"I was nothing but all Flame and Fire, and the red-hot Thoughts glared about my Brains at such a rate, and if visible, wou'd, I fancy, have made just such a dreadful Appearance as the Window of a Glass-house discovers in a dark Night--viz. a parcel of stragling fiery Globes marching about and hizzing, appearing and vanishing high and low, transverse, and every where--which at length in a few days blew up my Head like a Bottle, and I had a Fire as uninterrupted, and I think as hot as that we talk of, rolling all over me, boiling my very Bowels into Tripes, and frying my poor Heart in its own Water, till I fancy it looked like the broyl'd Soul of a Goose, or a piece of Cheese tosted over the Candle."

— Dunton, John (1659-1732)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Richard Newcome
Date
1691
Metaphor
"I was nothing but all Flame and Fire, and the red-hot Thoughts glared about my Brains at such a rate, and if visible, wou'd, I fancy, have made just such a dreadful Appearance as the Window of a Glass-house discovers in a dark Night--viz. a parcel of stragling fiery Globes marching about and hizzing, appearing and vanishing high and low, transverse, and every where--which at length in a few days blew up my Head like a Bottle, and I had a Fire as uninterrupted, and I think as hot as that we talk of, rolling all over me, boiling my very Bowels into Tripes, and frying my poor Heart in its own Water, till I fancy it looked like the broyl'd Soul of a Goose, or a piece of Cheese tosted over the Candle."
Metaphor in Context
Instead of those sage and grave Notions that used to fill my Head, 'twas cramm'd top full of Whimseys and Whirligigs, by the vehement agitation of my distemper'd Fancy, as ever a Carkase-shell with Instruments of Death and Murder. I was nothing but all Flame and Fire, and the red-hot Thoughts glared about my Brains at such a rate, and if visible, wou'd, I fancy, have made just such a dreadful Appearance as the Window of a Glass-house discovers in a dark Night--viz. a parcel of stragling fiery Globes marching about and hizzing, appearing and vanishing high and low, transverse, and every where--which at length in a few days blew up my Head like a Bottle, and I had a Fire as uninterrupted, and I think as hot as that we talk of, rolling all over me, boiling my very Bowels into Tripes, and frying my poor Heart in its own Water, till I fancy it looked like the broyl'd Soul of a Goose, or a piece of Cheese tosted over the Candle. When poor Evander drunk, as my Nurse knows that was not often, 'twas like the slaking of Iron in Water, or rather the Taylor's spitting upon his Goose, where the little drops of moisture only stink and sputter, and fly off agen; and I can hardly perswade my self but if any Virtuoso had out of curiosity listen'd at my Back-Door, they might have easily heard the small Beer and Posset-drink hizz within me, as it came down into my Bowels.
(II, pp. 42-3)
Provenance
C-H Lion
Citation
John Dunton, A Voyage Round the World: or, a Pocket-Library, Divided into several Volumes. The First of which contains the Rare Adventures of Don Kainophilus, From his Cradle to his 15th. Year. The like Discoveries in such a Method never made by any Rambler before. The whole Work intermixt with Essays, Historical, Moral and Divine; and all other kinds of Learning. Done into English by a Lover of Travels. Recommended by the Wits of both Universities. 3 vols. (London: Printed for Richard Newcome, 1691). <Link to EEBO-TCP>
Date of Entry
06/19/2013

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