A woman's "Reason [may be] Shipwrack'd upon her Passion, and the Hulk of her Understanding lies thumping against the Rock of her Fury"
— Vanbrugh, Sir John (1664-1726)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Jacob Tonson
Date
1706
Metaphor
A woman's "Reason [may be] Shipwrack'd upon her Passion, and the Hulk of her Understanding lies thumping against the Rock of her Fury"
Metaphor in Context
SANCHO
Now with Submission to my Betters, I have another way, Sir; I'll drive my Tyrant from my Heart, and place my self in her Throne. Yes: I will be Lord of my own Tenement, and keep my Houshold in Order. Wou'd you wou'd do so too, Master; for look you, I have been Servitor in a Colledge at Salamancho, and read Philosophy with the Doctors; where I found that a Woman in all Times has been observ'd to be an Animal hard to understand, and much inclin'd to Mischief. Now, as an Animal is always an Animal, and a Captain always a Captain, so a Woman is always a Woman: Whence it is that a certain Greek says, Her Head is like a Bank of Sand; or as another, A solid Rock; or according to a Third, A Dark Lanthon. Pray Sir, observe; for this is close Reasoning; and so, as the Head is the Head of the Body; and that the Body without a Head, is like a Head without a Tail; and that where there is neither Head nor Tail 'tis a very strange Body: So I say a Woman is by Comparison; do you see; (for nothing explains things like Comparisons) I say by Comparison, as Aristotle has often said before me, one may compare her to the raging Sea; for as the Sea, when the Wind rises, knits its Brows like an angry Bull, and that Waves mount upon Rocks, and Rocks mount upon Waves; that Porpusses leap like Trouts, and Whales skip about like Gudgeons; that Ships rowl like Beer-Barrels, and Marriners pray like Saints; just so I say a Woman--A Woman, I say, just so, when her Reason is Shipwrack'd upon her Passion, and the Hulk of her Understanding lies thumping against the Rock of her Fury; then it is I say, that by certain Immotions, whic. --um --cause, as one may suppose, a sort of Convulsive--yes --Hurricanious--um--Like in short; a Woman, is like the Devil, Sir.
Now with Submission to my Betters, I have another way, Sir; I'll drive my Tyrant from my Heart, and place my self in her Throne. Yes: I will be Lord of my own Tenement, and keep my Houshold in Order. Wou'd you wou'd do so too, Master; for look you, I have been Servitor in a Colledge at Salamancho, and read Philosophy with the Doctors; where I found that a Woman in all Times has been observ'd to be an Animal hard to understand, and much inclin'd to Mischief. Now, as an Animal is always an Animal, and a Captain always a Captain, so a Woman is always a Woman: Whence it is that a certain Greek says, Her Head is like a Bank of Sand; or as another, A solid Rock; or according to a Third, A Dark Lanthon. Pray Sir, observe; for this is close Reasoning; and so, as the Head is the Head of the Body; and that the Body without a Head, is like a Head without a Tail; and that where there is neither Head nor Tail 'tis a very strange Body: So I say a Woman is by Comparison; do you see; (for nothing explains things like Comparisons) I say by Comparison, as Aristotle has often said before me, one may compare her to the raging Sea; for as the Sea, when the Wind rises, knits its Brows like an angry Bull, and that Waves mount upon Rocks, and Rocks mount upon Waves; that Porpusses leap like Trouts, and Whales skip about like Gudgeons; that Ships rowl like Beer-Barrels, and Marriners pray like Saints; just so I say a Woman--A Woman, I say, just so, when her Reason is Shipwrack'd upon her Passion, and the Hulk of her Understanding lies thumping against the Rock of her Fury; then it is I say, that by certain Immotions, whic. --um --cause, as one may suppose, a sort of Convulsive--yes --Hurricanious--um--Like in short; a Woman, is like the Devil, Sir.
Categories
Provenance
HDIS
Citation
At least 14 entries in the ESTC (1706, 1726, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1756, 1766, 1769, 1778, 1795, 1796).
Sir John Van Brugh, The Mistake. A Comedy. As it is acted at the Queen's Theatre in the Hay-Market. By Her Majesty's Sworn Servants. By the Author of The Provok'd Wife, &c. (London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1706)
Sir John Van Brugh, The Mistake. A Comedy. As it is acted at the Queen's Theatre in the Hay-Market. By Her Majesty's Sworn Servants. By the Author of The Provok'd Wife, &c. (London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1706)
Date of Entry
08/07/2004
