"I say, I see it was so evenly carried without Prejudice, (whether it were a true Accusation of the one part, or a Practice of a false Accusation on the other) as shewed plainly that his majesty's Judgment was tanquam tabula rasa, as a clean Pair of tables, and his Ear tanquam janua aperta, as a Gate not side open but wide open to Truth, as it should be by little and little discovered."
— Holles, John, Earl of Clare (ca. 1565-1637)
Place of Publication
London
Date
1737
Metaphor
"I say, I see it was so evenly carried without Prejudice, (whether it were a true Accusation of the one part, or a Practice of a false Accusation on the other) as shewed plainly that his majesty's Judgment was tanquam tabula rasa, as a clean Pair of tables, and his Ear tanquam janua aperta, as a Gate not side open but wide open to Truth, as it should be by little and little discovered."
Metaphor in Context
And it was the more to be respected in this Case, because it met with two great Persons; a Nobleman that his Majesty had favoured and advanced, and his Lady being of a great and honourable House; though I think it be true, that the Writers say, that there is no Pomegranate so fair or so so found, but may have a perished Kernel. Nay, I see so plainly, that in those excellent Papers of his Majesty's own Handwriting, being as so many Beams of Justice issuing from that Virtue which doth shine in him; I say, I see it was so evenly carried without Prejudice, (whether it were a true Accusation of the one part, or a Practice of a false Accusation on the other) as shewed plainly that his majesty's Judgment was tanquam tabula rasa, as a clean Pair of tables, and his Ear tanquam janua aperta, as a Gate not side open but wide open to Truth, as it should be by little and little discovered. Nay, I see plainly that, at the first (till farther Light did break forth) his Majesty was little moved with the first tale, which he vouchsafeth not so much as the Name of a Tale; but calleth it a Rumour, which is an headless Tale.
(p. 6)
(p. 6)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "tabula rasa" in ECCO
Citation
Holles, John, Earl of Clare. The proceedings against Sir John Hollis, Sir John Wentworth, and Mr. Lumsden, in the Star-Chamber, for traducing the publick justice, Nov. 10, 13 Jac. I. [London?], 1737. Based on information from English Short Title Catalogue. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/ECCO
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Theme
Blank Slate
Date of Entry
10/09/2006
