"He told his Nephew, 'he wished with all his Heart he would endeavour to conquer a Passion, in which I cannot,' says he, 'flatter you with any Hopes of succeeding."

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for A. Millar
Date
1749
Metaphor
"He told his Nephew, 'he wished with all his Heart he would endeavour to conquer a Passion, in which I cannot,' says he, 'flatter you with any Hopes of succeeding."
Metaphor in Context
When he was gone, Mr. Allworthy resumed the aforesaid Subject with much Gravity. He told his Nephew, 'he wished with all his Heart he would endeavour to conquer a Passion, in which I cannot,' says he, 'flatter you with any Hopes of succeeding. It is certainly a vulgar Error, that Aversion in a Woman may be conquered by Perseverance. Indifference may, perhaps, sometimes yield to it; but the usual Triumphs gained by Perseverance in a Lover, are over Caprice, Prudence, Affectation, and often an exorbitant Degree of Levity, which excites Women not over-warm in their Constitutions, to indulge their Vanity by prolonging the Time of Courtship, even when they are well-enough pleased with the Object, and resolve (if they ever resolve at all) to make him a very pitiful Amends in the End. But a fixed Dislike, as I am afraid this is, will rather gather Strength, than be conquered by Time. Besides, my dear, I have another Apprehension which you must excuse. I am afraid this Passion which you have for this fine young Creature, hath her beautiful Person too much for its Object, and is unworthy of the Name of that Love, which is the only Foundation of matrimonial Felicity. To admire, to like, and to long for the Possession of a beautiful Woman, without any Regard to her Sentiments towards us, is, I am afraid, too natural: But Love, I believe, is the Child of Love only; at least, I am pretty confident, that to love the Creature who we are assured hates us, is not in Human Nature. Examine your Heart, therefore, thoroughly, my good Boy, and if, upon Examination, you have but the least Suspicion of this Kind, I am sure your own Virtue and Religion will impel you to drive so vicious a Passion from your Heart, and your good Sense will soon enable you to do it without Pain.'
(pp. 111-2)
Provenance
Searching "conque" and "heart" in HDIS (Prose); found again searching "conque" and "passion"
Citation
Over 75 entries in the ESTC (1749, 1750, 1751, 1759, 1763, 1764, 1765, 1766, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1786, 1787, 1789, 1791, 1792, 1794, 1795, 1797, 1800).

See The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. In Six Volumes. By Henry Fielding. (London: Printed for A. Millar, 1749). <Link to ECCO><Link to LION>

See also three-volume Dublin edition in ECCO-TCP <Link to Vol. I in ECCO-TCP><Vol. II><Vol. III>

Reading The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. Norton Critical Edition, ed. Sheridan W. Baker. (New York: W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1973).

Also reading Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, eds. John Bender and Simon Stern (Oxford: OUP, 1996).
Date of Entry
09/29/2004

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