"Such practices may happen to discourage and jade the Mind by an Attempt above its Power, it may balk the Understanding, and create an Aversion to future Diligence, and perhaps by Despair may forbid the Pursuit of that subject for ever afterwards; as a Limb over-strained by lifting a Weight above its Power, may never recover its former Agility and Vigour; or if it does, the Man may be frighted from ever exerting his Strength again."
— Watts, Isaac (1674-1748)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for James Brackstone
Date
1741
Metaphor
"Such practices may happen to discourage and jade the Mind by an Attempt above its Power, it may balk the Understanding, and create an Aversion to future Diligence, and perhaps by Despair may forbid the Pursuit of that subject for ever afterwards; as a Limb over-strained by lifting a Weight above its Power, may never recover its former Agility and Vigour; or if it does, the Man may be frighted from ever exerting his Strength again."
Metaphor in Context
III. Let not young Students apply themselves to search out deep, dark and abstruse Matters, far above their Reach, or spend their Labour in any peculiar subjects, for which they have not the Advantages of necessary antecedent Learning, or Books, or Observations. Let them not be too hasty to know Things above their present Powers, nor plunge their Enquiries at once into the Depths of Knowledge, nor begin to study any Science in the Middle of it; this will confound rather than enlighten the Understanding: Such practices may happen to discourage and jade the Mind by an Attempt above its Power, it may balk the Understanding, and create an Aversion to future Diligence, and perhaps by Despair may forbid the Pursuit of that subject for ever afterwards; as a Limb over-strained by lifting a Weight above its Power, may never recover its former Agility and Vigour; or if it does, the Man may be frighted from ever exerting his Strength again.
(pp. 195-6)
(pp. 195-6)
Categories
Provenance
Searching and Reading in Google Books
Citation
32 entries in ESTC (1741, 1743, 1753, 1754, 1761, 1768, 1773, 1782, 1784, 1785, 1786, 1787, 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, 1795, 1798, 1799, 1800).
Most text drawn from Google Books. See The Improvement of the Mind: or, a Supplement to the Art of Logick: Containing a Variety of Remarks and Rules for the Attainment and Communication of Useful Knowledge, in Religion, in the Sciences, and in Common Life. By I. Watts, D.D. (London: Printed for James Brackstone, at the Globe in Cornhill, 1741). <Link to ESTC><Link to 2nd edition in Google Books>
Most text drawn from Google Books. See The Improvement of the Mind: or, a Supplement to the Art of Logick: Containing a Variety of Remarks and Rules for the Attainment and Communication of Useful Knowledge, in Religion, in the Sciences, and in Common Life. By I. Watts, D.D. (London: Printed for James Brackstone, at the Globe in Cornhill, 1741). <Link to ESTC><Link to 2nd edition in Google Books>
Date of Entry
02/05/2014
