"My Soul is torn with a vain War of Passions."

— Hill, Aaron (1685-1750)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for L. Gilliver
Date
1731
Metaphor
"My Soul is torn with a vain War of Passions."
Metaphor in Context
Athelwold.
'Twill not be.--
My Soul is torn with a vain War of Passions:
Honour, and Shame, and Grief, and gen'rous Pity,
Desire perplex'd, and strong divided Will,
To doat forever on the Guilt I hate,
And shun the Worth that charms me!--Righteous Heaven!
Look down on Ethelinda! Revenge her Wrongs,
Do her that Justice, which in vain I wish her;
Curse this despairing Wretch, who cannot bless her,
And dart thy blastful Light'nings, on a Flame
No earthly Fire can conquer.--I am a Traitor;
A mean abandon'd Starter from my Faith;
A false forsworn Deceiver!--Give me thy Pity;
And, if thou can'st have Goodness so extreme,
Refuse me not thy Pardon.--But for Love!--
Alas! forget it.--Fly me,--hate me,--fear me,--
Oh! share not in the Misery I am doom'd to;
Join not thy Virtue to a Fate so curs'd,
So fall'n, beyond the Reach of lost Relief,
As the unhoping Athelwold's.
(pp. 59-60)
Categories
War
Provenance
ECCO-TCP
Citation
3 entries in the ESTC (1731, 1732, 1760).

Athelwold: a Tragedy. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by His Majesty's Servants. (London: Printed for L. Gilliver, 1731.) <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
08/21/2013

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