"The wise Man prepares himself for Death, by making it familiar to his Mind.--When strong Reflections hold the Mirror near,--and the Living in the Dead behold their future selves, how does each inordinate Passion and Desire cease or sicken at the View?"
— Lillo, George (1691/3-1739)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Gray
Date
June 22, 1731
Metaphor
"The wise Man prepares himself for Death, by making it familiar to his Mind.--When strong Reflections hold the Mirror near,--and the Living in the Dead behold their future selves, how does each inordinate Passion and Desire cease or sicken at the View?"
Metaphor in Context
UNCLE.
If I was superstitious, I shou'd fear some Danger lurk'd unseen, or Death were nigh:--A heavy Melancholy clouds my Spirits; my Imagination is fill'd with gashly Forms of dreary Graves, and Bodies chang'd by Death,--when the pale lengthen'd Visage attracks each weeping Eye,--and fills the musing Soul, at once, with Grief and Horror, Pity and Aversion.--I will indulge the Thought. The wise Man prepares himself for Death, by making it familiar to his Mind.--When strong Reflections hold the Mirror near,--and the Living in the Dead behold their future selves, how does each inordinate Passion and Desire cease or sicken at the View?--The Mind scarce moves;--The Blood, curdling, and chill'd, creeps slowly thro' the Veins,-- fix'd, still, and motionless, like the solemn Object of our Thoughts.--We are almost at present--what we must be hereafter, 'till Curiosity awakes the Soul, and sets it on Inquiry.--
(III.iv, p. 38)
If I was superstitious, I shou'd fear some Danger lurk'd unseen, or Death were nigh:--A heavy Melancholy clouds my Spirits; my Imagination is fill'd with gashly Forms of dreary Graves, and Bodies chang'd by Death,--when the pale lengthen'd Visage attracks each weeping Eye,--and fills the musing Soul, at once, with Grief and Horror, Pity and Aversion.--I will indulge the Thought. The wise Man prepares himself for Death, by making it familiar to his Mind.--When strong Reflections hold the Mirror near,--and the Living in the Dead behold their future selves, how does each inordinate Passion and Desire cease or sicken at the View?--The Mind scarce moves;--The Blood, curdling, and chill'd, creeps slowly thro' the Veins,-- fix'd, still, and motionless, like the solemn Object of our Thoughts.--We are almost at present--what we must be hereafter, 'till Curiosity awakes the Soul, and sets it on Inquiry.--
(III.iv, p. 38)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "mind" and "mirror" in ECCO-TCP
Citation
Over 80 entries in ESTC (1731, 1733, 1735, 1737, 1740, 1743, 1745, 1746, 1747, 1750, 1751, 1754, 1757, 1758, 1759, 1760, 1762, 1763, 1764, 1766, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1772, 1773, 1774, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1780, 1782, 1783, 1785, 1787, 1788, 1790, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1796, 1798, 1799, 1800).
See The London Merchant: or, the History of George Barnwell. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. By His Majesty's Servants. By Mr. Lillo (London: Printed for J. Gray, 1731). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
See The London Merchant: or, the History of George Barnwell. As it is Acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane. By His Majesty's Servants. By Mr. Lillo (London: Printed for J. Gray, 1731). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
08/16/2013
