"He blinds the Wise, gives Eye-sight to the Blind; / And moulds and stamps anew the Lover's Mind"
— Ogle, George (1704-1746)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. and R. Tonson [etc.]
Date
1741
Metaphor
"He blinds the Wise, gives Eye-sight to the Blind; / And moulds and stamps anew the Lover's Mind"
Metaphor in Context
"Curse on th' unpard'ning Prince, whom Tears can draw
"To no Remorse; who rules by Lions Law;
"And deaf to Pray'rs, by no Submission bow'd,
"Rends all alike, the Penitent and Proud:"
At this, with Look serene, he rais'd his Head.
Reason resum'd her Place, and Passion fled:
Then thus aloud he spoke: "The Pow'r of Love,
"In Earth, and Seas, and Air, and Heav'n above,
"Rules, unresisted, with an awful Nod;
"By daily Miracles, declar'd a God:
"He blinds the Wise, gives Eye-sight to the Blind;
"And moulds and stamps anew the Lover's Mind.
"Behold that Arcite, and this Palamon,
"Freed from my Fetters, and in Safety gone,
"What hinder'd either in their native Soil,
"At Ease to reap the Harvest of their Toil?
"But Love, their Lord, did otherwise ordain,
"And brought them in their own Despite again,
"To suffer Death deserv'd; for well they know,
"'Tis in my Pow'r, and I their deadly Foe:
"The Proverb holds, That to be wise and love,
"Is hardly granted to the Gods above.
"See how the Madmen bleed: Behold the Gains
"With which their Master, Love, rewards their Pains:
"For sev'n long Years, on Duty ev'ry Day,
"Lo their Obedience, and their Monarch's Pay!
"Yet, as in Duty bound, they serve him on;
"And ask the Fools, they think it wisely done:
"Nor Ease, nor Wealth, nor Life itself regard,
"For 'tis their Maxim, Love is Love's Reward.
"This is not all; the Fair for whom they strove,
"Nor knew before, nor could suspect their Love,
"Nor thought, when she beheld the Fight from far,
"Her Beauty was th' Occasion of the War.
"But sure a gen'ral Doom on Man is past,
"And all are Fools and Lovers, first or last:
"This both by others and myself I know,
"For I have serv'd their Sovereign long ago.
"Oft have been caught within the winding Train
"Of Female Snares, and felt the Lover's Pain,
"And learn'd how far the God can Human Hearts constrain.
"To this Remembrance, and the Prayers of those
"Who for th' offending Warriors interpose,
"I give their forfeit Lives; on this Accord,
"To do me Homage as their Sov'reign Lord;
"And as my Vassals, to their utmost Might,
"Assist my Person, and assert my Right."
This, freely sworn, the Knights their Grace obtain'd;
Then thus the King his secret Thoughts explain'd:
"If Wealth, or Honor, or a Royal Race,
"Or each, or all, may win a Lady's Grace,
"Then either of you Knights may well deserve
"A Princess born; and such is she you serve;
"For Emily is Sister to the Crown,
"And but too well to both her Beauty known:
"But shou'd you combat till you both were dead,
"Two Lovers cannot share a single Bed:
"As therefore both are equal in Degree,
"The Lot of both be left to Destiny.
"Now hear th' Award, and happy may it prove
"To her, and him who best deserves her Love.
"Depart from hence in Peace, and free as Air,
"Search the wide World, and where you please repair;
"But on the Day when this returning Sun
"To the same Point through ev'ry Sign has run,
"Then each of you his Hundred Knights shall bring,
"In Royal Lists, to fight before the King;
"And then the Knight, whom Fate or happy Chance
"Shall with his Friends to Victory advance,
"And grace his Arms so far in equal Fight,
"From out the Bars to force his Opposite,
"Or kill, or make him Recreant on the Plain,
"The Prize of Valour and of Love shall gain;
"The vanquish'd Party shall their Claim release,
"And the long Jars conclude in lasting Peace.
"The Charge be mine t'adorn the chosen Ground,
"The Theatre of War, for Champions so renown'd;
"And take the Patron's Place of either Knight,
"With Eyes impartial to behold the Fight;
"And Heav'n of me so judge, as I shall judge aright;
"If both are satisfy'd with this Accord,
"Swear by the Laws of Knighthood on my Sword."
"To no Remorse; who rules by Lions Law;
"And deaf to Pray'rs, by no Submission bow'd,
"Rends all alike, the Penitent and Proud:"
At this, with Look serene, he rais'd his Head.
Reason resum'd her Place, and Passion fled:
Then thus aloud he spoke: "The Pow'r of Love,
"In Earth, and Seas, and Air, and Heav'n above,
"Rules, unresisted, with an awful Nod;
"By daily Miracles, declar'd a God:
"He blinds the Wise, gives Eye-sight to the Blind;
"And moulds and stamps anew the Lover's Mind.
"Behold that Arcite, and this Palamon,
"Freed from my Fetters, and in Safety gone,
"What hinder'd either in their native Soil,
"At Ease to reap the Harvest of their Toil?
"But Love, their Lord, did otherwise ordain,
"And brought them in their own Despite again,
"To suffer Death deserv'd; for well they know,
"'Tis in my Pow'r, and I their deadly Foe:
"The Proverb holds, That to be wise and love,
"Is hardly granted to the Gods above.
"See how the Madmen bleed: Behold the Gains
"With which their Master, Love, rewards their Pains:
"For sev'n long Years, on Duty ev'ry Day,
"Lo their Obedience, and their Monarch's Pay!
"Yet, as in Duty bound, they serve him on;
"And ask the Fools, they think it wisely done:
"Nor Ease, nor Wealth, nor Life itself regard,
"For 'tis their Maxim, Love is Love's Reward.
"This is not all; the Fair for whom they strove,
"Nor knew before, nor could suspect their Love,
"Nor thought, when she beheld the Fight from far,
"Her Beauty was th' Occasion of the War.
"But sure a gen'ral Doom on Man is past,
"And all are Fools and Lovers, first or last:
"This both by others and myself I know,
"For I have serv'd their Sovereign long ago.
"Oft have been caught within the winding Train
"Of Female Snares, and felt the Lover's Pain,
"And learn'd how far the God can Human Hearts constrain.
"To this Remembrance, and the Prayers of those
"Who for th' offending Warriors interpose,
"I give their forfeit Lives; on this Accord,
"To do me Homage as their Sov'reign Lord;
"And as my Vassals, to their utmost Might,
"Assist my Person, and assert my Right."
This, freely sworn, the Knights their Grace obtain'd;
Then thus the King his secret Thoughts explain'd:
"If Wealth, or Honor, or a Royal Race,
"Or each, or all, may win a Lady's Grace,
"Then either of you Knights may well deserve
"A Princess born; and such is she you serve;
"For Emily is Sister to the Crown,
"And but too well to both her Beauty known:
"But shou'd you combat till you both were dead,
"Two Lovers cannot share a single Bed:
"As therefore both are equal in Degree,
"The Lot of both be left to Destiny.
"Now hear th' Award, and happy may it prove
"To her, and him who best deserves her Love.
"Depart from hence in Peace, and free as Air,
"Search the wide World, and where you please repair;
"But on the Day when this returning Sun
"To the same Point through ev'ry Sign has run,
"Then each of you his Hundred Knights shall bring,
"In Royal Lists, to fight before the King;
"And then the Knight, whom Fate or happy Chance
"Shall with his Friends to Victory advance,
"And grace his Arms so far in equal Fight,
"From out the Bars to force his Opposite,
"Or kill, or make him Recreant on the Plain,
"The Prize of Valour and of Love shall gain;
"The vanquish'd Party shall their Claim release,
"And the long Jars conclude in lasting Peace.
"The Charge be mine t'adorn the chosen Ground,
"The Theatre of War, for Champions so renown'd;
"And take the Patron's Place of either Knight,
"With Eyes impartial to behold the Fight;
"And Heav'n of me so judge, as I shall judge aright;
"If both are satisfy'd with this Accord,
"Swear by the Laws of Knighthood on my Sword."
Categories
Provenance
Searching "stamp" and "mind" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer, Modernis'd by Several Hands. Publish'd by Mr. Ogle, 3 vols. (London: J. and R. Tonson, 1741). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
04/07/2005
