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"But surely his whole Behaviour to his Friend Heartfree is a convincing Proof, that the true Iron or Steel Greatness of his Heart was not debased by any softer Mettle."

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

Author

Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

Work Title

The Life of Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for the Author

Date

1743

Metaphor

"But surely his whole Behaviour to his Friend Heartfree is a convincing Proof, that the true Iron or Steel Greatness of his Heart was not debased by any softer Mettle."

Metaphor in Context

Nor had he any of those Flaws in his Character, which, though they have been [Page 416] commended by weak Writers, have, (as I hinted in the Beginning of this History) by the judicious Reader, been censured and despised. Such is the Clemency of Alexander and Cæsar, which Nature hath as grossly erred in giving them, as a Painter would, who should dress a Peasant in Robes of State, or give the Nose, or any other Feature of a Venus, to a Satyr. What had the Destroyers of Mankind, that glorious Pair, one of which came into the World to usurp the Dominion, and abolish the Constitution of his own Country; the other to conquer, enslave, and rule over the whole World, at least as much as was well known to him, and the Shortness of his Life would give him Leave to visit; what had, I say, such as these to do with Clemency? Who cannot see the Absurdity and Contradiction of mixing such an Ingredient with those noble and great Qualities I have before mentioned. Now in Wild, every thing was truly GREAT, almost without Alloy, as his Imperfections (for surely some small ones he had) were only such as served to denominate him a human Creature, [Page 417] of which kind none ever arrived at consummate Excellence: But surely his whole Behaviour to his Friend Heartfree is a convincing Proof, that the true Iron or Steel Greatness of his Heart was not debased by any softer Mettle. Indeed while Greatness consists in Power, Pride, Insolence, and doing Mischief to Mankind; --to speak out,--while a GREAT Man and a GREAT Rogue are synonymous Terms, so long shall Wild stand unrivalled on the Pinacle of Greatness. Nor must we omit here, as the finishing of his Character, what indeed ought to be remembered on his Tomb or his Statue, the Conformity above mentioned of his Death to his Life; and that Jonathan Wild the Great was, what so few GREAT Men are, though all in Propriety ought to be--hanged by the Neck 'till he was dead.
(IV.xvi, pp. 415-7)