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"The Prince who was so uneasie before, and so desirous to see her, since he had that interview he wished for, began to be more at ease, though more in Love than before, and whereas his thoughts were formerly distracted several ways, now they ran all on her; the Ball, the Dancing, and all the rest of the Entertainment was as faintly remembred, as if he had only seen them in a Dream; but what she had said or done, was as fresh, as if it were that very moment acting over again."

— Anonymous

Author

Anonymous

Work Title

Vertue Rewarded; or, the Irish Princess. A New Novel

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for R. Bentley

Date

1693

Metaphor

"The Prince who was so uneasie before, and so desirous to see her, since he had that interview he wished for, began to be more at ease, though more in Love than before, and whereas his thoughts were formerly distracted several ways, now they ran all on her; the Ball, the Dancing, and all the rest of the Entertainment was as faintly remembred, as if he had only seen them in a Dream; but what she had said or done, was as fresh, as if it were that very moment acting over again."

Metaphor in Context

The Prince who was so uneasie before, and so desirous to see her, since he had that interview he wished for, began to be more at ease, though more in Love than before, and whereas his thoughts were formerly distracted several ways, now they ran all on her; the Ball, the Dancing, and all the rest of the Entertainment was as faintly remembred, as if he had only seen them in a Dream; but what she had said or done, was as fresh, as if it were that very moment acting over again: One while he fancied he saw her Dancing, another, that he saw with what a grace she spake, and every word of her discourse was as ready in his memory, as if they were the only ones engraven there; no wonder if those who will not give credit to the Stories of Apparitions, say, the Persons are deluded by the excess of Fear, and the strength of their own Fancies, for the force of imagination is as strong in Love as it is in Fear, and makes the cheated Amourist still think he sees the Fair one, and though she be an hundred mile off, yet her Face, her Ayr, her Meen, and every thing that formerly pleased his sight, seems still to dance before it: And as the guilty Conscience of the Murderer presents the Fantour of the Murdered to his view, so Lovers are haunted with Spectres too, only the Murderers appear in a dreadful, the Lovers in a pleasing Form. This Night had our Prince several of these delightful Visions, which were so intruding, that neither his Reason could banish them while he was awake, nor Sleep free him from them in his Dreams; as soon as he waked he sent for Celadon, and having ordered him to shut the Door, and sit down on his Bed-side, he spake this to him.
(pp. 25-6)