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The Castle of Indolence
English BooksWhale Edition by James Thomson
An allegorical poem about enchantment, idleness, temptation, and purposeful life.
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Book introduction
The Castle of Indolence
James Thomson imagines a seductive castle where ease and pleasure weaken the will, contrasting its languor with the difficult discipline required to recover freedom and action.
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Why this edition can be shared
The original work is a public-domain classic by James Thomson, who died in 1748.
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The Castle of Indolence
James Thomson
TH E CASTL E O F INDOLENC E. The Castle hight of Indolence, And its false Luxury ; Where for a little Time, alas! We liv'd right jollily.
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O Mortal Man, who livest here by Toil, Do not complain of this thy hard Estate; That like an Emmet thou must ever moil , Is a sad Sentence of an ancient Date; And, certes , there is for it Reason great; For, though sometimes it makes thee weep and wail, And curse thy Stars, and early drudge and late, Withouten That would come an heavier Bale , Loose Life, unruly Passions, and Diseases pale.
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In lowly Dale, fast by a River's Side, With woody Hill o'er Hill encompass'd round, A most enchanting Wizard did abide, Than whom a Fiend more fell is no-where found. It was, I ween , a lovely Spot of Ground; And there a Season atween June and May, Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd, A listless Climate made, where, Sooth to say, No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.
Table of contents
Inside this edition
- 01Full text
- 02I.
- 03II.
- 04III.
- 05IV.
- 06V.
- 07VI.
- 08VII.
- 09VIII.
- 10IX.
- 11X.
- 12XI.
- 13XII.
- 14I in Oblivion will your Sorrows steep,
- 15XIII.
- 16XIV.
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- 33XXXI.
- 34I who have spent my Nights and nightly Days,
- 35XXXII.
- 36XXXIII.
- 37XXXIV.
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- 60I could unmask,
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- 82CANTO II.
- 83I.
- 84I now must sing of Pleasure turn'd to Pain,
- 85II.
- 86III.
- 87I care not, Fortune, what you me deny:
- 88IV.
- 89V.
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- 92VIII.
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- 148I will!
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