The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. |
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Page 92
It appears , in all his writings , that he had the usual concomitant of great abilities ,
a lofty and steady confidence in himself , perhaps not without some contempt of
others ; for scarcely any man ever wrote so much , and praised so few .
It appears , in all his writings , that he had the usual concomitant of great abilities ,
a lofty and steady confidence in himself , perhaps not without some contempt of
others ; for scarcely any man ever wrote so much , and praised so few .
Page 292
It is not very unlikely that he wrote very early as well as he ever wrote ; and the
performances of youth have many favourers , because the authors yet lay no
claim to publick honours , and are therefore not considered as rivals by the
distributors ...
It is not very unlikely that he wrote very early as well as he ever wrote ; and the
performances of youth have many favourers , because the authors yet lay no
claim to publick honours , and are therefore not considered as rivals by the
distributors ...
Page 313
It must have happened between 1707 , when he wrote to Pope ; and 1711 , when
Pope praised him in his Essay . The epitaph makes him forty - six years old : if
Wood's account be right , he died in 1709 . He is known more by his familiarity ...
It must have happened between 1707 , when he wrote to Pope ; and 1711 , when
Pope praised him in his Essay . The epitaph makes him forty - six years old : if
Wood's account be right , he died in 1709 . He is known more by his familiarity ...
Page 320
... who wrote , and made no difficulty of declaring that he wrote only to please ,
and who perhaps knew that by his dexterity of versification he was more likely to
excel others in rhyme than without it , very readily adopted his master's
preference .
... who wrote , and made no difficulty of declaring that he wrote only to please ,
and who perhaps knew that by his dexterity of versification he was more likely to
excel others in rhyme than without it , very readily adopted his master's
preference .
Page 412
To search his plays for vigorous sallies and sententious elegances , or to fix the
dates of little pieces which he wrote by chance , or by solicitation , were labour
too tedious and minute . GO His dramatick labours did not so wholly absorb his ...
To search his plays for vigorous sallies and sententious elegances , or to fix the
dates of little pieces which he wrote by chance , or by solicitation , were labour
too tedious and minute . GO His dramatick labours did not so wholly absorb his ...
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admired afterwards answer appears beauties beginning better called character common considered Cowley criticism death delight desire Dryden Earl easily elegance English equal excellence expected expression fancy formed friends genius give given hand hope images imagination Italy kind King knowledge known labour Lady language Latin learning least less light lines lived Lord lost manners means mention Milton mind nature never numbers observation once opinion original passages passions performance perhaps person play pleasing pleasure poem poet poetical poetry praise present probably produced publick published raised reader reason received relates remarks rhyme says seems sent sentiments sometimes supplied supposed tell thing thou thought tion tragedy translation true truth verses virtue Waller whole write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 173 - The want* of human interest is always felt. Paradise Lost is one of the books which the reader admires and lays down, and forgets to take up again. None ever wished it longer than it is. Its perusal is a duty rather than a pleasure. We read Milton for instruction, retire harassed and overburdened, and look elsewhere for recreation ; we desert / our master, and seek for companions.
Page 417 - 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 2 - ... he became, as he relates, irrecoverably a poet. Such are the accidents which, sometimes remembered, and perhaps sometimes forgotten, produce that particular designation of mind, and propensity for some certain science or employment, which is commonly called genius. The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction.
Page 173 - This, being necessary, was therefore defensible ; and he should have secured the consistency of his system, by keeping immateriality out of sight, and enticing his reader to drop it from his thoughts. But he has unhappily perplexed his poetry with his philosophy. His infernal and celestial powers are sometimes pure spirit, and sometimes animated body.
Page 63 - His spear, — to equal which, the tallest pine Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast Of some great ammiral, were but a wand...
Page 97 - ... wrong ; the next is an acquaintance with the history of mankind, and with those examples which may be said to embody truth, and prove by events the reasonableness of opinions. Prudence and justice are virtues and excellences of all times and of all places ; we are perpetually moralists, but we are geometricians only by chance.
Page 395 - There was, therefore, before the time of Dryden no poetical diction, no system of words at once refined from the grossness of domestic use, and free from the harshness of terms appropriated to particular arts. Words too familiar, or too remote, defeat the purpose of a poet. From those sounds which we hear on small or on coarse occasions, we do not easily receive strong impressions, or delightful images ; and words to which we are nearly strangers, whenever they occur, draw that attention on themselves...
Page 418 - As when some great and gracious monarch dies, Soft whispers, first, and mournful murmurs rise Among the sad attendants ; then the sound Soon gathers voice, and spreads the news around, Through town and country, till the dreadful blast Is blown to distant colonies at last...
Page 436 - I am as free as nature first made man, Ere the base laws of servitude began, When wild in woods the noble savage ran.
Page 408 - These fight like husbands, but like lovers those : These fain would keep, and those more fain enjoy...
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Volume 9 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, Francesco Bartolozzi |
| Author | Samuel Johnson |
| Illustrated by | Samuel Freeman, Francesco Bartolozzi |
| Contributors | George Walker, John Haddon |
| Publisher | G. Walker ... [and 9 others], 1820 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 18 Jan 2008 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |