"This, of all Vice, does most debase the Mind, / Gold is itself th'Allay to Human-kind."
— Sheffield, John, first duke of Buckingham and Normanby (1647-1721)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Date
1721
Metaphor
"This, of all Vice, does most debase the Mind, / Gold is itself th'Allay to Human-kind."
Metaphor in Context
Not to enlarge on such an obvious Thought;
Behold their Folly, which transcends their Fault!
Alas! their Cares and Cautions only tend
To gain the Means, and then to lose the End.
Like Heroes in Romances, still in Fight
For Mistresses that yield them no Delight.
This, of all Vice, does most debase the Mind,
Gold is itself th'Allay to Human-kind.
Oh, happy Times! when no such Thing as Coin
E'er tempted Friends to part, or Foes to join!
Cattle or Corn, among those harmless Men,
Was all their Wealth, the Gold and Silver then:
Corn was too bulky to corrupt a Tribe,
And bell'wing Herds would have betray'd the Bribe.
Behold their Folly, which transcends their Fault!
Alas! their Cares and Cautions only tend
To gain the Means, and then to lose the End.
Like Heroes in Romances, still in Fight
For Mistresses that yield them no Delight.
This, of all Vice, does most debase the Mind,
Gold is itself th'Allay to Human-kind.
Oh, happy Times! when no such Thing as Coin
E'er tempted Friends to part, or Foes to join!
Cattle or Corn, among those harmless Men,
Was all their Wealth, the Gold and Silver then:
Corn was too bulky to corrupt a Tribe,
And bell'wing Herds would have betray'd the Bribe.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "mind" and "gold" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Found in The Works of the Most Noble John Sheffield, Late Duke of Buckingham. Published, by His Grace, in His Life Time. London, 1721). <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Works of John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave, Marquis of Normanby, and Duke of Buckingham. 2 vols, 3rd ed., Corrected (London: Printed for T. Wotton and D. Browne, 1740).
Text from The Works of John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave, Marquis of Normanby, and Duke of Buckingham. 2 vols, 3rd ed., Corrected (London: Printed for T. Wotton and D. Browne, 1740).
Date of Entry
05/27/2005
