"[T]he Truth is, he ought to have been trusted with every Thing; for no Man could deserve better of a Wife; but this was a thing I knew not how to open to him, and yet having no Body to disclose any Part of it to, the Burthen was too heavy for my Mind."
— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
W. Chetwood and T. Edling
Date
1722
Metaphor
"[T]he Truth is, he ought to have been trusted with every Thing; for no Man could deserve better of a Wife; but this was a thing I knew not how to open to him, and yet having no Body to disclose any Part of it to, the Burthen was too heavy for my Mind."
Metaphor in Context
This Perplexity continu'd a great while, and made my Spouse very uneasy; for he thought I was not open with him, and did not let him into every Part of my Grievance; and he would often say, he wonder'd what he had done, that I would not trust him, whatever it was, especially if it was grievous and afflicting; the Truth is, he ought to have been trusted with every Thing; for no Man could deserve better of a Wife; but this was a thing I knew not how to open to him, and yet having no Body to disclose any Part of it to, the Burthen was too heavy for my Mind; for let them say what they please of our Sex not being able to keep a Secret; my Life is a plain Conviction to me of the Contrary; but be it our Sex, or the Men's Sex, a Secret of Moment should always have a Confident, a bosom Friend, to whom we may communicate the Joy of it, or the Grief of it, be it which it will, or it will be a double Weight upon the Spirits, and perhaps become even insupportable in it self; and this I appeal to Human Testimony for the Truth of.
(p. 345)
(p. 345)
Categories
Provenance
HDIS
Citation
At least 13 entries in the ESTC (1722, 1741, 1753, 1761, 1765, 1770, 1773, 1776, 1799). [Abridgments not included in foregoing list: see, for example, Fortune's Fickle Distribution]
Daniel Defoe, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, & c. Who was Born in Newgate, And during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Years a Whore, five Times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother) Twelve years a Thief, Eight Years a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums (London: W. Chetwood, at Cato's-Head in Russel-street, Covent Garden and T. Edling, at the Prince's-Arms, over against Exeter Change in the Strand, 1722).
Daniel Defoe, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, & c. Who was Born in Newgate, And during a Life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Years a Whore, five Times a Wife (whereof once to her own Brother) Twelve years a Thief, Eight Years a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums (London: W. Chetwood, at Cato's-Head in Russel-street, Covent Garden and T. Edling, at the Prince's-Arms, over against Exeter Change in the Strand, 1722).
Date of Entry
01/19/2004
