Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 136 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 136: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 118 of a Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a text page of running verse from an illustrated serial story. The passage depicts a knight and his companion Psyche arriving by ship at a dark, ominous shore during a hurricane. The knight addresses Psyche with reassuring words, encouraging her courage as they face threatening "guards" and dangerous conditions. He predicts that the storm will pass and their enemies will be overcome. The narrative combines Gothic elements (a "hateful cave," dark cliffs, melancholy atmosphere) with adventure and heroic resolution typical of penny dreadful sensationalism.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
118 5 Who has not listened to his tuneful lay, That sings so well the hateful cave of Spleen? Those lands, submitted to her gloomy sways Now open to their view a dreary scene, — As the sad subjects of the sullen queen Hang o’er the cliffs, and blacken all the strand ; And where the entrance of the cave is seen © A peevish, fretful, melancholy band, yee Her ever wrangling slaves, in jarring concert stand. Driven by the hurricane they touch the shore, The frowning guards prepare to seize their prey, The knight (attentive to the helm no more) Resumes his arms, and bids his shield display {ts brilliant orb: ‘‘ Psyche, let no dismay ‘‘ Possess thy gentle breast,” he cheerly cries, ‘Behind thy knight in fearless safety stay, ‘Smile at the dart which o’er thee*vainly flies, “Secure from each attack their powerless rage despise. ‘¢ Soon shall the fury of the winds be past, **Serener skies shall brighten to our view, “Let us not yield to the imperious blast — ‘* Which now forbids our vessel to pursue ‘Its purposed course; soon shall the heavens renew * Their calm clear smile ; and soon our coward foes, “‘ Despairing thus our courage to subdue, ** Shall cease their idle weapons to oppose, ‘** And unmolested peace restore our lost repose.” COMIC OOS. CORN