Cooper, Anthony Ashley, third earl of Shaftesbury (1671-1713)

Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author [collected in Characteristics]

London

John Morphew

1710, 1714

"He shou'd set afoot the powerfullest Facultys of his Mind, and assemble the best Forces of his Wit and Judgment, in order to make a formal Descent on the Territorys of the Heart: resolving to decline no Combat, nor hearken to any Terms, till he had pierc'd into its inmost Provinces, and reach'd the Seat of Empire."

Whatever Philosopher, Critick, or Author is convinc'd of this Prerogative of Nature, will easily be persuaded to apply himself to the great Work of reforming his Taste; which he will have reason to suspect, if he be not such a one as has deliberately endeavour'd to frame it by the just Standard of Nature. Whether this be his Case, he will easily discover, by appealing to his Memory. For Custom and Fashion are powerful Seducers: And he must of necessity have fought hard against these, to have attain'd that Justness of Taste, which is requir'd in one who pretends to follow Nature. But if no such Conflict can be call'd to mind; 'tis a certain Token that the Party has his Taste very little different from the Vulgar. And on this account he shou'd instantly betake himself to the wholesom Practice recommended in this Treatise. He shou'd set afoot the powerfullest Facultys of his Mind, and assemble the best Forces of his Wit and Judgment, in order to make a formal Descent on the Territorys of the Heart: resolving to decline no Combat, nor hearken to any Terms, till he had pierc'd into its inmost Provinces, and reach'd the Seat of Empire. No Treatys shou'd amuse him; no Advantages lead him aside. All other Speculations shou'd be suspended, all other Mysterys resign'd; till this necessary Campaign was made, and these inward Conflicts learnt; by which he wou'd be able to gain at least some tolerable Insight into himself, and Knowledg of his own natural Principles.
(pp. 354-5; cf. pp. 186-7 in 1710 edition; p. 158 in Klein)

War::Invasion Government::Empire Uncategorized::Territory Government::Provinces Uncategorized::Seat

Reading Robert Marsh's Four Dialectical Theories of Poetry: An Aspect of English Neoclassical Criticism (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1965), ch. 2. Metaphor confirmed in Google Books.

A complicated publication history. At least 10 entries in ESTC (1710, 1711, 1714, 1733, 1744, 1751, 1757, 1758, 1773, 1790).

See Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author (London: John Morphew, 1710). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>

See also "Soliloquy, or Advice to an Author" in Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times. In Three Volumes. (London: John Darby, 1711). <Link to ESTC>

Some text drawn from ECCO and Google Books; also from Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of Shaftesbury. Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, ed. Lawrence E. Klein (Cambridge: CUP, 2001). Klein's text is based on the British Library's copy of the second edition of 1714. [Texts to be collated.]

Psychomachia

06/01/2010