Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 217 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 217: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Description This is a page of running poetry text (page 199), not a title page or illustration. It's a dedicatory poem addressed "To Lady Charlemont, In Return for Her Presents of Flowers" dated March 1808. The verse praises a woman named Nina whose graceful hand can magically coax flowers to bloom despite dreary weather and gloomy surroundings. The poem employs romantic, flowery language to describe how Nina's command causes flowers—particularly violets—to unfold their petals, comparing their blue color to her eyes. The page ends mid-poem with a catchword indicating continuation on the next leaf.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
199 ~ TO LADY CHARLEMONT, / IN RETURN FOR HER PRESENTS OF FLOWERS. March, 1808. é Yes, though the sullen east-wind storm, And sunless skies the Spring deform, The lovely Nina’s graceful hand : Can, like a fairy’s lily wand, Bid every vernal sweet appear, And bloom with early fragrance here ! Yes here, even here, they breathe perfume, Though walls of melancholy gloom, With northern aspect frowning rude, Each brighter beam of Heaven exclude. Behold! at Nina’s soft command, : The flowers their velvet leaves expand, And sweet, and blue like her own eye, f (That loves in languid peace to lie, And bending beautiful in shade, Seems of the amorous light afraid) Fresh violets here.their charms diffuse, And here, with richly mingling hues, 5 Q Conmicloooks.comnn