"It pleads exemption from the laws of Sense; / Considers Reason as a leveller; / And scorns to share a blessing with the crowd."
— Young, Edward (bap. 1683, d. 1765)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
R. Dodsley
Date
1743
Metaphor
"It pleads exemption from the laws of Sense; / Considers Reason as a leveller; / And scorns to share a blessing with the crowd."
Metaphor in Context
And what says Genius? "Let the dull be wise."
Genius, too hard for right, can prove it wrong;
And loves to boast where blush men less inspired.
It pleads exemption from the laws of Sense;
Considers Reason as a leveller;
And scorns to share a blessing with the crowd;
That wise it could be, thinks an ample claim
To Glory, and to Pleasure gives the rest.
Crassus but sleeps, Ardelio is undone.
Wisdom less shudders at a fool than wit.
(ll. 264-273, pp. 123-4in CUP edition)
Genius, too hard for right, can prove it wrong;
And loves to boast where blush men less inspired.
It pleads exemption from the laws of Sense;
Considers Reason as a leveller;
And scorns to share a blessing with the crowd;
That wise it could be, thinks an ample claim
To Glory, and to Pleasure gives the rest.
Crassus but sleeps, Ardelio is undone.
Wisdom less shudders at a fool than wit.
(ll. 264-273, pp. 123-4in CUP edition)
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
Uniform title published in 9 volumes, from 1742 to 1745. At least 133 reprintings after 1745 in ESTC (1747, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, 1755, 1756, 1757, 1758, 1760, 1761, 1762, 1764, 1765, 1766, 1767, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1788, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1796, 1797, 1798, 1800).
See The Complaint. Or, Night-Thoughts on Life Death, & Immortality. Night the Fifth. (London: R. Dodsley, 1743). <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Complete Works, Poetry and Prose, of the Rev. Edward Young, LL.D., 2 vols. (London: William Tegg, 1854). <Link to Google Books>
Reading Edward Young, Night Thoughts, ed. Stephen Cornford (New York: Cambridge UP, 1989).
See The Complaint. Or, Night-Thoughts on Life Death, & Immortality. Night the Fifth. (London: R. Dodsley, 1743). <Link to ECCO>
Text from The Complete Works, Poetry and Prose, of the Rev. Edward Young, LL.D., 2 vols. (London: William Tegg, 1854). <Link to Google Books>
Reading Edward Young, Night Thoughts, ed. Stephen Cornford (New York: Cambridge UP, 1989).
Date of Entry
06/10/2013
