"The first is, that a Mind once violently hurt grows, as it were, callous to any future Impressions of Grief; and is never capable of feeling the same Pangs a second Time."
— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for A. Millar
Date
1752
Metaphor
"The first is, that a Mind once violently hurt grows, as it were, callous to any future Impressions of Grief; and is never capable of feeling the same Pangs a second Time."
Metaphor in Context
My Father's Advice, enforced by his Example, together with the Kindness of some of our Friends, assisted by that ablest of all the mental Physicians, Time, in a few Months pretty well restored my Tranquillity, when Fortune made a second Attack on my Quiet. My Sister, whom I dearly loved, and who as warmly returned my Affection, had fallen into an ill State of Health some time before the fatal Accident which I have related. She was indeed at that Time so much better, that we had great Hopes of her perfect Recovery; but the Disorders of her Mind on that dreadful Occasion so affected her Body, that she presently relapsed to her former declining State, and thence grew continually worse and worse, till after a Decay of near seven Months, she followed my poor Mother to the Grave.
'I will not tire you, dear Madam, with Repetitions of Grief; I will only mention two Observations which have occurred to me from Reflections on the two Losses I have mentioned. The first is, that a Mind once violently hurt grows, as it were, callous to any future Impressions of Grief; and is never capable of feeling the same Pangs a second Time. The other Observation is, that the Arrows of Fortune, as well as all others, derive their Force from the Velocity with which they are discharged: For when they approach you by slow and perceptible Degrees, they have but very little Power to do you Mischief.
'The truth of these Observations I experienced, not only in my own Heart, but in the Behaviour of my Father, whose Philosophy seemed to gain a complete Triumph over this latter Calamity. (III.7.2)
'I will not tire you, dear Madam, with Repetitions of Grief; I will only mention two Observations which have occurred to me from Reflections on the two Losses I have mentioned. The first is, that a Mind once violently hurt grows, as it were, callous to any future Impressions of Grief; and is never capable of feeling the same Pangs a second Time. The other Observation is, that the Arrows of Fortune, as well as all others, derive their Force from the Velocity with which they are discharged: For when they approach you by slow and perceptible Degrees, they have but very little Power to do you Mischief.
'The truth of these Observations I experienced, not only in my own Heart, but in the Behaviour of my Father, whose Philosophy seemed to gain a complete Triumph over this latter Calamity. (III.7.2)
Categories
Provenance
HDIS; found again searching "as it were"
Citation
13 entries in ESTC (1752, 1762, 1771, 1775, 1777, 1780, 1790, 1793).
See Amelia. By Henry Fielding, 4 vols. (London: A. Millar, 1752). <Link to ECCO>
Reading Henry Fielding, Amelia, ed. David Blewett (London: Penguin Books, 1987).
See Amelia. By Henry Fielding, 4 vols. (London: A. Millar, 1752). <Link to ECCO>
Reading Henry Fielding, Amelia, ed. David Blewett (London: Penguin Books, 1987).
Date of Entry
09/14/2009
Date of Review
09/19/2006
