work_id,theme,provenance,created_at,text,reviewed_on,id,comments,metaphor,dictionary,updated_at,context
4269,"",HDIS,2004-01-13 00:00:00 UTC,"This renew'd a Contemplation, which often had come to my Thoughts in former Time, when first I began to see the merciful Dispositions of Heaven, in the Dangers we run through in this Life. How wonderfully we are deliver'd, when we know nothing of it. How, when we are in (a Quandary, as we call it) a Doubt or Hesitation, whether to go this Way, or that Way, a secret Hint shall direct us this Way, when we intended to go that Way; nay, when Sense, our own Inclination, and perhaps Business has call'd to go the other Way, yet a strange Impression upon the Mind , from we know not what Springs, and by we know not what Power, shall over-rule us to go this Way; and it shall afterwards appear, that had we gone that Way which we should have gone, and even to our Imagination ought to have gone, we should have been ruin'd and lost. Upon these, and many like Reflections, I afterwards made it a certain Rule with me, That whenever I found those secret Hints, or Pressings of my Mind , to doing, or not doing any Thing that presented; or to going this Way, or that Way, I never fail'd to obey the secret Dictate; though I knew no other Reason for it, than that such a Pressure, or such a Hint hung upon my Mind: I could give many Examples of the Success of this Conduct in the Course of my Life; but more especially in the latter Part of my inhabiting this unhappy Island; besides many Occasions which it is very likely I might have taken notice of, if I had seen with the same Eyes then, that I saw with now: But 'tis never too late to be wise; and I cannot but advise all considering Men, whose Lives are attended with such extraordinary Incidents as mine, or even though not so extraordinary, not to slight such secret Intimations of Providence, let them come from what invisible Intelligence they will, that I shall not discuss, and perhaps cannot account for; but certainly they are a Proof of the Converse of Spirits, and the secret Communication between those embody'd, and those unembody'd; and such a Proof as can never be withstood: Of which I shall have Occasion to give some very remarkable Instances, in the Remainder of my solitary Residence in this dismal Place.
(pp. 207-8)",,11129,•I've included this entry twice: once in 'Uncategorized' and once in 'Government',"A ""strange Impression upon the Mind, from we know not what Springs, and by we know not what Power,"" may over-rule us ",Impression,2009-09-14 19:35:35 UTC,""
4269,"",HDIS (Prose),2004-01-14 00:00:00 UTC,"I now began to consider seriously my Condition, and the Circumstance I was reduc'd to, and I drew up the State of my Affairs in Writing, not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me, for I was like to have but few Heirs, as to deliver my Thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting my Mind; and as my Reason began now to master my Despondency, I began to comfort my self as well as I could, and to set the Good against the Evil, that I might have something to distinguish my Case from worse; and I stated it very impartially, like Debtor and Creditor, the Comforts I enjoy'd, against the Miseries I suffer'd, thus:
(p. 76)",2011-06-07,11149,"","""I now began to consider seriously my Condition, and the Circumstance I was reduc'd to, and I drew up the State of my Affairs in Writing, not so much to leave them to any that were to come after me, for I was like to have but few Heirs, as to deliver my Thoughts from daily poring upon them, and afflicting my Mind; and as my Reason began now to master my Despondency, I began to comfort my self as well as I could, and to set the Good against the Evil, that I might have something to distinguish my Case from worse; and I stated it very impartially, like Debtor and Creditor, the Comforts I enjoy'd, against the Miseries I suffer'd.""","",2011-06-07 05:54:16 UTC,""
4277,"","Searching ""conque"" and ""thought"" in HDIS (Prose)",2005-01-25 00:00:00 UTC,"I told him, I once thought my self a kind of a Monarch in my old Station, of which I had given him an Account, but that I thought he was not a Monarch only, but a great Conqueror; for that he that has got a Victory over his own exorbitant Desires, and has the absolute Dominion over himself, whose Reason entirely governs his Will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a City. But, my Lord, said I, shall I take the Liberty to ask you a Question? With all my Heart, says he. If the Door of your Liberty was opened, said I, would you not take hold of it to deliver your self from this Exile.",,11182,•I've included twice: Conquest and Rule of Reason,"""I thought he was not a Monarch only, but a great Conqueror; for that he that has got a Victory over his own exorbitant Desires, and has the absolute Dominion over himself, whose Reason entirely governs his Will, is certainly greater than he that conquers a City""","",2009-09-14 19:35:38 UTC,""
4292,"","Searching ""rule"" and ""reason"" in HDIS (Prose Fiction)",2004-06-09 00:00:00 UTC,"But our Friend William gave us better Counsel; for he came to me, Friend, says he, I understand the Captain is for sailing back to the Rio Janiero, in Hopes to meet with the other Ship that was in Chase of thee yesterday; is it true, dost thou intend it? Why, yes, says I, William, pray why not? Nay, says he, thou mayst do so if thou wilt. Well, I know that too, William, said I; but the Captain is a Man will be ruled by Reason; what have you to say to it? Why, saysWilliam gravely, I only ask what is thy Business, and the Business of all the People thou hast with thee? Is it not to get Money? Yes, William, it is so, in our honest Way: And wouldst thou, says he, rather have Money without Fighting, or Fighting without Money? I mean, which wouldst thou have by Choice, suppose it to be left to thee? O William, says I, the first of the two, to be sure. Why then, says he, what great Gain hast thou made of the Prize thou hast taken now, tho' it has cost the Lives of thirteen of thy Men, besides some hurt? It is true, thou hast got the Ship and some Prisoners, but thou wouldst have had twice the Booty in a Merchant Ship, with not one Quarter of the Fighting; and how dost thou know either what Force, or what Number of Men may be in the other Ship, and what Loss thou mayst suffer, and what Gain it shall be to thee, if thou take her? I think indeed thou mayst much better let her alone.",2011-06-07,11220,"","""Well, I know that too, William, said I; but the Captain is a Man will be ruled by Reason; what have you to say to it?.""","",2011-06-07 11:40:59 UTC,""
4295,"","Searching ""empire"" and ""soul"" in HDIS (Prose)",2004-08-11 00:00:00 UTC,"The Particulars related however, may lead the Reader of these Sheets to a View of what gave me a particular Disgust at this pleasant Part of the World, as they pretend to call it, and made me quit the Place sooner than Travellers use to do that come thither to satisfy their Curiosity.
The prodigious stupid Bigottry of the People also was irksome to me; I thought there was something in it very sordid, the entire Empire the Priests have over both the Souls and Bodies of the People, gave me a Specimen of that Meanness of Spirit which is no where else to be seen but in Italy, especially in the City of Rome.",2010-06-08,11224,"Narrator tempted in an Italian town by a ""Courtezan""; meets her later in church","""The prodigious stupid Bigottry of the People also was irksome to me; I thought there was something in it very sordid, the entire Empire the Priests have over both the Souls and Bodies of the People, gave me a Specimen of that Meanness of Spirit which is no where else to be seen but in Italy, especially in the City of Rome.""",Empire,2011-06-07 04:44:48 UTC,""
4323,"",HDIS,2004-01-21 00:00:00 UTC,"This was an Adventure indeed unlook'd for, and perfectly undesign'd by me; tho' I was not so past the Merry part of Life, as to forget how to behave, when a Fop so blinded by his Appetite should not know an old Woman from a young: I did not indeed look so old as I was by ten or twelve Year; yet I was not a young Wench of Seventeen, and it was easie enough to be distinguish'd: There is nothing so absurd, so surfeiting, so ridiculous as a Man heated by Wine in his Head, and a wicked Gust in his Inclination together; he is in the possession of two Devils at once, and can no more govern himself by his Reason than a Mill can Grind without Water; Vice tramples upon all that was in him that had any good in it; nay, his very Sense is blinded by its own Rage, and he acts Absurdities even in his View; such is Drinking more, when he is Drunk already; picking up a common Woman, without any regard to what she is, or who she is; whether Sound or Rotten, Clean or Unclean; whether Ugly or Handsome, Old or Young, and so blinded, as not really to distinguish; such a Man is worse than Lunatick; prompted by his vicious Head he no more knows what he is doing, than this Wretch of mine knew when I pick'd his Pocket of his Watch and his Purse of Gold.
(pp. 236-7)",,11289,•INTEREST. This is such a strange figure because it is not a true analogy! I've included it twice: once in 'Machine' and once in 'Government',"""There is nothing so absurd, so surfeiting, so ridiculous as a Man heated by Wine in his Head, and a wicked Gust in his Inclination together; he is in the possession of two Devils at once, and can no more govern himself by his Reason than a Mill can Grind without Water.""","",2010-02-10 20:18:15 UTC,""
4327,"","Searching in HDIS (Prose); Found again searching ""conque"" and ""heart""
",2004-07-06 00:00:00 UTC,"This was honestly spoken, indeed; and there really were such visible Tokens of Sincerity in all his Discourse, that I could not suspect him: On some of our Discourses on this Subject, he pull'd out a little Dirty Paper Book, in which he had wrote down such a Prayer in Verse, as I doubt few Christians in the World could Subscribe to; and I cannot but Record it, because I never saw any thing like it in my Life, the Lines are as follows:
Lord! whatsoever Sorrows Rack my Breast,
Till Crime removes too, let me find no Rest;
How Dark so e'er, my State, or sharp my Pain,
O! let not Troubles Cease, and Sin Remain.
For Jesus sake, remove not my Distress,
Till free Triumphant Grace shall Reposess
The Vacant Throne; from whence my Sins Depart,
And make a willing Captive of my Heart;
Till Grace Compleatly shall my Soul Subdue,
Thy Conquest full, and my Subjection True.
There were more Lines on the same Subject, but these were the beginning; and these touching me so sensibly, I have remember'd them distinctly ever since, and have I believe repeated them to my self a Thousand times.
(pp. 208-9)",2009-12-28,11302,•C-H uses the second edition of Colonel Jack. The novel was originally published in 1722.
•I've included entry twice: in War and Government,"""For Jesus sake, remove not my Distress, / Till free Triumphant Grace shall Reposess / The Vacant Throne; from whence my Sins Depart, / And make a willing Captive of my Heart.""",Throne,2012-07-24 20:12:12 UTC,""
4351,"",Reading,2004-07-01 00:00:00 UTC,"It is for this Reason, that I have so largely set down the Particulars of the Caresses I was treated with by the Jeweller, and also by this Prince; not to make the Story an Incentive to the Vice, which I am now such a sorrowful Penitent for being guilty of, God forbid any shou'd make so vile a Use of so good a Design, but to draw the just Picture of a Man enslav'd to the Rage of his vicious Appetite; how he defaces the Image of God in his Soul; dethrones his Reason; causes Conscience to abdicate the Possession, and exalts Sence into the vacant Throne; how he deposes the Man, and exalts the Brute.
(p. 89, p. 111 in Penguin)",2011-07-27,11437,"","""It is for this Reason, that I have so largely set down the Particulars of the Caresses I was treated with by the Jeweller, and also by this Prince; not to make the Story an Incentive to the Vice, which I am now such a sorrowful Penitent for being guilty of, God forbid any shou'd make so vile a Use of so good a Design, but to draw the just Picture of a Man enslav'd to the Rage of his vicious Appetite; how he defaces the Image of God in his Soul; dethrones his Reason; causes Conscience to abdicate the Possession, and exalts Sence into the vacant Throne; how he deposes the Man, and exalts the Brute.""",Fetters and Throne,2013-07-09 14:51:00 UTC,""
4386,"",Searching in HDIS (Prose),2005-04-25 00:00:00 UTC,"That our Institutions of Government and Law were plainly owing to our gross Defects in Reason, and by consequence, in Vertue; because Reason alone is sufficient to govern a Rational Creature; which was therefore a Character we had no Pretence to challenge, even from the Account I had given of my own People, although he manifestly perceived, that in order to favour them, I had concealed many Particulars, and often said the Thing which was not.
(pp. 102-3)",,11577,"","""Reason alone is sufficient to govern a Rational Creature; which was therefore a Character we had no Pretence to challenge""","",2009-09-14 19:36:02 UTC,"Vol 2, Part 4, Chap. 7"
4024,"",Reading,2013-09-11 21:30:05 UTC,"Let us next examine the great introducers of new schemes in philosophy, and search till we can find from what faculty of the soul the disposition arises in mortal man of taking it into his head to advance new systems with such an eager zeal in things agreed on all hands impossible to be known; from what seeds this disposition springs, and to what quality of human nature these grand innovators have been indebted for their number of disciples, because it is plain that several of the chief among them, both ancient and modern, were usually mistaken by their adversaries, and, indeed, by all, except their own followers, to have been persons crazed or out of their wits, having generally proceeded in the common course of their words and actions by a method very different from the vulgar dictates of unrefined reason, agreeing for the most part in their several models with their present undoubted successors in the academy of modern Bedlam, whose merits and principles I shall further examine in due place. Of this kind were Epicurus, Diogenes, Apollonius, Lucretius, Paracelsus, Des Cartes, and others, who, if they were now in the world, tied fast and separate from their followers, would in this our undistinguishing age incur manifest danger of phlebotomy, and whips, and chains, and dark chambers, and straw. For what man in the natural state or course of thinking did ever conceive it in his power to reduce the notions of all mankind exactly to the same length, and breadth, and height of his own? Yet this is the first humble and civil design of all innovators in the empire of reason. Epicurus modestly hoped that one time or other a certain fortuitous concourse of all men’s opinions, after perpetual jostlings, the sharp with the smooth, the light and the heavy, the round and the square, would, by certain clinamina, unite in the notions of atoms and void, as these did in the originals of all things. Cartesius reckoned to see before he died the sentiments of all philosophers, like so many lesser stars in his romantic system, rapt and drawn within his own vortex. Now I would gladly be informed how it is possible to account for such imaginations as these in particular men, without recourse to my phenomenon of vapours ascending from the lower faculties to overshadow the brain, and there distilling into conceptions, for which the narrowness of our mother-tongue has not yet assigned any other name beside that of madness or frenzy. Let us therefore now conjecture how it comes to pass that none of these great prescribers do ever fail providing themselves and their notions with a number of implicit disciples, and I think the reason is easy to be assigned, for there is a peculiar string in the harmony of human understanding, which in several individuals is exactly of the same tuning. This, if you can dexterously screw up to its right key, and then strike gently upon it whenever you have the good fortune to light among those of the same pitch, they will by a secret necessary sympathy strike exactly at the same time. And in this one circumstance lies all the skill or luck of the matter; for, if you chance to jar the string among those who are either above or below your own height, instead of subscribing to your doctrine, they will tie you fast, call you mad, and feed you with bread and water. It is therefore a point of the nicest conduct to distinguish and adapt this noble talent with respect to the differences of persons and of times. Cicero understood this very well, when, writing to a friend in England, with a caution, among other matters, to beware of being cheated by our hackney-coachmen (who, it seems, in those days were as arrant rascals as they are now), has these remarkable words, Est quod gaudeas te in ista loca venisse, ubi aliquid sapere viderere. For, to speak a bold truth, it is a fatal miscarriage so ill to order affairs as to pass for a fool in one company, when in another you might be treated as a philosopher; which I desire some certain gentlemen of my acquaintance to lay up in their hearts as a very seasonable innuendo.
(pp. 80-1 in OUP ed.)",,22718,"","""Yet this is the first humble and civil design of all innovators in the empire of reason.""",Empire,2013-09-11 21:30:05 UTC,""