"The influence of this thought was like the infusion of a new soul into my frame."
— Brown, Charles Brockden (1771-1810)
Place of Publication
Philadelphia
Publisher
Hugh Maxwell
Date
1799
Metaphor
"The influence of this thought was like the infusion of a new soul into my frame."
Metaphor in Context
As I perpetually revolved these incidents, they assumed new forms, and were linked with new associations. The volume written by his father, and transferred to me by tokens, which were now remembered to be more emphatic than the nature of the composition seemed to justify, was likewise remembered. It came attended by recollections respecting a volume which I filled, when a youth, with extracts from the Roman and Greek poets. Besides this literary purpose I likewise used to preserve the bank bills, with the keeping or carriage of which I chanced to be intrusted. This image led me back to the leather-case containing Lodis's property, which was put into my hands at the same time with the volume.
These images now gave birth to a third conception, which darted on my benighted understanding like an electrical flash. Was it possible that Lodi's property might be inclosed with the leaves of this volume? In hastily turning it over, I recollected to have noticed leaves whose edges by accident or design adhered to each other. Lodi, in speaking of the sale of his father's West-Indian property, mentioned the sum obtained for it, was forty thousand dollars. Half only of this sum had been discovered by me. How had the remainder been appropriated? Surely this volume contained it.
The influence of this thought was like the infusion of a new soul into my frame.
(Part I, chapter 21, p. 409)
These images now gave birth to a third conception, which darted on my benighted understanding like an electrical flash. Was it possible that Lodi's property might be inclosed with the leaves of this volume? In hastily turning it over, I recollected to have noticed leaves whose edges by accident or design adhered to each other. Lodi, in speaking of the sale of his father's West-Indian property, mentioned the sum obtained for it, was forty thousand dollars. Half only of this sum had been discovered by me. How had the remainder been appropriated? Surely this volume contained it.
The influence of this thought was like the infusion of a new soul into my frame.
(Part I, chapter 21, p. 409)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
First part published in 1799; second in 1800. Reading and transcribing text from Charles Brockden Brown, Three Gothic Novels. New York: Library of America,1998.
Date of Entry
07/21/2003
Date of Review
06/26/2007
