Virtue and "this virtues woman" may be "first ruling passions"

— Steele, Anne (1717-1778)


Place of Publication
Bristol
Publisher
Printed by W. Pine. Sold by T. Cadell, T. Mills, and T. Evans; and by J. Buckland and J. Johnson
Date
1780
Metaphor
Virtue and "this virtues woman" may be "first ruling passions"
Metaphor in Context
BELFIELD JUNIOR.
How shall I give utterance to my gratitude, or my love?

Enter Goodwin, Fanny, Francis, Philip, andLucy .

SIR BENJAMIN DOVE.
So, so! more work for the parson.

IRONSIDES.
What! Francis, hast thou chosen a mate, and art bound upon a matrimonial cruize as well as thy master?

FRANCIS.
Ay, Sir; so he is happy as well as myself, and has no objection to my choice.

BELFIELD SENIOR.
What! Are you all assembled to overwhelm me with confusion? Like some poor culprit, surrounded by a crowd of witnesses I stand convicted and appall'd. But all your wrongs shall be redress'd; your's Goodwin; Philip's, Lucy's: my whole life shall be employ'd in acts of justice and atonement. Virtue and this virtues woman were my first ruling passions.

Now they resume their social soft controul,
And love and happiness possess my soul.
Provenance
Searching HDIS for "ruling passion"
Citation
At least 2 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1780).

Anne Steele, Miscellaneous Pieces, in Verse and Prose, by Theodosia, ed. Caleb Evans (Bristol: Printed by W. Pine. Sold by T. Cadell, T. Mills, and T. Evans; - and by J. Buckland and J. Johnson, 1780). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>
Theme
Ruling Passion
Date of Entry
05/28/2004

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