work_id,theme,provenance,created_at,text,reviewed_on,id,comments,metaphor,dictionary,updated_at,context
6163,"","Searching ""reason"" and ""lamp"" in HDIS (Poetry)",2006-01-20 00:00:00 UTC,"Not left to wander long thro' dubious ways,
By natural Reason's glimmering rays;
Or, poring round, by philosophic spark,
Whose beams still dropp'd him, blundering in the dark.
He, happy Peasant! soon perceiv'd such light,
As chas'd the chearless gloom of Nature's Night!
A Light that led thro' pages Heav'n inspir'd,
By all Believers lov'd, by Saints admir'd!
Whose Truths his mental strength intensely stirr'd,
And show'd their shallow systems all absurd;
While God's pure Grace thro' his rapt Spirit spread,
Warm'd his dull heart, and wak'd his dreaming head--
Infus'd fresh bliss beyond all pow'rs of Speech,
All rarest Prose, and Poesy, can reach!
Yet, tho' blest Love of God, on wing sublime,
Surpass'd the scanty bounds of Sense and Time--
Reveal'd such rapturous bursts of heavenly bliss,
As forc'd the Soul to loath a Scene like this;
And long, like Peter, on bright Tabor's hill,
Wish'd such clear visions might continue, still!
But Man, incarnate Man! ne'er doom'd to rest,
In such beatitudes, among the Blest,
Till quitting time, and vile corporeal clay,
He finds fix'd residence in endless day!
But this blest Book of Heav'n was ne'er design'd,
To set aside Man's energies of Mind;
Nor, while its light dispels each dreary doubt,
To put the heavenly lamp of Reason out,
But trim, and feed it, that its friendly aids,
May shape his track thro' Time's untrodden shades--
Point out his path thro' many a puzzling maze,
Where Revelation's light ne'er pours its blaze--
For Heav'n lights up its feebler beams, to show
Best use of objects in this Life below--
Objects far less important, and sublime,
That simply appertain to Sense and Time;
While by that pure effulgence, Man enjoys
That boundless bliss, in part, which Heav'n supplies!",,16315,"","""Nor, while its light dispels each dreary doubt, / To put the heavenly lamp of Reason out, / But trim, and feed it, that its friendly aids, / May shape his track thro' Time's untrodden shades""","",2009-09-14 19:46:29 UTC,""
6163,"","Searching ""reason"" and ""lamp"" in HDIS (Poetry)",2006-01-20 00:00:00 UTC,"Shall Christians, now, with Priests' proud claims comply,
And countenance King's crimes, of devilish dye?
Religion's liberties, and dues, disgrace,
And throw back Freedom in their Maker's face!
The common Sense of faithful Christians flout,
And puff Heav'n-lighted lamps of Reason, out!
Rather than thus be duped by despot Men,
Let Smithfield's gorey region smoke agen.
Forbid it, Heav'n! that christian Brethren, now,
Should to a Tyrant stoop--a Bigot bow!
That Friends, or Governors, like Fiends, should reign,
And Christians ne'er encounter? ne'er complain?
While all despotic Tyrants, copying them,
Push their worst Codes to punish or Condemn;
Till, Christian Order, into Chaos hurl'd,
Hell makes a prey of all the apostate World!",,16316,"","""The common Sense of faithful Christians flout, / And puff Heav'n-lighted lamps of Reason, out!""","",2009-09-14 19:46:29 UTC,""
6163,"","Searching ""reason"" and ""lamp"" in HDIS (Poetry)",2006-01-20 00:00:00 UTC,"Could human Nature at such claims connive
With smallest spark of Spirit left alive?
Could Understanding truckle, mute, and tame,
Nor puff that spark, and raise a fervid flame?
See Tyranny all Virtue's Laws invert
And Justice, Faith, and Honour, feel unhurt?
Could Sensibility still hold her breath
While Despot pinch'd poor Innocence to death?
Could Judgment in her seat supinely sit,
And solemnly conclude such conduct fit?
Should Reason trim her lamp of heavenly light,
To show such shameless, rash, example right;
Or Honesty--Truth--Honour--hold their peace,
Nor dare thro' dread of wrath in silence cease.
No! Truth would interpose her upright plea,
Unaw'd by Wealth--or Pow'r--or Pedigree!
And right Ambition rouz'd that Son of Song,
To see, and say, such abject act was wrong.",,16317,"","""Should Reason trim her lamp of heavenly light, / To show such shameless, rash, example right""?","",2009-09-14 19:46:29 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching HDIS (Poetry),2006-01-25 00:00:00 UTC,"Confined, in silence, he conferr'd alone
With Understanding, on his mental Throne,
Amidst Imagination's throngs of thought,
And fairy broods by procreant Fancy brought;
Reason, at his right hand, her place maintain'd,
And all her faithful groups full audience gain'd,
Whose clearest arguments would recommend
Religion's Advocate, and Virtue's Friend;
While Judgment sat and heard each honest plea,
And fix'd each Verdict with his firm Decree.",,16319,"","""Confined, in silence, he conferr'd alone / With Understanding, on his mental Throne""","",2009-09-14 19:46:30 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching HDIS (Poetry),2006-01-25 00:00:00 UTC,"Confined, in silence, he conferr'd alone
With Understanding, on his mental Throne,
Amidst Imagination's throngs of thought,
And fairy broods by procreant Fancy brought;
Reason, at his right hand, her place maintain'd,
And all her faithful groups full audience gain'd,
Whose clearest arguments would recommend
Religion's Advocate, and Virtue's Friend;
While Judgment sat and heard each honest plea,
And fix'd each Verdict with his firm Decree.",,16320,"","One may confer alone, ""Amidst Imagination's throngs of thought, / And fairy broods by procreant Fancy brought;""",Inhabitants,2009-09-14 19:46:30 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching HDIS (Poetry),2006-01-25 00:00:00 UTC,"Confined, in silence, he conferr'd alone
With Understanding, on his mental Throne,
Amidst Imagination's throngs of thought,
And fairy broods by procreant Fancy brought;
Reason, at his right hand, her place maintain'd,
And all her faithful groups full audience gain'd,
Whose clearest arguments would recommend
Religion's Advocate, and Virtue's Friend;
While Judgment sat and heard each honest plea,
And fix'd each Verdict with his firm Decree.",,16321,"","""Reason, at his right hand, her place maintain'd, / And all her faithful groups full audience gain'd""","",2009-09-14 19:46:30 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching HDIS (Poetry),2006-01-25 00:00:00 UTC,"Confined, in silence, he conferr'd alone
With Understanding, on his mental Throne,
Amidst Imagination's throngs of thought,
And fairy broods by procreant Fancy brought;
Reason, at his right hand, her place maintain'd,
And all her faithful groups full audience gain'd,
Whose clearest arguments would recommend
Religion's Advocate, and Virtue's Friend;
While Judgment sat and heard each honest plea,
And fix'd each Verdict with his firm Decree.",,16322,"•Should, perhaps, search ""verdict.""",""" Judgment sat and heard each honest plea, / And fix'd each Verdict with his firm Decree""",Court,2009-09-14 19:46:30 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching in HDIS (Poetry),2006-03-08 00:00:00 UTC,"Such were the Arts, and Sciences, enjoin'd
To be most press'd upon his Pupil's Mind;
To make him complaisant, or pert, and proud,
To shine in Courts, or senatorial Crowd;
Or, with the sails of Fancy, all unfurl'd,
Run his wild Course amidst a carnal World.
His Pupil's Lessons, neither wise nor nice,
Increas'd his knowledge in the schools of Vice,
And often to the haunts of Folly flew,
To put in practice those base Arts he knew.
",,16325,"","One may ""with the sails of Fancy, all unfurl'd, / Run his wild Course amidst a carnal World""","",2009-09-14 19:46:31 UTC,""
6163,"",Searching in HDIS (Poetry),2006-04-18 00:00:00 UTC,"Eyes let in light, like lenses, to the Mind--
Shew turbid streams of thought, or rills refin'd--
Disclose the Soul's dark spots, and wrinkles, through--
What tends to benefit, and what undo--
And, as the fellow Spirit spies the stains,
Forbears to rivet on Affection's chains;
Still, judging by celestial Reason's laws;
From threatening dangers all desires withdraws:
As timid Snails their eyes and horns protrude,
To seek a Consort, or to feel for food,
And, when some adverse object hope repels,
Draw them both back, and shut them in their shells,
But when they trace, in slow, and cautious, course,
No strong obstruction, no repelling force,
Still, with strict wariness their path pursue,
For nourishment, and mates, to search, anew:
So prying Wisdom, with her piercing pow'r,
Observes where Virtues laugh, or Vices low'r,
What objects hurt, or happiness portend,
Whether they mark a Foe, or meet a Friend.",,16326,"","""Eyes let in light, like lenses, to the Mind--""","",2009-09-14 19:46:31 UTC,""
6163,Mind's Eye,"Searching ""mind"" and ""eye"" in HDIS (Poetry)",2006-04-18 00:00:00 UTC,"No mind can weigh, or measure, Fellow-Elf,
By any standard but frail, sinful, Self!
And as its pure, or impure, views, prevail,
Will frame the measure or will poise the scale--
Will, when it feels pure philanthropic fire,
Make others heavier, and their standard high'r;
While Knaves will take off weight, or twist each Wight,
Till, like themselves, quite crooked--base--or light--
For every Parent, thro' all Nature, known,
Gives hues, and shapes, to Offsprings, like its own;
And every Object still appears to view
Like the stain'd Medium Mind's thrall'd eye looks through.
",,16327,"","""And every Object still appears to view / Like the stain'd Medium Mind's thrall'd eye looks through.""",Eye,2009-09-14 19:46:31 UTC,""