"Thro' the Sight's Pores round little Globules steal, / And the charm'd Senses a strange Pleasure feel. / With secret Joy the Soul it self is seiz'd, / And with th'agreeable Idolum pleas'd. / Which wand'ring from the Eyes by Ways unknown, / O'er the soft Bowels and warm Heart is thrown, / And ming'ling in the Womb the fair Idea's sown."

— Cobb, Samuel (1675-1713); Rowe, Nicholas (1674-1718); Quillet, Claudius (fl.1640-1656)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for E. Sanger and E. Curll
Date
1712
Metaphor
"Thro' the Sight's Pores round little Globules steal, / And the charm'd Senses a strange Pleasure feel. / With secret Joy the Soul it self is seiz'd, / And with th'agreeable Idolum pleas'd. / Which wand'ring from the Eyes by Ways unknown, / O'er the soft Bowels and warm Heart is thrown, / And ming'ling in the Womb the fair Idea's sown."
Metaphor in Context
Those which from fair and comely Objects fly,
By their own Smoothness please th'affected Eye:
Thro' the Sight's Pores round little Globules steal,
And the charm'd Senses a strange Pleasure feel.
With secret Joy the Soul it self is seiz'd,
And with th'agreeable Idolum pleas'd.
Which wand'ring from the Eyes by Ways unknown,
O'er the soft Bowels and warm Heart is thrown,
And ming'ling in the Womb the fair Idea's sown
.
By which kind Nature models her Design;
With forming Hand she Works each beauteous Line,
And all delightsom Things in the Composure joyn.
But if th'Idola from foul Figures rise,
Their roughness Shocks the Soul, and Wounds the Eyes.
And, as with Spears, which grow from bladed Corn,
Invade the Mind, and make the Senses mourn.
Whence strange Dislike surprizes every Part,
And fills with Horrour the recoiling Heart;
Which, thus Contract, does th'ill-form'd Image throw
Into the Womb, and there th'unpleasing Figure sow.
By which Direction, Nature shapes her Aim,
Distorts the Limbs, or does the Piece Defame
With Features most Deform'd; the weeping Mother's Shame.
And, as we often by Experience find,
If a vile Body cloth as vile a Mind,
The World, which by the Looks does Actions scan,
Will in the Child condemn the future Man.
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
At least 18 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1712, 1715, 1718, 1719, 1720, 1728, 1729, 1733, 1750, 1760, 1761, 1768, 1769, 1771, 1776). Translated from the French of Claude Quillet. First published in Leiden in 1655, followed by Latin version (London, 1708).

Callipædia. A Poem. In Four Books. With Some Other Pieces. Written in Latin by Claudius Quillet, Made English by N. Rowe, Esq; to Which Is Prefix’d, Mr. Bayle’s Account of His Life. (London: Printed for E. Sanger, and E. Curll, 1712). <Link to ESTC>

See also Cl. Quilleti Callipædia, &c. Et Scævolæ Sammarthani Pædotrophia. (Londini: impensis J. Bowyer, 1709). <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
05/04/2005
Date of Review
06/04/2013

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.