"I was never able to conquer any one single bad sensation in my heart so decisively, as by beating up as fast as I could for some kindly and gentle sensation, to fight it upon its own ground."

— Sterne, Laurence (1713-1768)

Author

Sterne, Laurence (1713-1768)

Work Title

A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy.

Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt
Date
1768
Metaphor
"I was never able to conquer any one single bad sensation in my heart so decisively, as by beating up as fast as I could for some kindly and gentle sensation, to fight it upon its own ground."
Metaphor in Context
Surely this is not walking in a vain shadow--nor does man disquiet himself in vain by it--he oftener does so in trusting the issue of his commotions to reason only. --I can safely say for myself, I was never able to conquer any one single bad sensation in my heart so decisively, as by beating up as fast as I could for some kindly and gentle sensation, to fight it upon its own ground.
(II, pp. 75-6)
Categories
War::Conquest::Conquer Sensation
Provenance
Searching "conque" and "heart" in HDIS (Prose Fiction); found again reading Arthur A. Cash, "The Sermon in Tristram Shandy." ELH 31:4 (1964): 412-3.
Citation
Over 86 entries in ESTC (1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1787, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1798, 1800).

First edition published February 27, 1768, in two issues (standard paper and large "imperial" paper issue).

See A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. By Mr. Yorick., 2 vols. 2nd ed. (London: Printed for T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, 1768). <Link to ESTC>

Reading Laurence Sterne, A Sentimental Journey, ed. Paul Goring (New York and London: Penguin, 2001)
Theme
Psychomachia
Date of Entry
01/25/2005
Date of Review
06/12/2012

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.