"[W]ith a goodly look she smil'd; / so that through pure impression / of his own imagination, / with all the heat of his courage / his love upon this fair Image / he set."
— Anon.
Author
Date
1672
Metaphor
"[W]ith a goodly look she smil'd; / so that through pure impression / of his own imagination, / with all the heat of his courage / his love upon this fair Image / he set."
Metaphor in Context
Argument I.
How Pygmalion fell in Love with the Image he made.
Pygmalion niveum mira feliciter arte
Sculp sit ebur, formamq; dedit, qua fæmina nasci
Nulla potest, operesq; sui concepit amorem.
Ovid. l. x.
I find that heretofore was one,
whose name it was Pygmalion,
which was a lusty man of youth,
and at fine warks was very couth
above all other men, as tho,
and through fortune it fell him so.
As he that doth in Love travail,
he made an Image of entail;
like to a Woman in semblance
of feature and of countenance.
So fair, yet never was Figure,
right as a living creature
she seemed, for of Ivory white
he hath it wrote of such delight.
She was ruddy on the Cheke,
and red on her Lips eke,
whereof then he himself begyl'd,
for with a goodly look she smil'd;
so that through pure impression
of his own imagination,
with all the heat of his courage
his love upon this fair Image
he set: and her of love pray'd,
but she not one word again said.
All the long day what thing he did,
this fair Image in the same stead
was ever by, so that at meat
he would her serve, and pray'd her eat,
and put unto her mouth the cup:
and when the board was taken up,
he led her to his chamber home,
and after when the night was come,
he lay'd her in bed all naked,
he often wept and often waked.
He kist her cold lips oft and oft,
and wisht her that they were more soft;
and oft he told her in her ear,
and oft his arm now here now there
he lay'd as he would her embrace;
and ever and anon he asked grace,
as though she wyst what it meant,
and himself began to torment.
But Venus of her grace him heard
by night, and whan that least he fear'd,
and it lay naked in his arm,
the cold Image began be warm
of flesh and bone, and full of life;
lo thus he wan a lusty Wife,
which obeysant was at his will,
and of his pleasure gave him fill.
But if he would have help him still,
he should have failed of his will;
but 'cause he pray'd, his love he sped,
and had all that he would abed;
for e're away they two did go,
a jolly child between them two
they gate: Thus Love is favourable
to them that have been of Love stable.
How Pygmalion fell in Love with the Image he made.
Pygmalion niveum mira feliciter arte
Sculp sit ebur, formamq; dedit, qua fæmina nasci
Nulla potest, operesq; sui concepit amorem.
Ovid. l. x.
I find that heretofore was one,
whose name it was Pygmalion,
which was a lusty man of youth,
and at fine warks was very couth
above all other men, as tho,
and through fortune it fell him so.
As he that doth in Love travail,
he made an Image of entail;
like to a Woman in semblance
of feature and of countenance.
So fair, yet never was Figure,
right as a living creature
she seemed, for of Ivory white
he hath it wrote of such delight.
She was ruddy on the Cheke,
and red on her Lips eke,
whereof then he himself begyl'd,
for with a goodly look she smil'd;
so that through pure impression
of his own imagination,
with all the heat of his courage
his love upon this fair Image
he set: and her of love pray'd,
but she not one word again said.
All the long day what thing he did,
this fair Image in the same stead
was ever by, so that at meat
he would her serve, and pray'd her eat,
and put unto her mouth the cup:
and when the board was taken up,
he led her to his chamber home,
and after when the night was come,
he lay'd her in bed all naked,
he often wept and often waked.
He kist her cold lips oft and oft,
and wisht her that they were more soft;
and oft he told her in her ear,
and oft his arm now here now there
he lay'd as he would her embrace;
and ever and anon he asked grace,
as though she wyst what it meant,
and himself began to torment.
But Venus of her grace him heard
by night, and whan that least he fear'd,
and it lay naked in his arm,
the cold Image began be warm
of flesh and bone, and full of life;
lo thus he wan a lusty Wife,
which obeysant was at his will,
and of his pleasure gave him fill.
But if he would have help him still,
he should have failed of his will;
but 'cause he pray'd, his love he sped,
and had all that he would abed;
for e're away they two did go,
a jolly child between them two
they gate: Thus Love is favourable
to them that have been of Love stable.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "imagination" and "impression" in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
05/20/2005
Date of Review
12/03/2008
