Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 91 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 91: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page 73: Narrative Poetry Passage This is a page of running prose—specifically, verse narrative in heroic couplets and blank verse. The text depicts a dramatic Gothic scene: a character named Psyche attempts escape from a knight who forcibly restrains her, declaring she cannot abandon him. As they struggle, the palace catastrophically collapses around them in an earthquake; the knight, undaunted, maintains his grip on the woman and plunges with her into the flooding waters below. He then emerges from the flood, heroically holding her aloft with one arm while battling the raging waves with the other, sustaining her through the tempest. The passage emphasizes his fearless devotion and superhuman strength amid devastation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
79 Psyche dismayed, yet thoughtful of escape, In anxious silence to the portal prest; And freedom would have hailed in any shape Though seen in death’s tremendous colours drest : But ah! she feels the knight’s strong grasp arrest Her trembling steps. ‘Think not,” he cries, “to fiy “With yon false crowd who by my favours blest, ‘Can now desert me when with changeful eye ¢ Inclement fortune frowns from yon dark angry sky.” While yet he spoke loud bursts the groaning hall, With frightful peal the thundering domes resound, Disjointed columns in wild ruin fall, While the huge arches tremble to the ground. Yet unappalled amid the crush is found The daring chief: his hold he firm maintains Though hideous devastation roars around ; Plunged headlong down his prey he still sustains, Who in his powerful grasp in death-like swoon remains. _ Down sinks the palace with its mighty lord, Hurled from the awful steep with vehemence Even to the floods below, which angry roared ' And gaping wide received the weight immense: Andignant still, with fearless confidence He rose, high mounting o’er the heaving waves ; Against their rage one arm is his defence, The other still his lovely burden saves, Though strong the billows beat, and fierce the tempest raves. Comichookssheom