"Imagination, Fancy, and Invention, they are wholly Strangers to, nor have any Words in their Language by which those Ideas can be expressed; the whole Compass of their Thoughts and Mind, being shut up within the two forementioned Sciences"
— Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745)
Author
Place of Publication
Dublin
Publisher
Printed by and for George Faulkner
Date
1735
Metaphor
"Imagination, Fancy, and Invention, they are wholly Strangers to, nor have any Words in their Language by which those Ideas can be expressed; the whole Compass of their Thoughts and Mind, being shut up within the two forementioned Sciences"
Metaphor in Context
Their Houses are very ill built, the Walls bevil, without one right Angle in any Apartment; and this Defect ariseth from the Contempt they bear [Page 205] for practical Geometry; which they despise as vulgar and mechanick, those Instructions they give being too refined for the Intellectuals of their Workmen; which occasions perpetual Mistakes. And although they are dextrous enough upon a Piece of Paper in the Management of the Rule, the Pencil, and the Divider, yet in the common Actions and Behaviour of Life, I have not seen a more clumsy, awkward, and unhandy People, nor so slow and perplexed in their Conceptions upon all other Subjects, except those of Mathematicks and Musick. They are very bad Reasoners, and vehemently given to Opposition, unless when they happen to be of the right Opinion, which is seldom their Case. Imagination, Fancy, and Invention, they are wholly Strangers to, nor have any Words in their Language by which those Ideas can be expressed; the whole Compass of their Thoughts and Mind, being shut up within the two forementioned Sciences.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "idea" and "stranger" in HDIS (Prose); found again "imagination" and "fancy"
Citation
A revised edition (the "Faulkner Edition"). Over 47 entries in ESTC (1726, 1727, 1731, 1735, 1738, 1742, 1743, 1747, 1748, 1750, 1751, 1752, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1759, 1760, 1764, 1765, 1767, 1770, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1780, 1782, 1787, 1792, 1793, 1798, 1800).
Text from The Works of J.S, D.D, D.S.P.D. in Four Volumes. Containing, I. The Author's Miscellanies in Prose. II. His Poetical Writings (Dublin: George Faulkner, 1735). Volume III, contains the revised edition of Gulliver's Travels. <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Works of J.S, D.D, D.S.P.D. in Four Volumes. Containing, I. The Author's Miscellanies in Prose. II. His Poetical Writings (Dublin: George Faulkner, 1735). Volume III, contains the revised edition of Gulliver's Travels. <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
03/06/2006
