theme,metaphor,work_id,dictionary,provenance,id,created_at,updated_at,reviewed_on,comments,text,context
"","""His mighty mind travelled round the intellectual world; and, with a more than eagle's eye, saw, and has pointed out blank spaces, or dark spots in it, on which the human mind never shone.""",5063,Animals,"Reading and searching in RPO",13580,2009-09-14 19:38:45 UTC,2014-11-17 20:02:14 UTC,,The leaden pipes at the end are a fascinating figure.,"Nor have I Bacon's opinion only, but his assistance too, on my side. His mighty mind travelled round the intellectual world; and, with a more than eagle's eye, saw, and has pointed out blank spaces, or dark spots in it, on which the human mind never shone: Some of these have been enlightened since; some are benighted still.
Moreover, so boundless are the bold excursions of the human mind, that in the vast void beyond real existence, it can call forth shadowy beings, and unknown worlds, as numerous, as bright, and, perhaps, as lasting, as the stars; such quite-original beauties we may call Paradisaical,
Natos sine semine flores. OVID.
When such an ample area for renowned adventure in original attempts lies before us, shall we be as mere leaden pipes, conveying to the present age small streams of excellence from its grand reservoir in antiquity; and those too, perhaps, mudded in the pass? Originals shine, like comets; have no peer in their path; are rival'd by none, and the gaze of all: All other compositions (if they shine at all) shine in clusters; like the stars in the galaxy; where, like bad neighbours, all suffer from all; each particular being diminished, and almost lost in the throng.
(pp. 69-71)",""
"","""That a Man may be scarce less ignorant of his own powers, than an Oyster of its pearl, or a Rock of its diamond; that he may possess dormant, unsuspected abilities, till awakened by loud calls, or stung up by striking emergencies, is evident from the sudden eruption of some men, out of perfect obscurity, into publick admiration, on the strong impulse of some animating occasion""",5063,"",http://eir.library.utoronto.ca/rpo/display/displayprose.cfm?prosenum=16 ,13649,2009-09-14 19:38:54 UTC,2009-09-14 19:38:54 UTC,,•I've included twice: Oyster and Diamond,"Nor are we only ignorant of the dimensions of the human mind in general, but even of our own. That a Man may be scarce less ignorant of his own powers, than an Oyster [Page 50] of its pearl, or a Rock of its diamond; that he may possess dormant, unsuspected abilities, till awakened by loud calls, or stung up by striking emergencies, is evident from the sudden eruption of some men, out of perfect obscurity, into publick admiration, on the strong impulse of some animating occasion; not more to the world's great surprize, than their own. Few authors of distinction but have experienced something of this nature, at the first beamings of their yet unsuspected Genius on their hitherto dark Composition: The writer starts at it, as at a lucid Meteor in the night; is much surprized; can scarce believe it true. During his happy confusion, it may be said to him, as to Eve at the Lake, [Page 51]
What there thou seest, fair creature is thyself. MILT.
Genius, in this view, is like a dear Friend in our company under disguise; who, while we are lamenting his absence, drops his mask, striking us, at once, with equal surprize and joy. This sensation, which I speak of in a writer, might favour, and so promote, the fable of poetic Inspiration: A Poet of a strong imagination, and stronger vanity, on feeling it, might naturally enough realize the world's mere compliment, and think himself truly inspired. Which is not improbable; for Enthusiasts of all kinds do no less.
(pp. 49-51)",""
"","""For conscience like a fiery horse, / Will stumble if you check his course; / But ride him with an easy rein, / And rub him down with worldly gain, / He'll carry you through thick and thin, / Safe, although dirty, to your Inn.""",7541,Animals,Reading; text from DocSouth,21674,2013-07-11 21:26:49 UTC,2013-07-11 21:26:49 UTC,,"","""For conscience like a fiery horse,
""Will stumble if you check his course;
""But ride him with an easy rein,
""And rub him down with worldly gain,
""He'll carry you through thick and thin,
""Safe, although dirty, to your Inn.""
(I.xxiv, p. 71; p. 61 in Carretta)","Vol. I, letter xxiv"
"","""Earth re-possesses part of what she gave--and the freed spirit mounts on wings of fire;--her disorder was a stoppage--she fell ill the evening of the Friday that I last saw her continued in her full senses to the last.""",7541,Animals,Reading; text from DocSouth,21681,2013-07-11 21:36:09 UTC,2013-07-11 21:36:09 UTC,,"","[...] Never so struck in my life;--it was on Friday night, between ten and eleven, just preparing for my concluding pipe--the Duke of M----'s man knocks.--""Have you heard the bad news?""--No--""the Duchess of Queensbury died last night.""--I felt fifty different sensations--unbelief was uppermost--when he crushed my incredibility, by saying he had been to know how his Grace did--who was also very poorly in health.--Now the preceding day, Thursday (the day on which she expired) I had received a very penitential letter from S----, dated from St. Helena;--this letter I inclosed in a long tedious epistle of my own--and sent to Petersham, believing the family to be all there.--The day after you left town her Grace died--that day week she was at my door--the day after I had the honor of a long audience in her dressing-room.--Alas! this hour blessed with health--crowned with honors--loaded with riches, and encircled with friends--the next reduced to a lump of poor clay--a tenement for worms.--Earth re-possesses part of what she gave--and the freed spirit mounts on wings of fire;--her disorder was a stoppage--she fell ill the evening of the Friday that I last saw her continued in her full senses to the last.--The good she had done reached the skies long before her lamented death--and are the only heralds that are worth the pursuit of wisdom:--as to her bad deeds, I have never heard of them--had it been for the best, God would have lent her a little longer to a foolish world, which hardly deserved so good a woman;--for my own part--I have lost a friend--and perhaps 'tis better so.--""Whatever is,"" &c. &c.--I wish S---- knew this heavy news, for many reasons.--I am inclined to believe her Grace's death is the only thing that will most conduce to his reform.--I fear neither his gratitude nor sensibility will be much hurt upon hearing the news--it will act upon his fears, and make him do right upon a base principle.--Hang him! he teazes me whenever I think of him.--I supped last night with St.----; he called in just now, and says he has a right to be remembered to you.--You and he are two odd monkeys--the more I abuse and rate you, the better friend you think me.--As you have found out that your spirits govern your head--you will of course contrive every method of keeping your instrument in tune;--sure I am that bathing--riding--walking--in succession--the two latter not violent, will brace your nerves--purify your blood--invigorate its circulation--add to the rest continency--yes, again I repeat it, continency;--before you reply, think--re-think--and think again--look into your Bible--look in Young--peep into your own breast--if your heart warrants--what your head counsels--act then boldly.--Oh! apropos--pray thank my noble friend Mrs. H--for her friendly present of C-- J--; it did Mrs. Sancho service, and does poor Billy great good--who has (through his teeth) been plagued with a cough--which I hope will not turn to the whooping sort;--the girls greet you as their respected school-master.--As to your spirited kind offer of a F----, why when you please--you know what I intend doing with it.
(I.xliii, pp. 119-22; pp. 84-6 in Carretta)","Vol. I, letter xliii"
"","""I chewed the cud of sweet remembrance, and with a heart and mind in pretty easy plight, gained the castle of peace and innocence about nine o'clock.""",7541,Animals,Reading; text from DocSouth,21695,2013-07-11 21:55:01 UTC,2013-07-11 21:55:01 UTC,,"","The stage contained five good souls, and one huge mass of flesh:--they, God bless them, thought I took up too much room--and I thought there was too little--we looked at each other, like folks dissatisfied with their company--and so jolted on in sullen silence for the first half hour;--and had there been no ladies, the God or Goddess of silence would have reigned the whole way:--for my part, quoth I to myself, I have enjoyed true pleasure all day--the morning was bright, refreshing, and pleasant, the delicious bowl of milk, the fresh butter, sweet bread, cool room, and kind hostess--the friendly converse, the walk--the animated flow of soul in I--M-- the little, but elegant, treat high-seasoned with welcome.--Oh! Sancho, what more could luxury covet, or ambition wish for? True, cries Reason--then be thankful:--Hold! cries Avarice, with squinting eyes and rotten stumps of teeth--hungry, though ever cramming--it cost thee one
shilling and nine pence, one shilling and nine pence I say.--What of that, cries oeconomy, we eat fairly half a crown's worth.--Aye, cries Prudence, that alters the case--od-so, we are nine pence in pocket, besides the benefit of fresh air, fresh scenes, and the pleasures of the society we love.--The sky was cloudless, and, to do me a particular favour, the moon chose to be at full--and gave us all her splendor;--but our envious Mother Earth (to mortify our vanity) rose up--rolling the whole way in clouds of dust.--Contention flew in at the coach-windows, and took possession of both the females:--""Madam, if you persist in drawing up the glass, we shall faint with heat.""--""Oh dear! very sorry to offend your delicacy; but I shall be suffocated with dust--and my cloaths.--"" ""I have cloaths to spoil as well as other folks, &c. &c. &c.""--The males behaved wisely, and kept a stricter neutrality than the French with the Americans.--I chewed the cud of sweet remembrance, and with a heart and mind in pretty easy plight, gained the castle of peace and innocence about nine o'clock.--Well, Sir, and how do you find yourself by this time?--I sweat, I protest--and then the bright God of day darts his blessings full upon my shop-window--so intensely, that I could fancy myself St. Bartholomew broiling upon a gridiron.
(II.xxxi, pp. 72-4; pp. 166-7 in Carretta)","Vol. II, letter xxxi"
"","""As it is the character of Genius to penetrate with a lynx's beam into unfathomable abysses and uncreated worlds, and to see what is not, so it is the property of good sense to distinguish perfectly, and judge accurately what really is.""",7739,"",ECCO-TCP,23033,2013-10-16 17:26:17 UTC,2013-10-16 17:26:17 UTC,,"","As it is the character of Genius to penetrate with a lynx's beam into unfathomable abysses and uncreated worlds, and to see what is not, so it is the property of good sense to distinguish perfectly, and judge accurately what really is. Good sense has not so piercing an eye, but it has as clear a sight: it does not penetrate so deeply, but as far as it does see, it discerns distinctly. Good sense is a judicious mechanic, who can produce beauty and convenience out of suitable means; but Genius (I speak with reverence of the immeasurable distance) bears some remote resemblance to the divine architect, who produced perfection of beauty without any visible materials, who spake, and it was created; who said, Let it be, and it was.
(pp. 213-4)",""
"","""But if an Original, by being as excellent, as new, adds admiration to surprize, then are we at the writer's mercy; on the strong wing of his imagination, we are snatched from Britain to Italy, from climate to climate, from pleasure to pleasure; we have no home, no thought, of our own; till the magician drops his pen.""",5063,Animals,Reading,23438,2014-03-04 03:10:32 UTC,2014-03-04 03:10:32 UTC,,"","Again: We read Imitation with somewhat of his languor, who listens to a twice-told tale: Our spirits rouze at an Original; that is a perfect stranger, and all throng to learn what news from a foreign land: And tho' it comes, like an Indian prince, adorned with feathers only, having little of weight; yet of our attention it will rob the more solid, if not equally new: Thus every telescope is lifted at a new-discovered star; it makes a hundred astronomers in a moment, and denies equal notice to the sun. But if an Original, by being as excellent, as new, adds admiration to surprize, then are we at the writer's mercy; on the strong wing of his imagination, we are snatched from Britain to Italy, from climate to climate, from pleasure to pleasure; we have no home, no thought, of our own; till the magician drops his pen: And then falling down into ourselves, we awake to flat realities, lamenting the change, like the beggar who dreamt himself a Prince.
(cf. pp. 12-3 in 1759 ed.)",""
"","""How have thy Houyhnhunms thrown thy judgment from its seat, and laid thy imagination in the mire?""",5063,Animals,Reading,23446,2014-03-04 03:44:03 UTC,2014-03-04 03:44:03 UTC,,"INTEREST: complicated mixing of metaphorics. USE IN ENTRY?
TYPO: feat/seat in C-H LION.","If so, O Gulliver! dost thou not shudder at thy brother Lucian's vulturs hovering o'er thee? Shudder on! they cannot shock thee more, than decency has been shock'd by thee. How have thy Houyhnhunms thrown thy judgment from its seat, and laid thy imagination in the mire? In what ordure hast thou dipt thy pencil? What a monster hast thou made of the
--Human face divine? MILT.
(p. 62)",""
"","""Or, the Power and Sway which the Soul exercises over them! Ten thousand Reins put into her Hands; yet she manages all, conducts all, without the least Perplexity or the least Irregularity: rather, with a Promptitude, a Consistency, and a Speed, that nothing else can equal!""",7942,Animals,Reading in British Library; cited in Wesley's Natural History (70).,24067,2014-06-20 18:29:55 UTC,2014-06-20 18:29:55 UTC,,INTEREST. USE IN ENTRY.,"Which shall We most admire? The Multitude of animated Organs; their finished Form, and their faultless Order?--Or, the Power and Sway which the Soul exercises over them! Ten thousand Reins put into her Hands; yet she manages all, conducts all, without the least Perplexity or the least Irregularity: rather, with a Promptitude, a Consistency, and a Speed, that nothing else can equal!
(II, p. 189)",Dialogue XII