"And, as the Exercise, I would perswade, will help to keep us from Idleness, so will it, to preserve us from harbouring evil Thoughts, which there is no such way to keep out of the Soul, as to keep her taken up with good ones; as Husbandmen, to rid a piece of rank Land of Weeds, do often find it as effectual a Course to sow it with good Seed, as to cut them down, or burn them up."

— Boyle, Robert (1627-1691)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by W. Wilson for Henry Herringman
Date
1665
Metaphor
"And, as the Exercise, I would perswade, will help to keep us from Idleness, so will it, to preserve us from harbouring evil Thoughts, which there is no such way to keep out of the Soul, as to keep her taken up with good ones; as Husbandmen, to rid a piece of rank Land of Weeds, do often find it as effectual a Course to sow it with good Seed, as to cut them down, or burn them up."
Metaphor in Context
And, as the Exercise, I would perswade, will help to keep us from Idleness, so will it, to preserve us from harbouring evil Thoughts, which there is no such way to keep out of the Soul, as to keep her taken up with good ones; as Husbandmen, to rid a piece of rank Land of Weeds, do often find it as effectual a Course to sow it with good Seed, as to cut them down, or burn them up. And indeed, the Thoughts of many a Person, are oftentimes so active, and restless, that something or other they must, and will perpetually be doing; and like unruly Souldiers, if you have not a care to employ them well, they will employ themselves ill.
(p. 6)
Provenance
Reading
Citation
2 entries in ESTC (1665, 1669).

Occasional Reflections Upon Several Subjects, Whereto Is Premis'd a Discourse About Such Kind of Thoughts.(London: Printed by W. Wilson for Henry Herringman, 1665). <Link to ESTC><Link to EEBO-TCP>
Date of Entry
07/28/2014

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