text,updated_at,metaphor,created_at,context,theme,reviewed_on,dictionary,comments,provenance,id,work_id
"[...] An honest man is the noblest work of God.'
'I always held that maxim of Pope,' returned Mr Burchell, 'as very unworthy a man of genius, and a base desertion of his own superiority. As the reputation of books is raised not by their freedom from defect, but by the greatness of their beauties; so should that of men be prized not for their exemption from fault, but the size of those virtues they are possessed of. The scholar may want prudence, the statesman may have pride, and the champion ferocity; but shall we prefer to these the low mechanic, who laboriously plods through life, without censure or applause? We might as well prefer the tame and correct paintings of the Flemish school to the erroneous, but sublime animations of the Roman pencil.'
'Sir,' replied I, 'your present observation is just, when there are shining virtues and minute defects; but when it appears that great vices are opposed in the same mind to as extraordinary virtues, such a character deserves contempt.'
'Perhaps,' cried he, 'there may be some such monsters as you describe, or great vices joined to great virtues; yet in my progress through life, I never yet found one instance of their existence: on the contrary, I have ever perceived, that where the mind was capacious, the affections were good. And indeed Providence seems kindly to our friend in this particular, thus to debilitate the understanding where the heart is corrupt, and diminish the power where there is will to do mischief. This rule seems to extend even to other animals: the little vermin race are ever treacherous, cruel, cowardly, whilst those endowed with strength and power are generous, brave, and gentle.'
(XV, p. 95-6)",2012-01-04 18:05:30 UTC,"""I have ever perceived, that where the mind was capacious, the affections were good.""",2009-09-14 19:40:03 UTC,Chapter 15,"",2006-09-12,"","•The Primroses confront Burchell with his letter and drive him from their home and refuse him their acquaintance.
•The quote is very interesting but not truly metaphorical. The opening analogy used by Burchell concerns reputation. What follows extends the figuration to minds, affections, powers, virtue, and vice.",Reading,14123,5244
"Here lies honest William, whose heart was a mint,
While the owner ne'er knew half the good that was in't;
The pupil of impulse, it forced him along,
His conduct still right, with his argument wrong;
Still aiming at honour, yet fearing to roam,
The coachman was tipsy, the chariot drove home;
Would you ask for his merits? alas! he had none,
What was good was spontaneous, his faults were his own.
(pp. 8-9. ll. 43-50, p. 750 in Lonsdale)",2012-04-11 18:48:21 UTC,"""Here lies honest William, whose heart was a mint, / While the owner ne'er knew half the good that was in't.""",2003-11-27 00:00:00 UTC,"","",2012-04-11,Coinage,"•Checked against ECCO, changed punctuation to match.
•USED IN ENTRY
•Cross-reference: Fielding' s Amelia: ""your Mind is a Treasury of all ancient and modern Learning.""","Found again searching ""mint"" and heart"" in HDIS (Poetry)",14558,5443
"When the idol had done speaking, and the priestess had locked up its lungs with a key, observing almost all the company leaving the temple, I concluded the service was over, and taking my hat, was going to walk away with the crowd, when I was stopt by the man in black, who assured me that the ceremony had scarcely yet begun! What, cried I, do I not see almost the whole body of the worshippers leaving the church? Would you persuade me that such numbers who profess religion and morality, would in this shameless manner quit the temple before the service was concluded? you surely mistake; not even the Kalmouks would be guilty of such an indecency, tho' all the object of their worship was but a joint stool. My friend seemed to blush for his countrymen, assuring me that those whom I saw running away, were only a parcel of musical blockheads, whose passion was merely for sounds, and whose heads were as empty as a fiddle case; those who remain behind, says he, are the true Religious; they make use of music to warm their hearts, and to lift them to a proper pitch of rapture; examine their behaviour, and you will confess there are some among us who practise true devotion.
(I, p. 173)",2014-07-25 02:45:28 UTC,"""My friend seemed to blush for his countrymen, assuring me that those whom I saw running away, were only a parcel of musical blockheads, whose passion was merely for sounds, and whose heads were as empty as a fiddle case; those who remain behind, says he, are the true Religious; they make use of music to warm their hearts, and to lift them to a proper pitch of rapture; examine their behaviour, and you will confess there are some among us who practise true devotion.""",2014-07-25 02:45:28 UTC,LETTER XL. To the same,"",,"","",Searching in ECCO-TCP,24270,7982