"Who then wou'd court the Pomp of guilty Power, / When the Mind sickens at the weary Shew, / And flies to temporary Death for Ease."
— Steele, Sir Richard (1672-1729)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Bernard Lintott [etc.]
Date
1704
Metaphor
"Who then wou'd court the Pomp of guilty Power, / When the Mind sickens at the weary Shew, / And flies to temporary Death for Ease."
Metaphor in Context
LAT.
How quietly he rests! Oh that I could by watching him, hanging thus over him, and feeling all his Care, protract his Sleep!
Oh sleep! thou sweetest Gift of Heav'n to Man,
Still in thy downy Arms embrace my Friend,
Nor loose him from his inexistent Trance
To sense of Yesterday, and pain of Being;
In thee Oppressors sooth their angry Brow,
In thee th' oppress'd forget tyrannick Pow'r,
In thee--
The Wretch condemn'd is equal to his Judge,
And the sad Lover to his cruel Fair;
Nay, all the shining Glories Men pursue,
When thou art wanted, are but empty Noise;
Who then wou'd court the Pomp of guilty Power,
When the Mind sickens at the weary Shew,
And flies to temporary Death for Ease;
When half our Life's Cessation of our Being--
He wakes--
How do I pity that returning Life,
Which I cou'd hazard thousand Lives to save!
(V.v)
How quietly he rests! Oh that I could by watching him, hanging thus over him, and feeling all his Care, protract his Sleep!
Oh sleep! thou sweetest Gift of Heav'n to Man,
Still in thy downy Arms embrace my Friend,
Nor loose him from his inexistent Trance
To sense of Yesterday, and pain of Being;
In thee Oppressors sooth their angry Brow,
In thee th' oppress'd forget tyrannick Pow'r,
In thee--
The Wretch condemn'd is equal to his Judge,
And the sad Lover to his cruel Fair;
Nay, all the shining Glories Men pursue,
When thou art wanted, are but empty Noise;
Who then wou'd court the Pomp of guilty Power,
When the Mind sickens at the weary Shew,
And flies to temporary Death for Ease;
When half our Life's Cessation of our Being--
He wakes--
How do I pity that returning Life,
Which I cou'd hazard thousand Lives to save!
(V.v)
Categories
Provenance
Searching HDIS
Date of Entry
10/13/2004
