The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets;: With Critical Observations on Their Works, Volume 2C. Bathurst, J. Buckland, W. Strahan, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Davies, T. Payne, L. Davis, W. Owen, B. White, S. Crowder, T. Caslon, T. Longman, B. Law, C. Dilly, J. Dodsley, J. Wilkie, J. Robson, J. Johnson, T. Lowndes, G. Robinson, T. Cadell, J. Nichols, E. Newbery, T. Evans, P. Elmsly, R. Baldwin, G. Nicol, Leigh and Sotheby, J. Bew, N. Conant, W. Nicoll, J. Murray, S. Hayes, W. Fox, and J. Bowen., 1783 - English poetry |
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Page 207
1 “ And if they proceeded upon a founda" tion of truer reason to please the Athe“
nians than Shakspeare and Fletcher to please the English , it only shews that the
« Athenians were a more judicious people ; “ but the poet's business is certainly ...
1 “ And if they proceeded upon a founda" tion of truer reason to please the Athe“
nians than Shakspeare and Fletcher to please the English , it only shews that the
« Athenians were a more judicious people ; “ but the poet's business is certainly ...
Page 313
Envy and detraction seem" ed to be entirely foreign to his constitu“ tion ; and
whatever provocations he met “ with at any time , he passed them over “ without
the least thought of resentment so or revenge . As Homer had a Zoilus , so “ Mr.
Rowe ...
Envy and detraction seem" ed to be entirely foreign to his constitu“ tion ; and
whatever provocations he met “ with at any time , he passed them over “ without
the least thought of resentment so or revenge . As Homer had a Zoilus , so “ Mr.
Rowe ...
Page 318
business as is transacted without interrup : tion . Rowe , by this licence , eafily
extricates himself from difficulties ; as in Yand Grey , when we have been terrified
with all the dreadful pomp of publick execution , and are wondering how the ...
business as is transacted without interrup : tion . Rowe , by this licence , eafily
extricates himself from difficulties ; as in Yand Grey , when we have been terrified
with all the dreadful pomp of publick execution , and are wondering how the ...
Page 332
... therefore wrote the opera of Rofamond , which , when exhibited on the stage ,
was either hissed or neglected ; but trusting that the readers would do him more
justice , he published it , with an infeription . : tion to the dutchess of Marlborough
...
... therefore wrote the opera of Rofamond , which , when exhibited on the stage ,
was either hissed or neglected ; but trusting that the readers would do him more
justice , he published it , with an infeription . : tion to the dutchess of Marlborough
...
Page 380
Part of his reputaADDISON , in his life , and for some time afterwards , was
considered by the greater part of readers as supremely excelling both in poetry
and criticism . tion may be probably ascribed to the advancement of his fortune :
when ...
Part of his reputaADDISON , in his life , and for some time afterwards , was
considered by the greater part of readers as supremely excelling both in poetry
and criticism . tion may be probably ascribed to the advancement of his fortune :
when ...
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Common terms and phrases
Addiſon afterwards againſt appears becauſe better called cenſure character compoſitions conſidered converſation criticiſm death deſign deſired Dryden duke earl eaſily effect elegant Engliſh excellence fame favour firſt force formed friends genius give given hands himſelf hundred Italy kind king knowledge known language laſt learning leaſt leſs lines lived lord manner means ment mentioned mind moſt muſt nature never obſerved occaſion once opinion original paſſions performance perhaps play pleaſe poem poet poetical poetry Pope praiſe preface preſent probably produced publick publiſhed raiſed reader reaſon received remarks rhyme ſaid ſame ſays ſeems ſhall ſhew ſhould ſome ſometimes ſtage Steele ſtudy ſubject ſuch ſuffer ſuppoſed theſe thing thoſe thought tion told tragedy tranſlated true uſe verſes whole whoſe write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 428 - I never heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a subscriber. He is too grave a poet for me; and I think among the Mediocrists, in prose as well as verse.
Page 169 - Works of imagination excel by their allurement and delight ; by their power of attracting and detaining the attention. That book is good in vain, which the reader throws away. He only is the master, who keeps the mind in pleasing captivity; whose pages are perused with eagerness, and in hope of new pleasure are perused again ; and whose conclusion is perceived with an eye of sorrow, such as the traveller casts upon departing day.
Page 420 - What he attempted, he performed ; he is never feeble, and he did not wish to be energetic ; he is never rapid, and he never stagnates. His sentences have neither studied amplitude, nor affected brevity ; his periods, though not diligently rounded, are voluble and easy. Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.
Page 364 - Tories in the last reign ; an act of authority violent enough, yet certainly legal, and by no means to be compared with that contempt of national right with which, some time afterwards, by the instigation of Whiggism, the Commons, chosen by the people for three years, chose themselves for seven.
Page 348 - This, says Pope *, had been tried for the first time in favour of the Distrest Mother; and was now, with more efficacy, practised for Cato. The danger was soon over. The whole nation was at that time on fire with faction. The Whigs applauded every line in which liberty was mentioned, as a satire on the Tories ; and the Tories echoed every clap, to show that the satire was unfelt.
Page 148 - 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 188 - Perhaps no nation ever produced a writer that enriched his language with such variety of models. To him we owe the improvement, perhaps the completion, of our metre, the refinement of our language, and much of the correctness of our sentiments.
Page 112 - 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 114 - 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 208 - Whether our English audience have been pleased hitherto with, acorns, as he calls it, or with bread, is the next question ; that is, whether the means which Shakspeare and Fletcher have used in their plays to raise those passions before named, be better applied to the ends by the Greek poets than by them.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets;: With Critical Observations on Their Works, Volume 2 The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets;: With Critical Observations on Their Works, J., F., and C. Rivington (Firm) |
| Author | Samuel Johnson |
| Illustrated by | Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Trotter |
| Contributors | Charles Bathurst, James Buckland, William Strahan, J., F., and C. Rivington (Firm) |
| Publisher | C. Bathurst, J. Buckland, W. Strahan, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Davies, T. Payne, L. Davis, W. Owen, B. White, S. Crowder, T. Caslon, T. Longman, B. Law, C. Dilly, J. Dodsley, J. Wilkie, J. Robson, J. Johnson, T. Lowndes, G. Robinson, T. Cadell, J. Nichols, E. Newbery, T. Evans, P. Elmsly, R. Baldwin, G. Nicol, Leigh and Sotheby, J. Bew, N. Conant, W. Nicoll, J. Murray, S. Hayes, W. Fox, and J. Bowen., 1783 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 11 Jul 2007 |
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