"It matters not, though gen'rous in their nature, / They yet may serve a most ungen'rous end; / And he who teaches men to think, though nobly, / Doth raise within their minds a busy judge / To scan his actions."
— Baillie, Joanna (1762-1851)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
T. Cadell and W. Davies
Date
1798
Metaphor
"It matters not, though gen'rous in their nature, / They yet may serve a most ungen'rous end; / And he who teaches men to think, though nobly, / Doth raise within their minds a busy judge / To scan his actions."
Metaphor in Context
It matters not, though gen'rous in their nature,
They yet may serve a most ungen'rous end;
And he who teaches men to think, though nobly,
Doth raise within their minds a busy judge
To scan his actions. Send thine agents forth,
And sound it in their ears how much Count Basil
Affects all difficult and desp'rate service,
To raise his fortunes by some daring stroke;
Having unto the emperor pledg'd his word,
To make his troops all dreadful hazards brave:
For which intent he fills their simple minds
With idle tales of glory and renown;
Using their warm attachment to himself
For most unworthy ends.
This is the busy time; go forth, my friend;
Mix with the soldiers, now in jolly groups
Around their ev'ning cups. There, spare no cost.
[Gives him a purse.]
Observe their words, see how the poison takes,
And then return again.
(III.ii)
They yet may serve a most ungen'rous end;
And he who teaches men to think, though nobly,
Doth raise within their minds a busy judge
To scan his actions. Send thine agents forth,
And sound it in their ears how much Count Basil
Affects all difficult and desp'rate service,
To raise his fortunes by some daring stroke;
Having unto the emperor pledg'd his word,
To make his troops all dreadful hazards brave:
For which intent he fills their simple minds
With idle tales of glory and renown;
Using their warm attachment to himself
For most unworthy ends.
This is the busy time; go forth, my friend;
Mix with the soldiers, now in jolly groups
Around their ev'ning cups. There, spare no cost.
[Gives him a purse.]
Observe their words, see how the poison takes,
And then return again.
(III.ii)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "mind" and "judge" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
3 entries in ESTC (1798, 1800).
Text from Joanna Baillie, The Dramatic and Poetical Works of Joanna Baillie (London: Longman, Brown, Green, 1851).
See also A Series of Plays in Which It is Attempted to Delineate the Stronger Passions of the Mind (London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1798). <Link to Google Books>
Text from Joanna Baillie, The Dramatic and Poetical Works of Joanna Baillie (London: Longman, Brown, Green, 1851).
See also A Series of Plays in Which It is Attempted to Delineate the Stronger Passions of the Mind (London: T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1798). <Link to Google Books>
Date of Entry
02/05/2010
Date of Review
05/31/2012
