Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 88 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 88: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 70 of a Victorian Penny Dreadful This is a page of running verse narrative prose, numbered 70, from what appears to be a serialized poetic tale. The text depicts a dramatic scene in which a character named Psyche is warned against trusting a woman associated with Vanity and Ambition. A mysterious knight on a glittering chariot arrives and persuades Psyche to board his vehicle, promising to convey her safely. Though a page urges her to flee, Psyche agrees and directs the knight to a humble cottage where she had spent the night, imagining the knight's joy upon her return and the shame the page will feel.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
70 “Oh, do not trust her treacherous lips,” he cried, “She is the subtle slave of Vanity, : ‘Her queen, the child of folly, and of pride, ‘*To lure thee to her power each art will try, “‘Nor ever will release thee peaceably.” He spoke, but spoke in vain, for lo! from far, , _ | Of giant port they fast approaching spy A knight, high mounted on a glittering car, From whose conspicuous crest flames wide a dazzling star. ‘* Psyche, escape! Ambition is at hand!” The page exclaims : while swift as thought he flies ; She would haye followed, but with parley bland Lusinga soon her terrors pacifies. ‘‘ Fair nymph, ascend my car,” the sovereign cries, **T will conyey thee where thy wishes lead, ‘* Haply the safest course { may advise “How thou thy journey mayst perform with speed ; ‘¢For ne’er in woods to dwell such beauty was decreed.” So gently urgent her consent they wooed With much persuasion of the stranger knight, That yielding Psyche now no more withstood, But pointing out to her observant sight The humble cot where she had passed t She prayed her kind conductress there to turn, And promised to herself what vast delight Her wondering knight would feel at her return, And,with what blushing shame the sah page would burn, ie night, CONE DOO KS. Oma)