Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Literary
May 4, 1802
The New Hampshire Gazette
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
An apostrophe personifying Idleness as a destructive force that fosters vice, obscures virtue, and leads to personal and societal ruin, urging resistance to its temptations.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
APOSTROPHE TO IDLENESS.
IDLENESS, thou bane of every estimable quality, thou pander to every vice! in what colors of infamy oughtest thou to be painted, and how dangerous is it to indulge thy caresses! Beneath thy enervating blandishments every corruption springs up, and every virtue is obscured. It is thou that sinkest the love of honorable performance in the bed of inglorious ease. It is thou that holdest out the oblivious draught of what duty calls to perform; and when once thy cup is tasted to intoxication, farewell every hope of fame, farewell every wish for distinction. Bound in thy fetters, talents, whether natural or acquired, are useless; and even the brightest virtues become tainted by folly, or contaminated by perverse passions. I have seen the proud lords of nature stoop to thy bewitchings, till they encumbered the very earth on which they dwelt, and only lived to disgrace themselves, and to be a burden to the community.
IDLENESS, thou bane of every estimable quality, thou pander to every vice! in what colors of infamy oughtest thou to be painted, and how dangerous is it to indulge thy caresses! Beneath thy enervating blandishments every corruption springs up, and every virtue is obscured. It is thou that sinkest the love of honorable performance in the bed of inglorious ease. It is thou that holdest out the oblivious draught of what duty calls to perform; and when once thy cup is tasted to intoxication, farewell every hope of fame, farewell every wish for distinction. Bound in thy fetters, talents, whether natural or acquired, are useless; and even the brightest virtues become tainted by folly, or contaminated by perverse passions. I have seen the proud lords of nature stoop to thy bewitchings, till they encumbered the very earth on which they dwelt, and only lived to disgrace themselves, and to be a burden to the community.
What sub-type of article is it?
Essay
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Temperance
What keywords are associated?
Idleness
Vice
Virtue
Moral Decay
Apostrophe
Personification
Literary Details
Title
Apostrophe To Idleness.
Key Lines
Idleness, Thou Bane Of Every Estimable Quality, Thou Pander To Every Vice!
Beneath Thy Enervating Blandishments Every Corruption Springs Up, And Every Virtue Is Obscured.
Bound In Thy Fetters, Talents, Whether Natural Or Acquired, Are Useless; And Even The Brightest Virtues Become Tainted By Folly, Or Contaminated By Perverse Passions.
I Have Seen The Proud Lords Of Nature Stoop To Thy Bewitchings, Till They Encumbered The Very Earth On Which They Dwelt, And Only Lived To Disgrace Themselves, And To Be A Burden To The Community.