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"A thousand tender Ideas crowded into my Mind"

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

Author

Amelia

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for A. Millar

Date

1752

Metaphor

"A thousand tender Ideas crowded into my Mind"

Metaphor in Context

'At length we embarked aboard a Transport, and sailed for Gibraltar; but the Wind, which was at first fair, soon chopped about; so that we were obliged, for several Days, to beat to Windward, as the Sea Phrase is. During this time the Taste which I had of a Sea-faring Life did not appear extremely agreeable. We rolled up and down in a little narrow Cabbin, in which were three Officers, all of us extremely Sea-sick; our Sickness being much aggravated by the Motion of the Ship, by the View of each other, and by the Stench of the Men. But this was but a little Taste indeed of the Misery which was to follow: for we were got about six Leagues to the Westward of Scilly, when a violent Storm arose at North-east, which soon raised the Waves to the Height of Mountains. The Horror of this is not to be [Page 195] adequately described to those who have never seen the like. The Storm began in the Evening, and as the Clouds brought on the Night apace, it was soon entirely dark; nor had we during many Hours any other Light than what was caused by the jarring Elements, which frequently sent forth Flashes, or rather Streams of Fire; and whilst these presented the most dreadful Objects to our Eyes, the roaring of the Winds, the dashing of the Waves against the Ship and each other, formed a Sound altogether as horrible for our Ears; while our Ship, sometimes lifted up as it were to the Skies, and sometimes swept away at once as into the lowest Abyss, seemed to be the Sport of the Winds and Seas. The Captain himself almost gave all for lost, and exprest his Apprehension of being inevitably cast on the Rocks of Scilly, and beat to Pieces. And now, while some on board were addressing themselves to the Supreme Being, and others applying for Comfort to strong Liquors, my whole Thoughts were entirely engaged by my Amelia. A thousand tender Ideas crowded into my Mind. I can truly say, that I had not a single Consideration about myself, in which she was not [Page 196] concerned. Dying to me was leaving her, and the Fear of never seeing her more was a Dagger stuck in my Heart. Again, all the Terrors with which this Storm, if it reached her Ears, must fill her gentle Mind on my Account, and the Agonies which she must undergo, when she heard of my Fate, gave me such intolerable Pangs, that I now repented my Resolution, and wished, I own I wished, that I had taken her Advice, and preferred Love and a Cottage to all the dazzling Charms of Honour.