Life of William Congreve |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
actors admirable Almeria Angelica anonymous appeared attack audience beauty Ben Jonson Betterton Bracegirdle called character Charles Charles Gildon Cibber close Colley Cibber Collier comedy comic Congreve's critic dedication defending Dennis dialogue Double Dealer doubt dramatic dramatists Drury Lane Dryden Duchess Duchess of Marlborough edition English epistle Etheredge Foresight Frail friendship Giles Jacob greve humour Incognita Keally Lady less letters Lincoln's literary literature London Gazette Lord Love for Love Molière Montague Mourning Bride Moyle Muse never Old Bachelor Osmyn pamphlet Patentees perhaps Pindar play play-houses playwright poem poet poet's poetry Pope praise printed probably profane prologue Prue published Puritan satire says Scandal scarcely scene seems Shadwell Short View Sir Sampson Southerne stage success Swift tells Theatre Royal theatrical thing thought Tonson tragedy Valentine Vanbrugh verse Walter Moyle William Congreve World writing written Wycherley young
Popular passages
Page 12 - To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, Awake for ever in a sweet unrest; Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, And so live ever, — or else swoon to death.
Page 77 - Looking tranquillity ! It strikes an awe And terror on my aching sight ; the tombs And monumental caves of death look cold, And shoot a chillness to my trembling heart. Give me thy hand, and let me hear thy voice; Nay, quickly speak to me, and let me hear Thy voice — my own affrights me with its echoes.
Page 20 - Who, not accepting, did but just refuse. There was a glance at parting ; such a look, As bids thee not give o'er for one rebuke. But if thou wouldst be seen as well as read, Copy one living author and one dead : The standard of thy style let Etherege be ; For wit, the' immortal spring of Wycherley ; Learn, after both, to draw some just design, And the next age will learn to copy thine.
Page 120 - If that be found a forfeited estate. He owns with toil he wrought the following scenes; But, if they're naught, ne'er spare him for his pains: Damn him the more; have no commiseration For dulness on mature deliberation...
Page 154 - But instead of endeavouring to raise a vain monument to myself, of the merits or difficulties of it, (which must be left to the world, to truth, and to posterity,) let me leave behind me a memorial of my friendship with one of the most valuable men, as well as finest writers of my age and country...
Page 135 - It made people laugh; and somebody thought it worth his while to translate it again, and print it as it was acted : but if you meet such a thing, I assure you it was none of ours...
Page 27 - Dryden has long extended his command, By right divine, quite through the muses' land, Absolute lord; and holding now from none, But great Apollo, his undoubted crown. That empire settled, and grown old in...
Page 45 - Though with some short parenthesis between, High on the throne of wit, and seated there. Not mine — that's little — but thy laurel wear. Thy first attempt an early promise made: That early promise this has more than paid. So bold, yet so judiciously you dare, That your least praise is to be regular.
Page 69 - A singular and unavoidable manner of doing or saying any thing, Peculiar and Natural to one Man only, by which his Speech and Actions are distinguished from those of other men.
Page 51 - Dorset, then lord chamberlain, who took the most effectual method for their relief. The learned of the law were advised with, and they gave their opinion that no patent for acting plays, &c. could tie up the hands of a succeeding prince from granting the like authority where it might be thought proper to trust it. But while this affair was in agitation, queen Mary died, which of course occasioned a cessation of all public diversions.