"And Reason to herself alone is law."
— Churchill, Charles (1731-1764)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for the Author
Date
1760, 1761
Metaphor
"And Reason to herself alone is law."
Metaphor in Context
Go on, ye fools, who talk for talking sake,
Without distinguishing distinctions make;
Shine forth in native folly, native pride,
Make yourselves rules to all the world beside;
Reason, collected in herself disdains
The slavish yoke of arbitrary chains,
Steady and true each circumstance she weighs,
Nor to bare words inglorious tribute pays.
Men of sense live exempt from vulgar awe,
And Reason to herself alone is law.
That freedom she enjoys with lib'ral mind
Which she as freely grants to all mankind.
No idol titled name her rev'rence stirs,
No hour she blindly to the rest prefers,
All are alike, if they're alike employ'd,
And all are good if virtuously enjoy'd.
(p. 3)
Without distinguishing distinctions make;
Shine forth in native folly, native pride,
Make yourselves rules to all the world beside;
Reason, collected in herself disdains
The slavish yoke of arbitrary chains,
Steady and true each circumstance she weighs,
Nor to bare words inglorious tribute pays.
Men of sense live exempt from vulgar awe,
And Reason to herself alone is law.
That freedom she enjoys with lib'ral mind
Which she as freely grants to all mankind.
No idol titled name her rev'rence stirs,
No hour she blindly to the rest prefers,
All are alike, if they're alike employ'd,
And all are good if virtuously enjoy'd.
(p. 3)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "rule" and "reason" in HDIS (Poetry); found again "law"
Citation
At least 4 entries in ESTC (1760, 1761, 1763).
See Night, an Epistle to Robert Lloyd. By C. Churchill. (London: Printed for the author; and sold by W. Flexney, near Gray's-Inn Gate, Holborn, 1761). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
See Night, an Epistle to Robert Lloyd. By C. Churchill. (London: Printed for the author; and sold by W. Flexney, near Gray's-Inn Gate, Holborn, 1761). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
06/15/2004
