"A Hypochondriack Preacher, would, I am sensible, be an anomalous character; for whatever part of his sermon should appear not quite intelligible, or at all unpleasant to his auditors, they might very fairly, though perhaps not very justly impute to the gloomy disease of his mind."

— Boswell, James (1740-1795)


Date
April, 1778
Metaphor
"A Hypochondriack Preacher, would, I am sensible, be an anomalous character; for whatever part of his sermon should appear not quite intelligible, or at all unpleasant to his auditors, they might very fairly, though perhaps not very justly impute to the gloomy disease of his mind."
Metaphor in Context
A Hypochondriack Preacher, would, I am sensible, be an anomalous character; for whatever part of his sermon should appear not quite intelligible, or at all unpleasant to his auditors, they might very fairly, though perhaps not very justly impute to the gloomy disease of his mind. I must therefore guard against too much seriousness at one time, least my readers should contract any degree of aversion to me as a dreary teacher, when my sincere wish is, and I pretend to nothing higher, only to be their companion and friend. [...]
(I, pp. 153-4 in SUP edition)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
The Hypochondriack, No. 7 (April, 1778). From The London Magazine, or Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer.

See also James Boswell, The Hypochondriack, ed. Margery Bailey, 2 vols. (Stanford UP, 1928)
Date of Entry
07/09/2013

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