Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 48 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 48: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a page of running prose from "The Taking of Helen," a narrative poem or verse novel. The page shows Nireus, a character who appears to be a rival suitor, soliloquizing at dawn about his unrequited love and his refusal to help his rival Paris. After this emotional monologue, Nireus travels by chariot through woodland, eventually abandoning his horses and concealing his vehicle in brambles. The text combines poetic verse with prose narrative description of his actions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
30 THE TAKING OF HELEN Nireus was free to go on. From very far away a cock began To tell of milking-time to slumbering man. Now streaks in distant cloud turned pale and brightened, Indistinct colour came as darkness lightened ; A bird went out to sea, and at his winging Birds twittered in the trees or started singing. The wind had dropped, the world was like a dream. ‘Lovers are mad,’’ said Nireus, ‘‘as I deem. Why should I help my rival to my dear? Were Paris caught and hanged, I need not fear For her, so lovely ; she would be forgiven. I like a star might still be in her heaven, See her, be near her, love her, die for her. Yet if I died for her, it would not stir Her heart for me, she likes the men who blaze A path before them with their kindling ways, Paris, Euphorion; never me, the fool. O Love, you master with the bitter rule, You make me dare all cruels for her sake Burning, I love the fire and the stake.”’ After a mile, he turned down another track on which horses had been ridden during the night; he could see no human footprints; it led through a wood, which dripped and was dark. After another mile of soft going, the horses stopped, for they had had enough. He climbed down, un- hitched them, hove the chariot into a bramble cover, and let the horses go. ‘‘ You have served a queen and CORNICLOOC) gS (E(0)