"Ten thousand terrors now besieg'd her soul; / Ten thousand nothings, which her fancy drest / In colour, substance, circumstance, and form."
— Cowley [née Parkhouse], Hannah (1743-1809)
Work Title
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed by T. Spilsbury, for L. Davis, T. Longman, J. Dodsley, T. Cadell, W. Owen
Date
1780
Metaphor
"Ten thousand terrors now besieg'd her soul; / Ten thousand nothings, which her fancy drest / In colour, substance, circumstance, and form."
Metaphor in Context
Yet, 'mongst the virgins, one sad heart was found;
'Twas in the bosom of the royal Princess.
Her vows, her plighted troth, had long been given
To young MONTENOS, Duke Medina's Heir.
He, only he, could melt her icy breast;
--None could so well deserve an untouch'd heart.
His mind, more noble than his princely birth,
Lent glory to his name: matchless his form!
As poets feign celestial Virtue wears,
When visible to man. Oh! wonder not,
The Princess lov'd with strength no common flame
Could have inspir'd! Her soul was full of love:
She liv'd, she breath'd, she thought, but for MONTENOS.
Ten thousand terrors now besieg'd her soul;
Ten thousand nothings, which her fancy drest
In colour, substance, circumstance, and form.
Yet, from her lover, 'twas her care to hide
The tender weakness which her heart confest.
Shall I, she cry'd, a mighty kingdom's heir,
Shew terrors that the humbler maids despise?
(p. 11)
'Twas in the bosom of the royal Princess.
Her vows, her plighted troth, had long been given
To young MONTENOS, Duke Medina's Heir.
He, only he, could melt her icy breast;
--None could so well deserve an untouch'd heart.
His mind, more noble than his princely birth,
Lent glory to his name: matchless his form!
As poets feign celestial Virtue wears,
When visible to man. Oh! wonder not,
The Princess lov'd with strength no common flame
Could have inspir'd! Her soul was full of love:
She liv'd, she breath'd, she thought, but for MONTENOS.
Ten thousand terrors now besieg'd her soul;
Ten thousand nothings, which her fancy drest
In colour, substance, circumstance, and form.
Yet, from her lover, 'twas her care to hide
The tender weakness which her heart confest.
Shall I, she cry'd, a mighty kingdom's heir,
Shew terrors that the humbler maids despise?
(p. 11)
Categories
Provenance
Searching in ECCO-TCP
Citation
Only 1 entry in ECCO and ESTC (1780).
The Maid of Arragon; a Tale: by Mrs. Cowley. Part I. (London: Printed by T. Spilsbury, for L. Davis, T. Longman, J. Dodsley, T. Cadell, W. Owen, [and 8 others in London], 1780). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
The Maid of Arragon; a Tale: by Mrs. Cowley. Part I. (London: Printed by T. Spilsbury, for L. Davis, T. Longman, J. Dodsley, T. Cadell, W. Owen, [and 8 others in London], 1780). <Link to ESTC><Link to ECCO-TCP>
Date of Entry
04/28/2014
