The pen "Conquers Hearts with soft prevailing Force"
— Behn, Aphra (1640?-1689)
Author
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for R. Bentley, and are to be sold by Richard Baldwin [etc.]
Date
1689
Metaphor
The pen "Conquers Hearts with soft prevailing Force"
Metaphor in Context
'Tis to your Pen, Great Sir, the Nation owes
For all the Good this Mighty Change has wrought;
'Twas that the wondrous Method did dispose,
E're the vast Work was to Perfection brought.
Oh Strange effect of a Seraphick Quill!
That can by unperceptable degrees
Change every Notion, every Principle
To any Form, its Great Dictator please:
The Sword a Feeble Pow'r, compar'd to That,
And to the Nobler Pen subordinate,
And of less use in Bravest turns of State:
While that to Blood and Slaughter has recourse,
This Conquers Hearts with soft prevailing Force:
So when the wiser Greeks o'recame their Foes,
It was not by the Barbarous Force of Blows.
When a long Ten Years Fatal VVar had fail'd,
VVith luckier Wisdom they at last assail'd,
VVisdom and Counsel which alone prevail'd.
Not all their Numbers the Fam'd Town could win,
'Twas Nobler Stratagem that let the Conquerour in.
For all the Good this Mighty Change has wrought;
'Twas that the wondrous Method did dispose,
E're the vast Work was to Perfection brought.
Oh Strange effect of a Seraphick Quill!
That can by unperceptable degrees
Change every Notion, every Principle
To any Form, its Great Dictator please:
The Sword a Feeble Pow'r, compar'd to That,
And to the Nobler Pen subordinate,
And of less use in Bravest turns of State:
While that to Blood and Slaughter has recourse,
This Conquers Hearts with soft prevailing Force:
So when the wiser Greeks o'recame their Foes,
It was not by the Barbarous Force of Blows.
When a long Ten Years Fatal VVar had fail'd,
VVith luckier Wisdom they at last assail'd,
VVisdom and Counsel which alone prevail'd.
Not all their Numbers the Fam'd Town could win,
'Twas Nobler Stratagem that let the Conquerour in.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "conque" and "heart" in HDIS (Poetry)
Date of Entry
02/09/2005
