"Now as our Feet in vain venture to walk upon the River, till the Frost bind the Current, and harden the yielding Surface; so does the SOUL in vain seek to exert its higher Powers, the Powers I mean of REASON and INTELLECT, till IMAGINATION first fix the fluency of SENSE, and thus provide a proper Basis for the support of its higher Energies"

— Harris, James (1709-1780)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Nourse and P. Vailon
Date
1771
Metaphor
"Now as our Feet in vain venture to walk upon the River, till the Frost bind the Current, and harden the yielding Surface; so does the SOUL in vain seek to exert its higher Powers, the Powers I mean of REASON and INTELLECT, till IMAGINATION first fix the fluency of SENSE, and thus provide a proper Basis for the support of its higher Energies"
Metaphor in Context
Now as our Feet in vain venture to walk upon the River, till the Frost bind the Current, and harden the yielding Surface; so does the SOUL in vain seek to exert its higher Powers, the Powers I mean of REASON and INTELLECT, till IMAGINATION first fix the fluency of SENSE, and thus provide a proper Basis for the support of its higher Energies.
(
p. 358)
Citation
6 entries in ESTC (1751, 1765, 1771, 1773, 1786, 1794).

Text from Hermes or a Philosophical Inqviry Concerning Universal Grammar by Iames Harris Esq. The Third Edition Revised and Corrected. (London: Printed for J. Nourse and P. Vailon, 1771). <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
12/06/2004

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