Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 38 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 38: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 20: Running Prose Poetry This is a page of running verse (page 20) from what appears to be a serialized narrative poem. The text describes a maiden who, after being transported by supernatural winds (Zephyrs) and Cupid's intervention, awakens on a magical isle and discovers a magnificent palace. The verse employs elaborate romantic language—describing her sleep, her refreshed awakening, and the architectural splendor of an ethereal structure with marble columns that "seem a temple meet for Beauty's queen." The passage is entirely poetic, written in rhyming couplets and longer verse forms typical of Victorian literary melodrama.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
20 ‘ When lo! a gentle breeze began to rise, Breathed by obedient Zephyrs round the maid, — Fanning her. bosom with its softest sighs Awhile among her fluttering robes it strayed, And boldly sportive latent charms displayed : And then, as Cupid willed, with tenderest care From the tall rock, where weeping she was laid, With gliding motion through the yielding air To Pleasure’s blooming isle their lovely charge they bear. On the green bosom of the turf reclined, They lightly now the astonished virgin lay, ~~ To placid rest they sooth her troubled mind ; Around her still with watchful care they stay, Around her still in quiet whispers play ; Till lulling slumbers bid her eyelids close, Veiling with silky fringe each brilliant ray, While soft tranquillity divinely flows O’er all her soul serene, in visions of repose. Refreshed she rose, and all enchanted gazed On the rare beauties of the pleasant scene. Conspicuous far a lofty palace blazed Upon a sloping bank of softest green ; A fairer edifice was neyer seen; » The high ranged columns own no mortal hand, But seem a temple meet for Beauty’s queen. Like polished snow the marble pillars stand In grace attempered majesty sublimely grand, P - a) EComichbooks. conn.