"Can Pains and Prisons Errour's Force controul, / And the chain'd Body loose the fetter'd Soul?"
— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by W. Botham, for James Knapton
Date
1723
Metaphor
"Can Pains and Prisons Errour's Force controul, / And the chain'd Body loose the fetter'd Soul?"
Metaphor in Context
He said--And now the Prince Ardilla asks
For what black Crimes to these laborious Tasks
Those Wretches were condemn'd--The Lord reply'd,
These Men by Halla's equal Judges try'd,
Some Thieves and Robbers were, some Houses fir'd,
Some, a Ship's Crew, against their Chief conspir'd.
These stung with Envy and immortal Hate,
Defam'd and blacken'd Councellours of State,
Nor spar'd the indulgent King himself; and those
Held trait'rous Commerce with Tunisia's Foes:
Some with seditious Lyes the Realm inflam'd,
Poison'd the People, and at Uproar aim'd.
For various Crimes of this enormous Kind,
The Slaves you see to Hardships are confin'd.
But Court Resentment, arbitrary Will,
And State Caprice these Galleys never fill.
For none till heard and try'd, and not before
Their Guilt is prov'd, in Fetters ply the Oar.
No erring Sect, who our great Prophet's Laws
Expound amiss, are for Religion's Cause,
If in the State they no Dissention breed,
Taught in the Galleys to reform their Creed.
Our Prince ne'er Arms one favour'd Sect to make
Others their Victims for Opinion's Sake:
Nor does he Christians banish or destroy,
But they religious Liberty enjoy,
While to the Laws they due Obedience show,
No Faction feed, nor Seeds of Discord sow.
We never Threats or Pow'r compulsive use
Belief and Truth celestial to infuse.
Can Pains and Prisons Errour's Force controul,
And the chain'd Body loose the fetter'd Soul?
In vain the Slave, to set his Notions right,
Is doom'd to delve in Mines and dig for Light.
In vain Sectarians for Instruction lye
Stretch'd on the Wheel, where Malefactors dye.
For what black Crimes to these laborious Tasks
Those Wretches were condemn'd--The Lord reply'd,
These Men by Halla's equal Judges try'd,
Some Thieves and Robbers were, some Houses fir'd,
Some, a Ship's Crew, against their Chief conspir'd.
These stung with Envy and immortal Hate,
Defam'd and blacken'd Councellours of State,
Nor spar'd the indulgent King himself; and those
Held trait'rous Commerce with Tunisia's Foes:
Some with seditious Lyes the Realm inflam'd,
Poison'd the People, and at Uproar aim'd.
For various Crimes of this enormous Kind,
The Slaves you see to Hardships are confin'd.
But Court Resentment, arbitrary Will,
And State Caprice these Galleys never fill.
For none till heard and try'd, and not before
Their Guilt is prov'd, in Fetters ply the Oar.
No erring Sect, who our great Prophet's Laws
Expound amiss, are for Religion's Cause,
If in the State they no Dissention breed,
Taught in the Galleys to reform their Creed.
Our Prince ne'er Arms one favour'd Sect to make
Others their Victims for Opinion's Sake:
Nor does he Christians banish or destroy,
But they religious Liberty enjoy,
While to the Laws they due Obedience show,
No Faction feed, nor Seeds of Discord sow.
We never Threats or Pow'r compulsive use
Belief and Truth celestial to infuse.
Can Pains and Prisons Errour's Force controul,
And the chain'd Body loose the fetter'd Soul?
In vain the Slave, to set his Notions right,
Is doom'd to delve in Mines and dig for Light.
In vain Sectarians for Instruction lye
Stretch'd on the Wheel, where Malefactors dye.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "chain" and "soul" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1723).
Richard Blackmore, Alfred. An Epick Poem. In Twelve Books (London: Printed by W. Botham, for James Knapton, 1723). <Link to ECCO><Link to LION>
Richard Blackmore, Alfred. An Epick Poem. In Twelve Books (London: Printed by W. Botham, for James Knapton, 1723). <Link to ECCO><Link to LION>
Date of Entry
01/11/2012
