"Their old Hearts melted in 'em as she spoke, / And Tears ran down upon their silver Beards."
— Rowe, Nicholas (1674-1718)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Bernard Lintott
Date
1715
Metaphor
"Their old Hearts melted in 'em as she spoke, / And Tears ran down upon their silver Beards."
Metaphor in Context
GARDINER BISHOP.
These are romantick, light, vain-glorious Dreams
Have you consider'd well upon the Danger?
How dear to the fond Many, and how popular
These are whom you wou'd spare? Have you forgot
When at the Bar, before the Seat of Judgment,
This Lady Jane, this beauteous Traitress stood,
With what Command she charm'd the whole Assembly?
With silent Grief the mournful Audience sat,
Fix'd on her Face, and list'ning to her Pleading.
Her very Judges wrung their Hands for Pity;
Their old Hearts melted in 'em as she spoke,
And Tears ran down upon their silver Beards.
Ev'n I my self was mov'd, and for a moment
Felt Wrath suspended in my doubtful Breast,
And question'd if the Voice I heard was mortal.
But when her Tale was done, what loud Applause
Like Bursts of Thunder shook the spacious Hall!
At last, when, sore constrain'd, th'unwilling Lords
Pronounc'd the fatal Sentence on her Life;
A Peal of Groans ran thro the crouded Court,
As every Heart were broken, and the Doom,
Like that which waits the World, were universal.
(V.i, pp. 56-7)
These are romantick, light, vain-glorious Dreams
Have you consider'd well upon the Danger?
How dear to the fond Many, and how popular
These are whom you wou'd spare? Have you forgot
When at the Bar, before the Seat of Judgment,
This Lady Jane, this beauteous Traitress stood,
With what Command she charm'd the whole Assembly?
With silent Grief the mournful Audience sat,
Fix'd on her Face, and list'ning to her Pleading.
Her very Judges wrung their Hands for Pity;
Their old Hearts melted in 'em as she spoke,
And Tears ran down upon their silver Beards.
Ev'n I my self was mov'd, and for a moment
Felt Wrath suspended in my doubtful Breast,
And question'd if the Voice I heard was mortal.
But when her Tale was done, what loud Applause
Like Bursts of Thunder shook the spacious Hall!
At last, when, sore constrain'd, th'unwilling Lords
Pronounc'd the fatal Sentence on her Life;
A Peal of Groans ran thro the crouded Court,
As every Heart were broken, and the Doom,
Like that which waits the World, were universal.
(V.i, pp. 56-7)
Categories
Provenance
C-H Lion
Citation
First performed April 20, 1715. 33 entries in the ESTC (1715, 1717, 1718, 1719, 1720, 1727, 1730, 1733, 1735, 1736, 1740, 1744, 1748, 1750, 1754, 1755, 1761, 1764, 1771, 1774, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1782, 1791)
See The Tragedy Of The Lady Jane Gray. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. By N. Rowe (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1715). <Link to ECCO>
See The Tragedy Of The Lady Jane Gray. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. By N. Rowe (London: Printed for Bernard Lintott, 1715). <Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
07/21/2013
