"Thus when the villain crams his chest, / Gold is the canker of the breast"
— Gay, John (1685-1732)
Author
Work Title
Date
1727
Metaphor
"Thus when the villain crams his chest, / Gold is the canker of the breast"
Metaphor in Context
Whence is this vile ungrateful rant?
Each sordid rascal's daily cant:
Did I, base wretch, corrupt mankind?
The fault's in thy rapacious mind.
Because my blessings are abus'd,
Must I be censur'd, curs't, accus'd?
Ev'n virtue's self by knaves is made
A cloak to carry on the trade,
And power (when lodg'd in their possession)
Grows tyranny, and rank oppression.
Thus when the villain crams his chest,
Gold is the canker of the breast;
'Tis av'rice, insolence, and pride,
And ev'ry shocking vice beside.
But when to virtuous hands 'tis given,
It blesses, like the dews of Heaven,
Like Heav'n, it hears the orphan's cries,
And wipes the tears from widows eyes.
Their crimes on gold shall misers lay,
Who pawn'd their sordid souls for pay?
Let bravos then (when blood is spilt)
Upbraid the passive sword with guilt.
Each sordid rascal's daily cant:
Did I, base wretch, corrupt mankind?
The fault's in thy rapacious mind.
Because my blessings are abus'd,
Must I be censur'd, curs't, accus'd?
Ev'n virtue's self by knaves is made
A cloak to carry on the trade,
And power (when lodg'd in their possession)
Grows tyranny, and rank oppression.
Thus when the villain crams his chest,
Gold is the canker of the breast;
'Tis av'rice, insolence, and pride,
And ev'ry shocking vice beside.
But when to virtuous hands 'tis given,
It blesses, like the dews of Heaven,
Like Heav'n, it hears the orphan's cries,
And wipes the tears from widows eyes.
Their crimes on gold shall misers lay,
Who pawn'd their sordid souls for pay?
Let bravos then (when blood is spilt)
Upbraid the passive sword with guilt.
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
See John Gay, Fables. By Mr. Gay. (London: Printed for J. Tonson and J. Watts, 1727). <Link to ESTC>
Text from The Poetical Works of John Gay. ed. G. C. Faber (London: Oxford University Press; Humphrey Milford, 1926). <Link to LION>
Text from The Poetical Works of John Gay. ed. G. C. Faber (London: Oxford University Press; Humphrey Milford, 1926). <Link to LION>
Date of Entry
06/01/2005
