"Our minds, when young, are like tinder--they will catch any spark, whether emitted by Virtue or by Vice; and it is to be lamented, that the latter emits them more than the former."
— Trusler, John (1735-1820)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler
Date
1790
Metaphor
"Our minds, when young, are like tinder--they will catch any spark, whether emitted by Virtue or by Vice; and it is to be lamented, that the latter emits them more than the former."
Metaphor in Context
THIS strongly shews the force of all example, and the evil tendency of bad ones. If we take a glance round us, we shall in general find, that though, as Gay says,
Learning was ne'er entailed from son to son;
yet Vice is, in some measure, hereditary. We shall see the children of the most abandoned treading, through prevalence of example, and for want of good advice, in the footsteps of their parents, and becoming, literally, Chips of the old Block. Let us not, however, witness this sad truth, without being ourselves imitative--not of the bad, but of the good qualities of our relatives and associates. It is in our younger years that we attract those habits, that either sweeten or embitter our future lives. Our minds, when young, are like tinder--they will catch any spark, whether emitted by Virtue or by Vice; and it is to be lamented, that the latter emits them more than the former.
(pp. 37-8)
Learning was ne'er entailed from son to son;
yet Vice is, in some measure, hereditary. We shall see the children of the most abandoned treading, through prevalence of example, and for want of good advice, in the footsteps of their parents, and becoming, literally, Chips of the old Block. Let us not, however, witness this sad truth, without being ourselves imitative--not of the bad, but of the good qualities of our relatives and associates. It is in our younger years that we attract those habits, that either sweeten or embitter our future lives. Our minds, when young, are like tinder--they will catch any spark, whether emitted by Virtue or by Vice; and it is to be lamented, that the latter emits them more than the former.
(pp. 37-8)
Categories
Provenance
ECCO-TCP
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1790).
See Proverbs Exemplified, and Illustrated by Pictures from Real Life. Teaching Morality and a Knowledge of the World; With Prints. Designed As a Succession-Book to Æsop's Fables. ([London]: Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler, and sold at the Literary-Press, and by all booksellers. London May, 1, 1790). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
See Proverbs Exemplified, and Illustrated by Pictures from Real Life. Teaching Morality and a Knowledge of the World; With Prints. Designed As a Succession-Book to Æsop's Fables. ([London]: Printed for and published by the Rev. J. Trusler, and sold at the Literary-Press, and by all booksellers. London May, 1, 1790). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
03/12/2014
