Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 82 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 82: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is running prose from page 70 of *The Taking of Helen*, a Victorian penny dreadful retelling of classical mythology. The text shows a dramatic dialogue between Paris and Nireus concerning Helen and the impending Trojan War. Nireus warns Paris that Helen will suffer—cursed and spat upon—and threatens to kill Paris if he makes her unhappy, invoking shared memories from Symé. Paris dismisses such talk as inappropriate for his wedding day, while Nireus counters with dark premonitions about their uncertain futures. The exchange explores themes of love, sacrifice, and mortality through heated argument between the two characters.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
70 THE TAKING OF HELEN Kings, whose war you dread, seem petty enough. Menelaus and the other and their friends, what are they? How can they come to Troy?” “Troy has enemies enough, with ships enough.” “They will need all their ships. And when they come to Troy, if they ever do, they will see the Asian war and nothing more forever. So there is for your calamity. Fight for Helen; I expect to fight for her, I glory in the thought of fighting for her. I have chal- lenged the old man and any of his champions: I lust for the day when I can end them.”’ “You will have to fight for her,’’ Nireus said; ‘‘so will others, who will not lust for that day. Helen will be in the city of those others, who will curse her and spit upon her as she passes by.”’ “T tell you, Nireus,’’ Paris said, ‘‘that your talk is unworthy of a generous mind. ‘Troy is glorious in her war, as in her peace and in her love.” ‘““A great part of love is not glorious,’ Nireus said, ‘but bitter sacrifice and pain. I know that now, and Helen will know it, but you will never know it. | think, if you make her unhappy, I shall feel it in my bones, and for all those old times in Symé, I will hunt you out and kill you.” “Tt is ill talking about killing,” Paris said, “to a man upon his wedding day.”’ “Tt is ill talking about the future,’’ Nireus answered, ‘when none of us three may see to-morrow. She and CORNICLOOKS»aEO