"This Soil, in early Youth improv'd with Care, / The Seeds of gentle Science best will bear"
— Fenton, Elijah (1683-1730)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Bernard Lintot
Date
1717
Metaphor
"This Soil, in early Youth improv'd with Care, / The Seeds of gentle Science best will bear"
Metaphor in Context
These Instances, which true in Fact we find,
Apply we to the Culture of the Mind.
This Soil, in early Youth improv'd with Care,
The Seeds of gentle Science best will bear:
That, with more Particles of Flame inspir'd,
With glitt'ring Arms, and Thirst of Fame is fir'd:
Nothing of Greatness in a third will grow,
But, barren as it is, 'twill bear a Beau.
If these from Nature's genial Bent depart,
In Life's dull Farce to play a borrow'd Part;
Shou'd the Sage Dress, and flutter in the Mall,
Or leave his Problems for a Birth-Night Ball:
Shou'd the rough Homicide unsheath his Pen,
And in Heroics only, murther Men;
Shou'd the soft Fop forsake the Ladies Charms,
To face the Foe with inoffensive Arms;
Each wou'd Variety of Acts afford,
Fit for some new Cervantes to record
Apply we to the Culture of the Mind.
This Soil, in early Youth improv'd with Care,
The Seeds of gentle Science best will bear:
That, with more Particles of Flame inspir'd,
With glitt'ring Arms, and Thirst of Fame is fir'd:
Nothing of Greatness in a third will grow,
But, barren as it is, 'twill bear a Beau.
If these from Nature's genial Bent depart,
In Life's dull Farce to play a borrow'd Part;
Shou'd the Sage Dress, and flutter in the Mall,
Or leave his Problems for a Birth-Night Ball:
Shou'd the rough Homicide unsheath his Pen,
And in Heroics only, murther Men;
Shou'd the soft Fop forsake the Ladies Charms,
To face the Foe with inoffensive Arms;
Each wou'd Variety of Acts afford,
Fit for some new Cervantes to record
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
2 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1717, 1727, 1732, 1779).
Text from Poems on Several Occasions (London: Printed for Bernard Lintot between the Temple-Gates, 1717). <Link to ESTC>
Appears also in Miscellany Poems (1727, 1732)
Text from Poems on Several Occasions (London: Printed for Bernard Lintot between the Temple-Gates, 1717). <Link to ESTC>
Appears also in Miscellany Poems (1727, 1732)
Date of Entry
04/25/2006
