"Large is their Soul, and capable to take / The first Impression's Gain or Pleasure make"
— Oldisworth, William (1680-1734)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Bernard Lintott
Date
1710 [1719, 1729]
Metaphor
"Large is their Soul, and capable to take / The first Impression's Gain or Pleasure make"
Metaphor in Context
Fair Italy the wand'ring Youth invites,
A Country plac'd beyond the Alpine Heights,
Extended far: two neighb'ring Seas divide,
And interposing break the adverse Tide:
Here Rome, once Mistress of the World, the Seat
Of Godlike Men, divinely fair and great,
Totters and droops: no Footstep now remains
Of her first State, but Superstition reigns;
Her Sons, unmindful of their noble Race,
And Latian Blood, degenerate and base,
Sink in soft Pleasure, and inglorious Ease;
Whilst with Surprize and Wonder thou survey'st
The sacred Ruins and prodigious Waft:
And read'st its State and Glory in its Fall,
Let the fam'd Annals to thy Mind recal
The vast Idea of its former Pow'r,
Think on the Scipio's and their high Deserts:
Think on the Fabii fam'd for peaceful Arts:
And let the first and noblest Theme of Fame,
Julius, a mighty and immortal Name,
In lovely Scenes his Godlike Acts renew,
And open all his Triumphs to thy View:
How with victorious Arms he bravely tam'd
The proud Iberian Race, for Valour fam'd,
The swarthy African, and haughty Gaul,
And Envy, fatal Foe! more fear'd than all,
From far Iulus Race the Hero came,
Of whom he took his Nature and his Name.
Great was his Courage, nor his Candour less,
Dreadful in War, and merciful in Peace.
Fair Italy some Beauties still can boast,
The small Remains of all her Grandeur lost:
Tho' various Realms and States the Land divide,
Yet still the Men retain their former Pride,
Hardy and stout, instructed how to deal
In subtle Arts can cringe and wheedle well,
Assuming various Shapes in all excel:
Smooth are their Tongues, for soft persuasion made,
Their Wisdom in a thousand Form display'd:
Large is their Soul, and capable to take
The first Impression's Gain or Pleasure make:
Whate'er they wish, they seldom wish in vain,
But still persue and labour to attain:
Trouble, and Toil, and Pain, they gladly bear,
And when they hope, 'tis seldom they despair:
Frugal and close, confin'd to narrow Bounds,
They manage Fortune and correct her Frowns;
The happy Genius of Augustus reign,
Sometimes revives, and charms the World again:
The Muse revisits her once tuneful Race,
And mighty Phoebus all the God displays.
A Country plac'd beyond the Alpine Heights,
Extended far: two neighb'ring Seas divide,
And interposing break the adverse Tide:
Here Rome, once Mistress of the World, the Seat
Of Godlike Men, divinely fair and great,
Totters and droops: no Footstep now remains
Of her first State, but Superstition reigns;
Her Sons, unmindful of their noble Race,
And Latian Blood, degenerate and base,
Sink in soft Pleasure, and inglorious Ease;
Whilst with Surprize and Wonder thou survey'st
The sacred Ruins and prodigious Waft:
And read'st its State and Glory in its Fall,
Let the fam'd Annals to thy Mind recal
The vast Idea of its former Pow'r,
Think on the Scipio's and their high Deserts:
Think on the Fabii fam'd for peaceful Arts:
And let the first and noblest Theme of Fame,
Julius, a mighty and immortal Name,
In lovely Scenes his Godlike Acts renew,
And open all his Triumphs to thy View:
How with victorious Arms he bravely tam'd
The proud Iberian Race, for Valour fam'd,
The swarthy African, and haughty Gaul,
And Envy, fatal Foe! more fear'd than all,
From far Iulus Race the Hero came,
Of whom he took his Nature and his Name.
Great was his Courage, nor his Candour less,
Dreadful in War, and merciful in Peace.
Fair Italy some Beauties still can boast,
The small Remains of all her Grandeur lost:
Tho' various Realms and States the Land divide,
Yet still the Men retain their former Pride,
Hardy and stout, instructed how to deal
In subtle Arts can cringe and wheedle well,
Assuming various Shapes in all excel:
Smooth are their Tongues, for soft persuasion made,
Their Wisdom in a thousand Form display'd:
Large is their Soul, and capable to take
The first Impression's Gain or Pleasure make:
Whate'er they wish, they seldom wish in vain,
But still persue and labour to attain:
Trouble, and Toil, and Pain, they gladly bear,
And when they hope, 'tis seldom they despair:
Frugal and close, confin'd to narrow Bounds,
They manage Fortune and correct her Frowns;
The happy Genius of Augustus reign,
Sometimes revives, and charms the World again:
The Muse revisits her once tuneful Race,
And mighty Phoebus all the God displays.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "soul" and "impression" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Translated from the French of Claude Quillet. First published in Leiden (1655), followed by Latin version (London, 1708). Subsequent editions attribute translation to Oldisworth. Second edition, 1719; 3rd ed., 1729. Six entries in ESTC.
See Callipædia: or, The Art of Getting Pretty Children. In Four Books. Translated from the Original Latin of Claudius Quilletus. By Several Hands (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1710). <Link to ESTC><Link to 1710 edition in ECCO>
See Callipædia: or, The Art of Getting Pretty Children. In Four Books. Translated from the Original Latin of Claudius Quilletus. By Several Hands (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1710). <Link to ESTC><Link to 1710 edition in ECCO>
Date of Entry
05/17/2005
