An Historical Sketch of the Origin of English Prose Literature, and of Its Progress Till the Reign of James I |
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Common terms and phrases
accomplished accordingly afterwards allure antiquity Bacon barbarous Bible Boccacio Canterbury Canterbury Tales Caxton century character Chaucer chronicles church Cicero civil classic clergy college of cardinals composition contemporary countrymen cultivated curious dialect Edward the Confessor elegance eloquence eminent energy England ENGLISH PROSE erudite expression fancy fiction French genius Gower gratifying Greek grete Henry the eighth ignorance imperfect indebted intellectual invention John John of Salisbury king knowledge labour land Langlande Latin Latin language LAYAMON learning liberal literary lord MAGDALEN COLLEGE manner ment mind modern monasteries muse narratives native language neral ness noble numerous original ornament Oxford peculiar period perusal philosophy poet poetic poetry pope popular propriety provement racter reign Richard Robert of Gloucester Roger Ascham romance Rome rude Sapience Saxon says scarcely scholastic singular sixth spirit studious style thorghe tion tongue translation treatises verse Warton William Caxton wisdom writings yere
Popular passages
Page 15 - Of genius, that power which constitutes a poet; that quality without which judgment is cold and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates, the superiority must with some hesitation be allowed to Dryden.
Page 46 - Ah ! Freedom is a noble thing ! Freedom makes man to have liking ! Freedom all solace to man gives : He lives at ease that freely lives...
Page 82 - ... their wits being shut up in the cells of a few authors, chiefly Aristotle their dictator, as their persons were shut up in the cells of monasteries and colleges,) and knowing little history, either of nature or time, did out of no great quantity of matter, and infinite agitation of wit, spin out unto us those laborious webs of learning, which are extant in their books.
Page 82 - This kind of degenerate learning did chiefly reign amongst the schoolmen : who having sharp and strong wits, and abundance of leisure, and small variety of reading, but their wits being shut up in the cells of a few authors (chiefly Aristotle their dictator) as their persons were shut up in the cells of monasteries and colleges, and knowing little history, either of nature or time, did out of no great quantity of matter and infinite agitation of wit spin out unto us those laborious webs of learning...
Page 83 - This grew speedily to an excess; for men began to hunt more after words than matter; and more after the choiceness of the phrase, and the round and clean composition of the sentence, and the sweet falling of the clauses, and the varying and illustration of their works with tropes and figures, than after the weight of matter, worth of subject, soundness of argument, life of invention, or depth of judgment.
Page 15 - ... wisdom is a fox, who after long hunting will at last cost you the pains to dig out. Tis a cheese, which by how much the richer, has the thicker, the homelier, and the coarser coat; and whereof to a judicious palate, the maggots are the best. Tis a sack-posset, wherein the deeper you go, you will find it the sweeter.
Page 15 - WAS yesterday, about sun-set, walking in the open fields, till the night insensibly fell upon me. I at first amused myself with all the richness and variety of colours which appeared in the western parts of heaven ; in proportion as they faded away and went out, several stars and planets appeared one after another, till the whole firmament was in a glow.
Page 58 - The credit of his sister, the countenance and example of his prince, the boisterousness of the times, nothing softened, nothing roughened the mind of this amiable lord, who was as gallant as his luxurious brotherin-law, without his weaknesses — as brave as the heroes of either Rose, without their savagoness — studious in the intervals of business — and devout after the manner of those whimsical times.
Page 89 - The constitution of her mind is exempt from female weakness, and she is endued with a masculine power of application. No apprehension can be quicker than hers, no memory more retentive. French and Italian she speaks like English; Latin with fluency, propriety, and judgment; she also spoke Greek with me, frequently, willingly, and moderately well.
Page 94 - In the reign of Elizabeth, the English mind put forth its energies in every direction, exalted by a purer religion, and enlarged by new views of truth. This was an age of loyalty, adventure, and generous emulation. The chivalrous character was softened by intellectual pursuits, while the genius of chivalry itself still lingered, as if unwilling to depart ; and paid his last homage to a Warlike and Female reign. A degree of romantic fancy remained...