Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets: DrydenJ. Nichols, 1779 - English poetry |
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Page 3
... Of his fchool performances has ap- peared only a poem on the death of Lord Haftings , compofed with great ambition of fuch conceits as , notwith- standing b 2 standing the reformation begun by Waller and Denham , the DRY . DE N. 3.
... Of his fchool performances has ap- peared only a poem on the death of Lord Haftings , compofed with great ambition of fuch conceits as , notwith- standing b 2 standing the reformation begun by Waller and Denham , the DRY . DE N. 3.
Page 6
... poem on the happy restoration and return of his moft facred Majefty King Charles the Se- cond . The reproach of inconftancy was on this occafion , fhared with fuch numbers , that it produced neither hatred nor dif- grace ; if he changed ...
... poem on the happy restoration and return of his moft facred Majefty King Charles the Se- cond . The reproach of inconftancy was on this occafion , fhared with fuch numbers , that it produced neither hatred nor dif- grace ; if he changed ...
Page 7
Samuel Johnson. The fame year he praised the new king in a fecond poem on his reftoration . In the ASTRA was the line , An horrid ftilnefs first invades the ear , And in that filence we a tempeft fear : for which he was perfecuted with ...
Samuel Johnson. The fame year he praised the new king in a fecond poem on his reftoration . In the ASTRA was the line , An horrid ftilnefs first invades the ear , And in that filence we a tempeft fear : for which he was perfecuted with ...
Page 12
... Night , which Rymer has made famous by preferring it to thofe of all other poets . The practice of making tragedies in rhyme was introduced foon after the Refto- Restoration , as it feems , by the earl of F2 DRY DE N.
... Night , which Rymer has made famous by preferring it to thofe of all other poets . The practice of making tragedies in rhyme was introduced foon after the Refto- Restoration , as it feems , by the earl of F2 DRY DE N.
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Common terms and phrases
Abfalom againſt Almanzor anſwer becauſe cenfure character Charles Dryden compofition confidered criticiſm criticks defcription defign defire dramatick Dryden Duke of Lerma eafily elegant Elkanah Settle Engliſh excellence Fables fafe faid fame fatire fays fecond feems feldom fenfe fentiments feven fhall fhew fhould fince firft firſt fome fomething fometimes fouls ftudy fubject fuccefs fuch fuffer fufficient fuppofed fure genius heroick himſelf inftruction itſelf John Dryden juft Juvenal labour laft laſt lefs likewife lines lord meaſure mind moft moſt muft muſt neceffary never numbers obferved occafion paffages paffions pafs perhaps play pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry praife praiſe preface profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſe reaſon refentment reft reprefented rhyme ſays ſeems Shakeſpeare Sir Robert Howard Sophocles ſtage thefe theſe thofe thoſe thought thouſand tion Tonfon tragedy tranflated Tyrannick Love uſe verfe verfification verfion verſes Virgil whofe whoſe writing written
Popular passages
Page 243 - 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 310 - What was said of Rome, adorned by Augustus, may be applied by an easy metaphor to English poetry, embellished by Dryden, "lateritiam invenit, marmoream reliquit." He found it brick, and he left it marble.
Page 168 - 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.
Page 185 - Criticism, either didactic or defensive, occupies almost all his prose, except those pages which he has devoted to his patrons; but none of his prefaces were ever thought tedious.
Page 185 - They have not the formality of a settled style, in which the first half of the sentence betrays the other. The clauses are never balanced, nor the periods modelled: every word seems to drop by chance, though it falls into its proper place. Nothing is cold or languid; the whole is airy, animated, and vigorous; what is little, is gay; what is great, is splendid.
Page 253 - A milk-white Hind, immortal and unchang'd, Fed on the lawns, and in the forest rang'd : Without unspotted, innocent within, She fear'd no danger, for she knew no sin. Yet had she oft been .chas'd with horns and hounds. And Scythian shafts, and many winged wounds Aim'd at her heart ; was often forc'd to fly, And doom'd to death, though fated not to die.
Page 189 - 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.
Page 295 - There is surely reason to suspect that he pleased himself as well as his audience ; and that these, like the harlots of other men, had his love, though not his approbation. He had sometimes faults of a less generous and splendid kind.
Page 207 - Behold th' approaching cliffs of Albion : It is no longer motion cheats your view, As you meet it, the land approacheth you. The land returns, and, in the white it wears, The marks of penitence and sorrow bears.
Page 168 - To judge rightly of an author, we must transport ourselves to his time, and examine what were the wants of his contemporaries, and what were his means of supplying them.