The lives of the most eminent English poetsJ. Buckland, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Payne and Sons, L. Davis, B. White and Son ... [and 36 others in London], 1787 |
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Page 9
... in an age rude and uncultivated , by his tuneful homage to his Laura , refined
the manners of the lettered world , and filled Europe with love and poetry . But the
basis of all excellence is truth : he that professes love ought to feel its power .
... in an age rude and uncultivated , by his tuneful homage to his Laura , refined
the manners of the lettered world , and filled Europe with love and poetry . But the
basis of all excellence is truth : he that professes love ought to feel its power .
Page 17
... has a right , in things admitting of gradation and comparison , to throw the
whole blame upon his judges , and totally to exclude diffidence and shame by a
haughty consciousness of his own excellence . For the rejection of this play , it is
...
... has a right , in things admitting of gradation and comparison , to throw the
whole blame upon his judges , and totally to exclude diffidence and shame by a
haughty consciousness of his own excellence . For the rejection of this play , it is
...
Page 40
Such an assemblage of diversified excellence no other poet has hitherto afforded
. To choose the best , among many good , is one of the most hazardous attempts
of criticism . criticism . I know not whether Scaliger himself has persuaded 40 ...
Such an assemblage of diversified excellence no other poet has hitherto afforded
. To choose the best , among many good , is one of the most hazardous attempts
of criticism . criticism . I know not whether Scaliger himself has persuaded 40 ...
Page 41
Of all the passages in which poets have exemplified their own precepts , none
will easily be found of greater excellence than that in which Cowley condems
exuberance of Wit : Yet ' tis not to adorn and gild each part , That shews more
cost ...
Of all the passages in which poets have exemplified their own precepts , none
will easily be found of greater excellence than that in which Cowley condems
exuberance of Wit : Yet ' tis not to adorn and gild each part , That shews more
cost ...
Page 42
In his poein on the death of Harvey , there is much praise , but little passion , a
very just and ample delineation of such virtues as a studious privacy admits , and
such intellectual excellence as a mind not yet called forth to action can display .
In his poein on the death of Harvey , there is much praise , but little passion , a
very just and ample delineation of such virtues as a studious privacy admits , and
such intellectual excellence as a mind not yet called forth to action can display .
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Common terms and phrases
afterwards againſt appears beauties becauſe better called character common conſidered Cowley death delight deſign deſire Dryden Earl eaſily elegance Engliſh equal excellence expected firſt formed friends gave genius give given hand himſelf hope houſe images imagination Italy kind King knew knowledge known labour Lady language laſt learning leaſt leſs lines lived Lord manners mean mentioned Milton mind moſt muſt nature never numbers occaſion once opinion original performance perhaps perſon play pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry praiſe preſent probably produced publick publiſhed reader reaſon received remarks rhyme ſaid ſame ſays ſeems ſentiments ſhall ſhould ſome ſometimes ſtudy ſubject ſuch ſuppoſed theſe thing thoſe thought tion told tragedy tranſlation truth uſe verſes Waller whole whoſe write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 98 - ... devout prayer to that eternal Spirit who can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and sends out his seraphim, with the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases...
Page 77 - O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream My great example, as it is my theme! Though deep, yet clear, though gentle, yet not dull, Strong without rage, without o'er-flowing full.
Page 21 - I am yet unable to move or turn myself in my bed. This is my personal fortune here to begin with. And, besides, I can get no money from my tenants,' and have my meadows eaten up every night by cattle put in by my neighbours. What this signifies, or may come to in time, God knows ; if it be ominous, it can end in nothing less than hanging.
Page 383 - 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...
Page 406 - 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 268 - Repentance, trembling in the presence of the Judge, is not at leisure for cadences and epithets. Supplication of man to man may diffuse itself through many topics of persuasion ; but supplication to God can only cry for mercy.
Page 473 - 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 24 - The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together ; nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions ; their learning instructs and their subtlety surprises ; but the reader commonly thinks his improvement dearly bought, and, though he sometimes admires, is seldom pleased.
Page 126 - I have a particular occasion to remember; for whereas I had the perusal of it from the very beginning : for some years as I went from time to time to visit him , in a parcel of ten , twenty , or thirty verses at a time, which being written by whatever hand came next , might possibly want correction as to the orthography and pointing...
Page 377 - Learning once made popular is no longer learning ; it has the appearance of something which we have bestowed upon ourselves, as the dew appears to rise from the field which it refreshes.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The lives of the most eminent English poets Volume 2 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: Together with His Life, and Notes on His Lives of the Poets, Sir Joshua Reynolds |
| Authors | Samuel Johnson, John Hawkins |
| Illustrated by | Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Hall |
| Contributors | James Buckland, John Rivington, Charles Rivington, Francis Rivington, Thomas Payne, Lockyer Davis, Benjamin White, B. White and Son, T. Payne and Son |
| Publisher | J. Buckland, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Payne and Sons, L. Davis, B. White and Son ... [and 36 others in London], 1787 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 20 Jun 2007 |
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