The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets: Dryden. Smith. Duke. King. Sprat. Halifax. Parnell. Garth. Rowe. Addison. Hughes. SheffieldT. Longman, 1794 - English poetry |
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Page 34
... force , " Or wind in volumes to their former courfe . " A very pretty allufion , contrary to all " fenfe or reafon . Torrents , I take it , let " them wind never fo much , can never re- " turn to their former course , unless he can ...
... force , " Or wind in volumes to their former courfe . " A very pretty allufion , contrary to all " fenfe or reafon . Torrents , I take it , let " them wind never fo much , can never re- " turn to their former course , unless he can ...
Page 50
... have been writ- ten without fo long delay , or a confede- fo numerous . racy To adjust the minute events of literary history , is tedious and troublesome ; it re- quires indeed no great force of under- standing , but quires 50 DRY D E N.
... have been writ- ten without fo long delay , or a confede- fo numerous . racy To adjust the minute events of literary history , is tedious and troublesome ; it re- quires indeed no great force of under- standing , but quires 50 DRY D E N.
Page 51
Samuel Johnson. quires indeed no great force of under- standing , but often depends upon enqui- ries which there is no opportunity of ma- king , or is to be fetched from books and pamphlets not always at hand . The Rehearsal was played ...
Samuel Johnson. quires indeed no great force of under- standing , but often depends upon enqui- ries which there is no opportunity of ma- king , or is to be fetched from books and pamphlets not always at hand . The Rehearsal was played ...
Page 95
... force himself upon me for an adversary ; I condemn " him too much to enter into competition " with him . 66 " As for the rest of those who have writ- “ ten against me , they are such scoundrels " that they deserve not the leaft notice ...
... force himself upon me for an adversary ; I condemn " him too much to enter into competition " with him . 66 " As for the rest of those who have writ- “ ten against me , they are such scoundrels " that they deserve not the leaft notice ...
Page 115
... forces himself upon our esteem , we cannot refuse him to stand high in his own . Every thing is ex- cused by the play of images and the fprite- linefs of expreffion . Though all is easy , nothing is feeble ; though all seems care- less ...
... forces himself upon our esteem , we cannot refuse him to stand high in his own . Every thing is ex- cused by the play of images and the fprite- linefs of expreffion . Though all is easy , nothing is feeble ; though all seems care- less ...
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Common terms and phrases
Addiſon afterwards againſt almoſt anſwer appears becauſe beſt Cato cauſe cenfure character Charles Dryden compofition confidered converfation criticiſm criticks defign defire diſcovered Dryden duke earl eaſily eaſy elegant Engliſh excellence faid fame fatire favour fays fecond feems feldom fent fentiments ferved fhall fhew fhould fince fion firft firſt fome fometimes foon friends fubject fuch fuffered fufficient fuppofed fure genius himſelf Hiſtory houſe intereft itſelf John Dryden juſt juſtice king laft laſt leaſt lefs leſs lord maſter moſt muſt neceffary never obferved occafion paffages paffed paffions perfon perhaps play pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reaſon rhyme ſay ſcenes ſeems Sempronius ſeveral ſome ſtage Steele ſtory ſtudy ſuch ſuppoſed Syphax Tatler thefe theſe thofe thoſe thought tion tragedy tranflated Tyrannick Love uſe verfe verfion verſes Virgil Whig whofe whoſe write written
Popular passages
Page 145 - From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began : When Nature underneath a heap of jarring atoms lay, And could not heave her head, The tuneful voice was heard from high. Arise ye more than dead. Then cold and hot, and moist and dry, In order to their stations leap, And music's power obey. From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began : From harmony to harmony Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in man.
Page 104 - Demosthenes fades away before it. In a few lines is exhibited a character so extensive in its comprehension, and so curious in its limitations, that nothing can be added, diminished or...
Page 132 - To see this fleet upon the ocean move, Angels drew wide the curtains of the skies; And heaven, as if there wanted lights above, For tapers made two glaring comets rise.
Page 89 - Of this kind of meanness he never seems to decline the practice or lament the necessity : he considers the great as entitled to encomiastic homage ; and brings praise rather as a tribute than a gift, more delighted with the fertility of his invention than mortified by the prostitution of his judgment.
Page 111 - Of him that knows much it is natural to suppose that he has read with diligence; yet I rather believe that the knowledge of Dryden was gleaned from accidental intelligence and various conversation, by a quick apprehension, a judicious selection, and a happy memory, a keen appetite of knowledge, and a powerful digestion; by vigilance that permitted nothing to pass without notice, and a habit of reflection that suffered nothing useful to be lost.
Page 184 - Perhaps no nation ever produced a writer that enriched his language with such variety of models. To him we owe the improvement, perhaps the completion of our metre, the refinement of our language, and much of the correctness of our sentiments.
Page 293 - Lovelace; but he has excelled his original in the moral effect of the fiction. Lothario, with gaiety which cannot be hated, and bravery which cannot be despised, retains too much of the spectator's kindness.
Page 197 - Next show in what ancient tragedy was deficient; for example, in the narrowness of its plots, and fewness of persons, and try whether that be not a fault in the Greek poets ; and whether their excellency was so great, when the variety was visibly so little; or whether what they did was not very easy to do.
Page 245 - James, whose skill in physic will be long remembered ; and with David Garrick, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend. But what are the hopes of man ? I am disappointed by that stroke of death which has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.
Page 79 - That he knew nothing of the matter, and would be troubled no more about it.