"He observed, that her ladyship's brain was a perfect mill for projects; and that she and Tabby had certainly engaged in some secret treaty, the nature of which he could not comprehend"

— Smollett, Tobias (1721-1777)


Place of Publication
Dublin
Publisher
Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders
Date
1771
Metaphor
"He observed, that her ladyship's brain was a perfect mill for projects; and that she and Tabby had certainly engaged in some secret treaty, the nature of which he could not comprehend"
Metaphor in Context
Mr. Bramble was no sooner informed that her ladyship had acted as the primum mobile of this confederacy, than he concluded she had only made use of Clinker as a tool, subservient to the execution of some design, to the true secret of which he was an utter stranger--He observed, that her ladyship's brain was a perfect mill for projects; and that she and Tabby had certainly engaged in some secret treaty, the nature of which he could not comprehend. I told him, I thought it was no difficult matter to perceive the drift of Mrs. Tabitha, which was to ensnare the heart of Barton, and that in all likelihood my lady Griskin acted as her auxiliary: that this supposition would account for their endeavours to convert him to Methodism; an event which would occasion a connexion of souls that might be easily improved into a matrimonial union.
Categories
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Prose)
Citation
At least 29 entries in the ESTC (1771, 1772, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1779, 1781, 1783, 1784, 1785, 1788, 1790, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1799, 1800).

See The Expedition of Humphry Clinker. By the Author of Roderick Random. In Two Volumes. (Dublin: Printed for A. Leathley, J. Exshaw, H. Saunders, 1771).
Date of Entry
03/06/2006

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