Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 226 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 226: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 208: Running Verse Narrative This is a page of poetic running text (page 208), printed in standard Victorian type. The passage is a dramatic monologue or narrative verse concerning the death of Bryan Byrne and the speaker's son. The speaker laments that despite a cross-sectarian marriage to "Ellen" uniting British and Irish ("Erin's") families in love, party hatred prevented the son's acceptance into a "loyal band." The verse culminates in the tragic revelation that both Bryan Byrne and the speaker's own son were slain, their "life-blood shed in vain" through what the speaker calls "the savage work of death." The reference to "Clough's dark vale" and the historical name Bryan Byrne suggest this likely concerns actual Irish political violence, though the specific event remains unclear from this excerpt alone.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
\ 208, \ ‘fe triumphed not that fatal day, When every loyal cheek looked pale, But heard, like us, with sad dismay, Of fallen chiefs in Clough’s dark vale. ‘‘For, wedded to our Ellen’s love, One house was ours, one hope, one soul: Though fierce malignant parties strove, No party rage could love control. “Though we were sprung from British race, And his was Erin’s early pride, Yet matched in every loveliest grace, No priest could e’er their hearts divide. ’ “ What though no yeoman’s arms he bore; *T was party hate that hope forbade : What though no martial dress he wore, That dress no braver bosom clad. ‘¢ And had our gallant Bryan Byrne Been welcomed to their loyal band, Home might I stillin joy return The proudest father in the land. *‘For, ah! when Bryan Byrne was slain, With him my brave, my beauteous son His precious life-blood shed in vain ;— / The savage work of death was done!” ... . Comichooksscom: