"What's all the noisy Jargon of the Schools, / But idle Nonsense of laborious Fools, / Who fetter Reason with perplexing Rules."
— Pomfret, John (1667-1702)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed and are to be sold by J. Nutt
Date
1700
Metaphor
"What's all the noisy Jargon of the Schools, / But idle Nonsense of laborious Fools, / Who fetter Reason with perplexing Rules."
Metaphor in Context
What's all the noisie Jargon of the Schools,
But Idle Nonsense of laborious Fools,
Who fetter Reason with perplexing Rules.
What in Aquinas bulky Works are found
Do's not enlighten Reason but Confound.
Who Travels Scotus swelling Tomes shall find
A Clowd of Darkness rising on the Mind.
In controverted Points can Reason sway;
When Passion or Conceit still hurries us away:
Thus his new Notions Sh---k wou'd Instill,
And clear the greatest Mysteries at Will.
But by unlucky Wit perplex'd them more,
And made them darker than they were before.
S---th soon oppos'd him out of Christian Zeal,
Shewing how well he cou'd Dispute and Rail:
How shall we e're discover which is Right,
When Both so eagerly maintain the Fight?
Each do's the other's Arguments deride,
Each ha's the Church and Scripture on his side.
The sharp ill-natur'd Combat's but a Jest,
Both may be VVrong, One perhaps Errs the least:
How shall we know which Articles are True,
The Old ones of the Church or B---t's New.
In Paths Uncertain, and Unsafe he Treads,
Who blindly follows other's fertile Heads.
What sure, what certain Mark have We to know,
The Right or VVrong 'twixt B---ss, W---ke and H---w.
(p. 6)
But Idle Nonsense of laborious Fools,
Who fetter Reason with perplexing Rules.
What in Aquinas bulky Works are found
Do's not enlighten Reason but Confound.
Who Travels Scotus swelling Tomes shall find
A Clowd of Darkness rising on the Mind.
In controverted Points can Reason sway;
When Passion or Conceit still hurries us away:
Thus his new Notions Sh---k wou'd Instill,
And clear the greatest Mysteries at Will.
But by unlucky Wit perplex'd them more,
And made them darker than they were before.
S---th soon oppos'd him out of Christian Zeal,
Shewing how well he cou'd Dispute and Rail:
How shall we e're discover which is Right,
When Both so eagerly maintain the Fight?
Each do's the other's Arguments deride,
Each ha's the Church and Scripture on his side.
The sharp ill-natur'd Combat's but a Jest,
Both may be VVrong, One perhaps Errs the least:
How shall we know which Articles are True,
The Old ones of the Church or B---t's New.
In Paths Uncertain, and Unsafe he Treads,
Who blindly follows other's fertile Heads.
What sure, what certain Mark have We to know,
The Right or VVrong 'twixt B---ss, W---ke and H---w.
(p. 6)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
At least 8 entries in ECCO and ESTC (1700, 1720, 1726, 1735, 1746, 1758, 1773, 1779, 1794).
John Pomfret, Reason: A Poem (London: J. Nutt, 1700). <Link to EEBO><Link to Google Books>
Poem originally discovered searching in HDIS (Poetry): see Poems upon Several Occasions. By the Reverend Mr. John Pomfret. The Sixth Edition, Corrected. With some Account Of his Life and Writings. To which are added, His Remains (London: Printed for D. Brown, J. Walthoe, A. Bettesworth, and E. Taylor, and J. Hooke [etc.], 1724). <Link to 8th edition in Google Books>
John Pomfret, Reason: A Poem (London: J. Nutt, 1700). <Link to EEBO><Link to Google Books>
Poem originally discovered searching in HDIS (Poetry): see Poems upon Several Occasions. By the Reverend Mr. John Pomfret. The Sixth Edition, Corrected. With some Account Of his Life and Writings. To which are added, His Remains (London: Printed for D. Brown, J. Walthoe, A. Bettesworth, and E. Taylor, and J. Hooke [etc.], 1724). <Link to 8th edition in Google Books>
Date of Entry
06/22/2004
Date of Review
05/26/2011
