"Insulted Reason fled the grov'ling soul, / For Fear to guide, and visions to control: / But now, when Reason has assumed her throne, / She, in her turn, demands to reign alone"
— Crabbe, George (1754-1832)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Dodsley
Date
1781
Metaphor
"Insulted Reason fled the grov'ling soul, / For Fear to guide, and visions to control: / But now, when Reason has assumed her throne, / She, in her turn, demands to reign alone"
Metaphor in Context
When first Religion came to bless the land,
Her friends were then a firm believing band;
To doubt was then to plunge in guilt extreme,
And all was gospel that a monk could dream;
Insulted Reason fled the grov'ling soul,
For Fear to guide, and visions to control:
But now, when Reason has assumed her throne,
She, in her turn, demands to reign alone;
Rejecting all that lies beyond her view,
And, being judge, will be a witness too:
Insulted Faith then leaves the doubtful mind,
To seek for truth, without a power to find:
Ah! when will both in friendly beams unite,
And pour on erring man resistless light?
Her friends were then a firm believing band;
To doubt was then to plunge in guilt extreme,
And all was gospel that a monk could dream;
Insulted Reason fled the grov'ling soul,
For Fear to guide, and visions to control:
But now, when Reason has assumed her throne,
She, in her turn, demands to reign alone;
Rejecting all that lies beyond her view,
And, being judge, will be a witness too:
Insulted Faith then leaves the doubtful mind,
To seek for truth, without a power to find:
Ah! when will both in friendly beams unite,
And pour on erring man resistless light?
Provenance
Searching "throne" and "reason" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
At least 2 entries in the ESTC (1781, 1783).
See The Library. A Poem. (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, In Pall-Mall, 1781). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>
Text from The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe: With His Letters and Journals, and His Life, by His Son. In Eight Volumes. (London: John Murray, 1838). <Link to LION>
See The Library. A Poem. (London: Printed for J. Dodsley, In Pall-Mall, 1781). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO>
Text from The Poetical Works of the Rev. George Crabbe: With His Letters and Journals, and His Life, by His Son. In Eight Volumes. (London: John Murray, 1838). <Link to LION>
Date of Entry
07/19/2004
