"But o'er intrigues whatever planet reigns, / And fires to Bedlam-rage a lover's brains; / One honey-moon's sufficient to restore 'em / From wild impertinence, to cool decorum."
— Fenton, Elijah (1683-1730)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for J. Tonson
Date
February 22, 1723
Metaphor
"But o'er intrigues whatever planet reigns, / And fires to Bedlam-rage a lover's brains; / One honey-moon's sufficient to restore 'em / From wild impertinence, to cool decorum."
Metaphor in Context
EPILOGUE
And yet 'tis vain to reason, or to rail,
The tempter man was destin'd to prevail:
To hear him flatter, sigh, implore, protest,
A... je ne sçai quoi!... will flutter in the breast.
But o'er intrigues whatever planet reigns,
And fires to Bedlam-rage a lover's brains;
One honey-moon's sufficient to restore 'em
From wild impertinence, to cool decorum.
By this plain model had the play been wrought,
My Hebrew spark had acted as he ought;
With a keen appetite enjoy'd the feast,
And decently suffic'd, withdrawn to rest:
But, glutton-like, to grudge the world his Leaving,
Was wond'rous unpolite, to my conceiving!
Homer, who human nature nicely knew,
(Ye Critics, I read Greek... as well as you.)
In colours of a softer kind display'd
The husband civil, to the wife who stray'd.
Though Helen had elop'd, her gentle lord
Renew'd her forfeit claim to bed and board:
For which dear foible of the fair forgiv'n,
The Gods vouchsaf'd to send him Quick to heav'n:
And in no Spartan novel can I find,
The good man griev'd to leave his spouse behind.
In such gay lights when wedded life is shown,
What couple wou'd not wish the case their own?
(77-8)
And yet 'tis vain to reason, or to rail,
The tempter man was destin'd to prevail:
To hear him flatter, sigh, implore, protest,
A... je ne sçai quoi!... will flutter in the breast.
But o'er intrigues whatever planet reigns,
And fires to Bedlam-rage a lover's brains;
One honey-moon's sufficient to restore 'em
From wild impertinence, to cool decorum.
By this plain model had the play been wrought,
My Hebrew spark had acted as he ought;
With a keen appetite enjoy'd the feast,
And decently suffic'd, withdrawn to rest:
But, glutton-like, to grudge the world his Leaving,
Was wond'rous unpolite, to my conceiving!
Homer, who human nature nicely knew,
(Ye Critics, I read Greek... as well as you.)
In colours of a softer kind display'd
The husband civil, to the wife who stray'd.
Though Helen had elop'd, her gentle lord
Renew'd her forfeit claim to bed and board:
For which dear foible of the fair forgiv'n,
The Gods vouchsaf'd to send him Quick to heav'n:
And in no Spartan novel can I find,
The good man griev'd to leave his spouse behind.
In such gay lights when wedded life is shown,
What couple wou'd not wish the case their own?
(77-8)
Categories
Provenance
LION
Citation
First performed February 22, 1723. Over 16 entries in the ESTC (1723, 1726, 1728, 1735, 1745, 1759, 1760, 1768, 1774, 1777, 1781, 1794).
Mariamne. A Tragedy. Acted at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. Written by Mr. Fenton (London: Printed for J. Tonson, 1723). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Mariamne. A Tragedy. Acted at the Theatre Royal in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields. Written by Mr. Fenton (London: Printed for J. Tonson, 1723). <Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
08/20/2013
