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"This I say may be, and Graver folks than he have made a huge splutter with such a kind of business;--but I am apt to think (between Friends) if there be any thing in't, that most of the Lyoness Particles rambled somewhere else, to another Branch of the Family; and that more of the Sheep, the gentle Lamb, or such harmless innocent Creatures Rambled into my Composition; for though I find enough of the Lyon in my Soul, yet this Treacherous Body will quake and tremble at the approach of Danger."

— Dunton, John (1659-1732)

Author

Dunton, John (1659-1732)

Work Title

A Voyage Round the World: or, a Pocket-Library, Divided into several Volumes.

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Printed for Richard Newcome

Date

1691

Metaphor

"This I say may be, and Graver folks than he have made a huge splutter with such a kind of business;--but I am apt to think (between Friends) if there be any thing in't, that most of the Lyoness Particles rambled somewhere else, to another Branch of the Family; and that more of the Sheep, the gentle Lamb, or such harmless innocent Creatures Rambled into my Composition; for though I find enough of the Lyon in my Soul, yet this Treacherous Body will quake and tremble at the approach of Danger."

Metaphor in Context

As great a Coward as I am, there may have gone I know n't how many particles of a Lyon into my Composition, and as small as my Body is, my great Grandfather might be made out of a Whale or an Elephant. You remember the Story of the Dog that kill'd the Cat, that eat the Rat,--for I love to Illustrate Philosophical Problems, with common Instances for the use of the less knowing part of the World,--why just so here. To prove, I may have a piece of a Roaring Lyon rambled into me,--How can any man alive prove but as long ago as the Holy War, some or other of my Ancestors waited on K. Richard into Palestine, and was there with him when he killed the Lyon. This Gentleman might have a Dog,--this Dog being hungry, might fall a tearing the Guts of this Lyon, some of whose Body must pass into the Dogs, as well as other only thro' it. This Dog might come home with the Gentleman agen, and at length coming to some untimely end, his Noble Carcass lye rotting in the Fields--which very place being fatned with his corrupted Carcass, might produce some Tuffs of larger Grass than ordinary, wherein undoubtedly wou'd be included some Particles of the poor deceased Creature,--which Particles might very easily be devour'd by some fat Ox, or Weather grazing there, allured by the length and beauty of the grass, and so become part of this Sheep or Oxe,--and they agen, being brought to the Spacious Table of some of my Worthy Ancestors, might Communicate the same Subtile parts of the Grass, the Sheep, the Oxe, the Dog, the Lyon to their Trenchers, thence to their Mouth, Stomach, Blood,--and in two removes more, to their Son and Heir, so from Generation, to Generation, till at last, all center'd in the Lyon--like Evander.--This I say may be, and Graver folks than he have made a huge splutter with such a kind of business;--but I am apt to think (between Friends) if there be any thing in't, that most of the Lyoness Particles rambled somewhere else, to another Branch of the Family; and that more of the Sheep, the gentle Lamb, or such harmless innocent Creatures Rambled into my Composition; for though I find enough of the Lyon in my Soul, yet this Treacherous Body will quake and tremble at the approach of Danger: And I find a strong Inclination to bleat for Succour,--tho' still all that know me, know the very Character I give my self, is, (and I shou'd be best acquainted sure with my own self,) That I ne're saw fear, but in the Face of an Enemy. I cou'd as easily prove one Leg of me may have Rambled out of a Whale, and a piece of my left Hip from the Shoulder-blade of an Elephant,--for might not some of my Grandfathers be left in Greenland (we have been Travellers of old) and there forc'd to eat Whale-fritters, or not to go so far; who knows but after the Elephant was burnt in the Booth (I tell no lyes, every body knows this is true) the Dirt and Rubbish might be thrown out in the Fields, where Pease might be afterwards Sown, and so a piece of the Elephant brought home to Evanders Table, in a Dish of Green-Pease. Now all the difficulty here will be, whether or no I use to eat Green-Pease;--but for the Truth of this, I Appeal to Stocks-Market, and all the Neighbours.
(I, pp. 27-9)