Fancy may "fickle reign in Reason's Seat, / And Thy wild Empire, Anarchy, uphold"
— Blackmore, Sir Richard (1654-1729)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Jacob Tonson
Date
1703, 1718
Metaphor
Fancy may "fickle reign in Reason's Seat, / And Thy wild Empire, Anarchy, uphold"
Metaphor in Context
Whilst on the Earth such Darkness dwells,
Malicious Fiends forsake their hateful Cells,
Like rav'ning Wolves, or roaring Lions stray,
Hunt and devour by Night their Prey.
These Tyrants, as their Empire, did possess
This wide, unlightsome Wilderness,
And fierce infest th' unhappy Regions, grown
In Guilt and Blackness, like their own;
Should from the Earth the Sun conceal his Face,
What Terrors would invade this dismal Place?
Nature and Order would be soon depos'd,
And all their Subjects from Obedience loos'd;
Which their first Monarch Chaos would restore,
And prove the wild Assertors of his Pow'r:
Confusion, Misrule, Uproar, Chance,
His blind Adherents, would support
Their ancient Lord, and swift advance
To take their Stations in his lawless Court.
Since Guilt did first Admission find,
This is the fatal State of Humane Kind.
Passions Subjection to their Guide disown,
Insult their Soveraign, and subvert his Throne.
Fancy does fickle reign in Reason's Seat,
And Thy wild Empire, Anarchy, uphold,
Hostile Desires fierce Wars repeat,
By Turns victorious, and by Turns controul'd:
Which e'er prevails the Suff'ring is the same,
A Tyrant 'tis, tho' with a milder Name.
All that unhappy Man can hope to gain
Is various Servitude, and endless Change of Pain.
Malicious Fiends forsake their hateful Cells,
Like rav'ning Wolves, or roaring Lions stray,
Hunt and devour by Night their Prey.
These Tyrants, as their Empire, did possess
This wide, unlightsome Wilderness,
And fierce infest th' unhappy Regions, grown
In Guilt and Blackness, like their own;
Should from the Earth the Sun conceal his Face,
What Terrors would invade this dismal Place?
Nature and Order would be soon depos'd,
And all their Subjects from Obedience loos'd;
Which their first Monarch Chaos would restore,
And prove the wild Assertors of his Pow'r:
Confusion, Misrule, Uproar, Chance,
His blind Adherents, would support
Their ancient Lord, and swift advance
To take their Stations in his lawless Court.
Since Guilt did first Admission find,
This is the fatal State of Humane Kind.
Passions Subjection to their Guide disown,
Insult their Soveraign, and subvert his Throne.
Fancy does fickle reign in Reason's Seat,
And Thy wild Empire, Anarchy, uphold,
Hostile Desires fierce Wars repeat,
By Turns victorious, and by Turns controul'd:
Which e'er prevails the Suff'ring is the same,
A Tyrant 'tis, tho' with a milder Name.
All that unhappy Man can hope to gain
Is various Servitude, and endless Change of Pain.
Categories
Provenance
Found again searching HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
2 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1703, 1718).
See A Hymn to the Light of the World. With a Short Description of the Cartons of Raphael Urbin, in the Gallery at Hampton-Court. (London: Printed for Jacob Tonson within Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn Lane, 1703). <Link to ECCO>
Text from Richard Blackmore, A Collection of Poems on Various Subjects. By Sir Richard Blackmore. (Printed by W. Wilkins for Jonas Browne and J. Walthoe, 1718). <Link to ECCO>
See A Hymn to the Light of the World. With a Short Description of the Cartons of Raphael Urbin, in the Gallery at Hampton-Court. (London: Printed for Jacob Tonson within Grays-Inn Gate next Grays-Inn Lane, 1703). <Link to ECCO>
Text from Richard Blackmore, A Collection of Poems on Various Subjects. By Sir Richard Blackmore. (Printed by W. Wilkins for Jonas Browne and J. Walthoe, 1718). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
07/15/2004
