"And all was conquer'd but the Patriot's Mind."
— Prior, Matthew (1664-1721)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Jacob Tonson
Date
1692
Metaphor
"And all was conquer'd but the Patriot's Mind."
Metaphor in Context
On its own Worth True Majesty is rear'd,
And Virtue is her own Reward,
With solid Beams and Native Glory bright,
She neither Darkness dreads, nor covets Light;
True to Her self, and fix'd to inborn Laws,
Nor sunk by Spite, nor lifted by Applause,
She from her settl'd Orb looks calmly down,
On Life or Death a Prison or a Crown.
When bound in double Chains poor Belgia lay,
To foreign Arms, and inward Strife a Prey,
Whilst One Good Man buoy'd up Her sinking State,
And Virtue labour'd against Fate;
When Fortune basely with Ambition join'd,
And all was conquer'd but the Patriot's Mind;
When Storms let loose, and raging Seas
Just ready the torn Vessel to o'erwhelm,
Forc'd not the faithful Pilot from his Helm;
Nor all the Syren Songs of future Peace,
And dazling Prospect of a promis'd Crown,
Cou'd lure his stubborn Virtue down;
But against Charms, and Threats, and Hell, He stood,
To that which was severely good;
Then, had no Trophies justify'd his Fame,
No Poet bless'd his Song with Nassau's Name,
Virtue alone did all that Honour bring,
And Heav'n as plainly pointed out the King,
As when he at the Altar stood,
In all his Types and Robes of Powr,
Whilst at his Feet Religious Britain bow'd,
And own'd him next to what we there Adore.
(ll. 130-165, pp. 118-9)
And Virtue is her own Reward,
With solid Beams and Native Glory bright,
She neither Darkness dreads, nor covets Light;
True to Her self, and fix'd to inborn Laws,
Nor sunk by Spite, nor lifted by Applause,
She from her settl'd Orb looks calmly down,
On Life or Death a Prison or a Crown.
When bound in double Chains poor Belgia lay,
To foreign Arms, and inward Strife a Prey,
Whilst One Good Man buoy'd up Her sinking State,
And Virtue labour'd against Fate;
When Fortune basely with Ambition join'd,
And all was conquer'd but the Patriot's Mind;
When Storms let loose, and raging Seas
Just ready the torn Vessel to o'erwhelm,
Forc'd not the faithful Pilot from his Helm;
Nor all the Syren Songs of future Peace,
And dazling Prospect of a promis'd Crown,
Cou'd lure his stubborn Virtue down;
But against Charms, and Threats, and Hell, He stood,
To that which was severely good;
Then, had no Trophies justify'd his Fame,
No Poet bless'd his Song with Nassau's Name,
Virtue alone did all that Honour bring,
And Heav'n as plainly pointed out the King,
As when he at the Altar stood,
In all his Types and Robes of Powr,
Whilst at his Feet Religious Britain bow'd,
And own'd him next to what we there Adore.
(ll. 130-165, pp. 118-9)
Categories
Provenance
HDIS; Found again searching "conque" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry) (2/6/2005)
Citation
Prior, Matthew, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, eds. H. Bunker Wright and Monroe K. Spears. 2 vols. Second Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971).
Date of Entry
01/05/2004
