously listening for distant sounds. When startled by noise, she initially grows suspicious but is reassured by her old slave's voice. She then questions her guests and dispatches scouts through the woods to search for "the knight," while Psyche weeps through the night in anguish.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
85 Now had they reached the sad and dreary bower Where dark Disfida held her gloomy state : The grated casements strong with iron power, The huge port-cullis creaking o’er the gate, The surly guards that round the draw-bridge wait, Chill Psyche’s heart with sad foreboding fears ; Nor ever had she felt so desolate As when at length her guide the porter hears, And at the well known call reluctantly appears. In hall half lighted with uncertain rays, Such as expiring tapers transient shed, The gloomy princess sat, no social blaze The unkindled hearth supplied, no table spread _ Cheered the lone guest who weetless wandered, But melancholy silence reigned around, While on her arm she leaned her pensive head, And anxious watched, as sullenly she frowned, Of distant whispers low to catch the doubtful sound. Startled to hear an unaccustomed noise Sudden she rose, and on the intruders bent Her prying eye askance; but soon the voice _ Of her old slave appeased her discontent, And a half welcome to her guests she lent : _ Her frequents questions satisfied at last, Through all the neighbouring woods her scouts she sent To seek the knight, while Psyche’s tears flowed fast, And all the live-long night in anxious woe she past. connicloooks.comn