"But is it not most unjust --nay cruel, to condemn a man because he is so unfortunate as to be the victim of disease? May not a great soul inhabit a foul carcase?"

— Tytler, Alexander Fraser (1747-1813); Schiller (1759-1805)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for G. G. J. & J. Robinsons
Date
1792
Metaphor
"But is it not most unjust --nay cruel, to condemn a man because he is so unfortunate as to be the victim of disease? May not a great soul inhabit a foul carcase?"
Metaphor in Context
FRANCIS
Does this image of thy lover inspire thee with horror? Then paint him, Amelia, in your own imagination--the lovely, the divine, the angelic Charles! Go! enjoy the ambrosia of his lips, --inhale his balmy breath!

(Amelia hides her face with her hands.
)

Oh extacy! What rapture in those embraces!--But is it not most unjust --nay cruel, to condemn a man because he is so unfortunate as to be the victim of disease? May not a great soul inhabit a foul carcase?

(With malignant iron
y.)

May not the beauties of the mind dwell in a tainted body--or the soft voice of love issue from the lips of corruption?-- True indeed, if the poison of debauchery should taint the soul as well as the body; if impurity and virtue were inconsistent, as a withered rose loses its perfume, then--
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Drama)
Citation
10 entries in ESTC (1792, 1793, 1795, 1797, 1799, 1800).

See The Robbers. A Tragedy. Translated from the German of Frederick Schiller. (London: Printed for G. G. J. & J. Robinsons, 1792). <Link to ESTC>
Theme
Dualism
Date of Entry
06/08/2005

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