"It has apparently burst forth like a creation from a chaos, but it is no more than the consequence of a mental revolution priorily existing in France."
— Paine, Thomas (1737-1809)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. S. Jordan
Date
February 1791
Metaphor
"It has apparently burst forth like a creation from a chaos, but it is no more than the consequence of a mental revolution priorily existing in France."
Metaphor in Context
As wise men are astonished at foolish things, and other people at wise ones, I know not on which ground to account for Mr. Burke's astonishment; but certain it is, that he does not understand the French Revolution. It has apparently burst forth like a creation from a chaos, but it is no more than the consequence of a mental revolution priorily existing in France. The mind of the nation had changed beforehand, and the new order of things has naturally followed the new order of thoughts. I will here, as concisely as I can, trace out the growth of the French Revolution, and mark the circumstances that have contributed to produce it.
(p. 238)
(p. 238)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
At least 45 entries in the ESTC (1791, 1792, 1793, 1795).
See The Thomas Paine Reader, ed. Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick (New York: Penguin Books, 1987). <Link to 1791 edition in ECCO><Link to 7th edition in Google Books>
See The Thomas Paine Reader, ed. Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick (New York: Penguin Books, 1987). <Link to 1791 edition in ECCO><Link to 7th edition in Google Books>
Date of Entry
05/19/2011
