"So minds debas'd can torture gen'rous acts: / And thus, by terrors haunted, hunger-pinch'd, / Hag-ridden by the demon at their hearts, / Suspicious, tost from thought to thought, they watch'd / The lagging hours of night"
— Burges, Sir James Bland (1752-1824)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by J. Wright ... for Lackington, Allen, and Co. [etc.]
Date
1807-8
Metaphor
"So minds debas'd can torture gen'rous acts: / And thus, by terrors haunted, hunger-pinch'd, / Hag-ridden by the demon at their hearts, / Suspicious, tost from thought to thought, they watch'd / The lagging hours of night"
Metaphor in Context
He said, and forth the brave advent'rers went.
Deep in their gloomy cave the ten remain'd,
Hungry and chill and overcome with toil,
Yet fear forbad their heavy eyes to close,
And none propos'd to watch whilst others slept;
For by no ties of friendship were they bound
Each to the other, nor had common cause,
Save in the joint resolve to throw contempt
And absolute discredit on the hope,
Cherish'd by Joshua, to excite the war
With nations, which invincible they deem'd.
The shepherd's words weigh'd heavy on their hearts,
And what that false deceiver would have said,
Had Joshua not oppos'd, their fears supplied.
Some in the baseness of their souls propos'd
Instant escape; but even that t'attempt
Presented perils, which they dar'd not face,
But under guidance of their gallant chiefs;
For though they held them in their bitt'rest hate,
Still they rever'd their courage. Some there were
In treason so deep-sighted, as to spy
A project to desert them in their need,
And let them die by famine in their cave:
So minds debas'd can torture gen'rous acts:
And thus, by terrors haunted, hunger-pinch'd,
Hag-ridden by the demon at their hearts,
Suspicious, tost from thought to thought, they watch'd
The lagging hours of night, nor other food
Had they, save that, on which the viper feeds.
Deep in their gloomy cave the ten remain'd,
Hungry and chill and overcome with toil,
Yet fear forbad their heavy eyes to close,
And none propos'd to watch whilst others slept;
For by no ties of friendship were they bound
Each to the other, nor had common cause,
Save in the joint resolve to throw contempt
And absolute discredit on the hope,
Cherish'd by Joshua, to excite the war
With nations, which invincible they deem'd.
The shepherd's words weigh'd heavy on their hearts,
And what that false deceiver would have said,
Had Joshua not oppos'd, their fears supplied.
Some in the baseness of their souls propos'd
Instant escape; but even that t'attempt
Presented perils, which they dar'd not face,
But under guidance of their gallant chiefs;
For though they held them in their bitt'rest hate,
Still they rever'd their courage. Some there were
In treason so deep-sighted, as to spy
A project to desert them in their need,
And let them die by famine in their cave:
So minds debas'd can torture gen'rous acts:
And thus, by terrors haunted, hunger-pinch'd,
Hag-ridden by the demon at their hearts,
Suspicious, tost from thought to thought, they watch'd
The lagging hours of night, nor other food
Had they, save that, on which the viper feeds.
Provenance
Searching in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
01/17/2006
