"I say, it wore off gradually; and as I had a pretty deal of Business for managing my Effects, the Hurry of that particular Part, serv'd to divert my Thoughts, and in part to wear out the Impressions which had been made upon my Mind."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for T. Warner
Date
1724
Metaphor
"I say, it wore off gradually; and as I had a pretty deal of Business for managing my Effects, the Hurry of that particular Part, serv'd to divert my Thoughts, and in part to wear out the Impressions which had been made upon my Mind."
Metaphor in Context
But these things wore off gradually; as to my Friend, the Merchant, he was gone, and gone irrecoverably, for I durst not follow him to Paris, for the Reasons mention'd above; again, I was afraid to write to him to return, lest he shou'd have refus'd, as I verily believ'd he wou'd; so I sat and cry'd intollerably, for some Days, nay, I may say, for some Weeks; but I say, it wore off gradually; and as I had a pretty deal of Business for managing my Effects, the Hurry of that particular Part, serv'd to divert my Thoughts, and in part to wear out the Impressions which had been made upon my Mind.
(p. 198, p. 202 in Penguin)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
At least 15 entries in the ESTC (1724, 1740, 1741, 1742, 1745, 1749, 1750, 1755, 1765, 1774, 1775, ).

See The Fortunate Mistress: Or, A History of the Life and Vast Variety of Fortunes of Mademoiselle de Beleau, afterwards call'd the Countess de Wintselsheim, in Germany. Being the Person known by the Name of the Lady Roxana, in the Time of King Charles II (London: Printed for T. Warner, 1724). <Link to ESTC><Link to Google Books>

Reading Daniel Defoe, Roxana, ed. David Blewett (New York: Penguin Books, 1987).
Date of Entry
07/27/2011

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.