"Shun, shun the Wretch, and case your Heart in Steel, / Lose not a Thought on those who cannot feel;"
— Lloyd, Evan (1734-1776)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for the Author; And sold by Richardson and Urquhart [etc.]
Date
1767
Metaphor
"Shun, shun the Wretch, and case your Heart in Steel, / Lose not a Thought on those who cannot feel;"
Metaphor in Context
Ye Play-frequenting Dames! permit a Bard
To teach you how your gentle Hearts to guard;
To shew you how these Foplings to descry,
Who are not worthy one superfluous Sigh.--
Whene'er the Scene afflicted Virtue paints,
Orphans oppress'd, or persecuted Saints'
Patriots who freely for their Country bleed,
Lovers to Death or Banishment decreed;
When such a Scene's on Foot, if't chance your Eye
Some vacant Phantom in a Box should spy,
Prattling in Tooth-pick, Tittle-tattle way,
Ogling, or bowing, heedless of the Play--
Shewing his trump'ry Trinkets, brought from far,
His Ring, or Ruffles, Buckles, Seal, or Star;
Note him, ye gentle Fair ones, in your Book,
Scorn his protesting Speech, and cringing Look,
Shun, shun the Wretch, and case your Heart in Steel,
Lose not a Thought on those who cannot feel;
Cast not on such a casual rambling Glance,
Better to wed some Hero of Romance.
He to the God of Love can ne'er be true,
Who laughing can his bleeding Vot'ries view,
And they who can on Romeo's Fortune's smile,
Have Hearts each real Juliet to beguile.--
To teach you how your gentle Hearts to guard;
To shew you how these Foplings to descry,
Who are not worthy one superfluous Sigh.--
Whene'er the Scene afflicted Virtue paints,
Orphans oppress'd, or persecuted Saints'
Patriots who freely for their Country bleed,
Lovers to Death or Banishment decreed;
When such a Scene's on Foot, if't chance your Eye
Some vacant Phantom in a Box should spy,
Prattling in Tooth-pick, Tittle-tattle way,
Ogling, or bowing, heedless of the Play--
Shewing his trump'ry Trinkets, brought from far,
His Ring, or Ruffles, Buckles, Seal, or Star;
Note him, ye gentle Fair ones, in your Book,
Scorn his protesting Speech, and cringing Look,
Shun, shun the Wretch, and case your Heart in Steel,
Lose not a Thought on those who cannot feel;
Cast not on such a casual rambling Glance,
Better to wed some Hero of Romance.
He to the God of Love can ne'er be true,
Who laughing can his bleeding Vot'ries view,
And they who can on Romeo's Fortune's smile,
Have Hearts each real Juliet to beguile.--
Categories
Provenance
Searching "heart" and "steel" in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
06/10/2005
