"THEN as to Correction, the Heart being hardned, as before, by Opinion and Practice, and especially in a Belief that he ought not to be corrected, the Rod of Correction has a different Effect; for as the Blow of a Stripe makes an Impression on the Heart of a Child, as stamping a Seal does upon the soft Wax, the Reproof even of Words on the same Heart when grown up, and made hard, is like striking upon Steel, which instead of making an Impression on the Metal, darts back sparks of Fire in your Face."
— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)
Author
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Eman. Matthews
Date
1715
Metaphor
"THEN as to Correction, the Heart being hardned, as before, by Opinion and Practice, and especially in a Belief that he ought not to be corrected, the Rod of Correction has a different Effect; for as the Blow of a Stripe makes an Impression on the Heart of a Child, as stamping a Seal does upon the soft Wax, the Reproof even of Words on the same Heart when grown up, and made hard, is like striking upon Steel, which instead of making an Impression on the Metal, darts back sparks of Fire in your Face."
Metaphor in Context
The Heart of the tender Youth, by forbearance of Instruction, grows opinionated, and obstinately embraces the Follies he has been indulg'd in, not being easily convinc'd of the criminal Quality of what he has been so long allow'd the Practice of by his negligent Parents; and this renders late Instruction fruitless: THEN as to Correction, the Heart being hardned, as before, by Opinion and Practice, and especially in a Belief that he ought not to be corrected, the Rod of Correction has a different Effect; for as the Blow of a Stripe makes an Impression on the Heart of a Child, as stamping a Seal does upon the soft Wax, the Reproof even of Words on the same Heart when grown up, and made hard, is like striking upon Steel, which instead of making an Impression on the Metal, darts back sparks of Fire in your Face.
(pp. 68-9)
(pp. 68-9)
Categories
Provenance
Searching "steel" and "heart" in ECCO-TCP
Citation
27 entries in ESTC (1715, 1717, 1718, 1720, 1725, 1727, 1732, 1734, 1741, 1742, 1755, 1761, 1766, 1787, 1792, 1794, 1795, 1800).
Text from The Family Instructor: In Three Parts; I. Relating to Fathers and Children. II. To Masters and Servants. III. To Husbands and Wives. (London: Printed for Eman. Matthews, 1715). <Link to Vol. I in ECCO-TCP>
Text from The Family Instructor: In Three Parts; I. Relating to Fathers and Children. II. To Masters and Servants. III. To Husbands and Wives. (London: Printed for Eman. Matthews, 1715). <Link to Vol. I in ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
03/12/2014
