"Mankind's the same to Beasts and Fouls / That Devils are to Humane Soules, / Who therefor, when like Fiends th' appeare, / Avoyd and Fly with equal feare."

— Butler, Samuel (1613-1680)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
J. and R. Tonson
Date
1759
Metaphor
"Mankind's the same to Beasts and Fouls / That Devils are to Humane Soules, / Who therefor, when like Fiends th' appeare, / Avoyd and Fly with equal feare."
Metaphor in Context
Mankind's the same to Beasts and Fouls
That Devils are to Humane Soules,
Who therefor, when like Fiends th' appeare,
Avoyd and Fly with equal feare;
And to be tempted or to be tam'd
Is but to be betrayd or Damnd;

While Both have but one Reason for't,
Their own Advantages or Sport.
Provenance
Searching "soul" and "beast" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Text from Satires and Miscellaneous Poetry and Prose, ed. René Lamar (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1928).

See "Miscellaneous Thoughts" in vol. I of The Genuine Remains in Verse and Prose of Mr. Samuel Butler (London: J. and R. Tonson, 1759). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
07/02/2012

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