"Whilst in his Breast the Fury breath'd a Storm, / Then sought her Cell, and reassum'd her Form, / Thus from the Sore altho' the Insect flies, / It leaves a brood of Maggots in disguise."

— Garth, Samuel (1660/61-1719)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed and Sold by John Nutt
Date
1699
Metaphor
"Whilst in his Breast the Fury breath'd a Storm, / Then sought her Cell, and reassum'd her Form, / Thus from the Sore altho' the Insect flies, / It leaves a brood of Maggots in disguise."
Metaphor in Context
At this, fam'd Horoscope turn'd pale, and straight
In silence tumbl'd from his Chair of State.
The Crowd in great Confusion sought the Door,
And left the Magus fainting on the Floor.
Whilst in his Breast the Fury breath'd a Storm,
Then sought her Cell, and reassum'd her Form,
Thus from the Sore altho' the Insect flies,
It leaves a brood of Maggots in disguise.

Officious Squirt in haste forsook the Shop,
To succour the expiring Horoscope.
Oft he essay'd the Magus to restore,
By Salt of Succinum's prevailing pow'r;
But still supine the solid Lumber lay,
An Image of scarce animated Clay;
Till Fates, indulgent when Disasters call,
Bethought th' Assistant of a Urinal;
Whose Steam the Wight no sooner did receive,
But rowz'd, and blest the Stale Restorative.
The Springs of Life their former Vigour feel,
Such Zeal he had for that vile Utensil.
(Canto II, pp. 23-24)
Provenance
Reading; EEBO-TCP
Citation
At least 22 entries in ESTC (1699, 1700, 1703, 1706, 1709, 1714, 1718, 1725, 1726, 1730, 1741, 1750, 1768). A popular poem: three editions appear in 1699, a fourth in 1700, ten editions by 1741.

Text from The Dispensary; A Poem (London: John Nutt, 1699). <Link to ESTC><Link to EEBO><Link to EEBO-TCP>

See also Samuel Garth, The Dispensary. A Poem. In Six Cantos, 7th edition (London: Jacob Tonson, 1714). <Link to Google Books>

Date of Entry
07/18/2012

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