"This forager on others' wisdom, leaves / Her native farm, her reason, quite untill'd."
— Young, Edward (bap. 1683, d. 1765)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
R. Dodsley
Date
1743
Metaphor
"This forager on others' wisdom, leaves / Her native farm, her reason, quite untill'd."
Metaphor in Context
If wisdom is our lesson, (and what else
Ennobles man? what else have angels learnt?)
Grief, more proficients in thy school are made
Than Genius, or proud Learning, e'er could boast.
Voracious Learning, often over-fed,
Digests not into sense her motley meal.
This Book-case, with dark booty almost burst,
This forager on others' wisdom, leaves
Her native farm, her reason, quite untill'd.
With mix'd manure she surfeits the rank soil,
Dung'd, but not dress'd, and rich to beggary.
A pomp untameable of weeds prevails.
Her servant's wealth encumber'd Wisdom mourns.
(ll. 251-263, p. 123 in CUP edition)
Ennobles man? what else have angels learnt?)
Grief, more proficients in thy school are made
Than Genius, or proud Learning, e'er could boast.
Voracious Learning, often over-fed,
Digests not into sense her motley meal.
This Book-case, with dark booty almost burst,
This forager on others' wisdom, leaves
Her native farm, her reason, quite untill'd.
With mix'd manure she surfeits the rank soil,
Dung'd, but not dress'd, and rich to beggary.
A pomp untameable of weeds prevails.
Her servant's wealth encumber'd Wisdom mourns.
(ll. 251-263, p. 123 in CUP edition)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Uniform title published in 9 volumes, from 1742 to 1745. At least 133 reprintings after 1745 in ESTC (1747, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1760, 1761, 1762, 1764, 1765, 1766, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1800).
See The Complaint. Or, Night-Thoughts on Life Death, & Immortality. Night the Fifth. (London: R. Dodsley, 1743). <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Complete Works, Poetry and Prose, of the Rev. Edward Young, LL.D., 2 vols. (London: William Tegg, 1854). <Link to Google Books>
Reading Edward Young, Night Thoughts, ed. Stephen Cornford (New York: Cambridge UP, 1989).
See The Complaint. Or, Night-Thoughts on Life Death, & Immortality. Night the Fifth. (London: R. Dodsley, 1743). <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Complete Works, Poetry and Prose, of the Rev. Edward Young, LL.D., 2 vols. (London: William Tegg, 1854). <Link to Google Books>
Reading Edward Young, Night Thoughts, ed. Stephen Cornford (New York: Cambridge UP, 1989).
Date of Entry
06/10/2013
