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 7
... whole series of his dramatick perform- ances ; it will be fit however to enumerate them , and to take efpecial notice of thofe that are distinguished by any peculiarity in- trinfick or concomitant ; for the compofi- tion and fate of ...
... whole series of his dramatick perform- ances ; it will be fit however to enumerate them , and to take efpecial notice of thofe that are distinguished by any peculiarity in- trinfick or concomitant ; for the compofi- tion and fate of ...
Page 16
... whole is as " if I fhould fay thus , I will make my " counterfeit fmiles look like a flattering " ftone - horfe , which , being backed with a 65 trooper , does but gild the battle . I am " mikaken if nonfenfe is not here pretty " thick ...
... whole is as " if I fhould fay thus , I will make my " counterfeit fmiles look like a flattering " ftone - horfe , which , being backed with a 65 trooper , does but gild the battle . I am " mikaken if nonfenfe is not here pretty " thick ...
Page 17
... whole is thus ; when 66 The bleeds , thou needeft no greater hell or " torment to thyself , than infecting of others by pronouncing a sentence upon her . What hodge - podge does he make here ! Never was Dutch grout fuch clogging , thick ...
... whole is thus ; when 66 The bleeds , thou needeft no greater hell or " torment to thyself , than infecting of others by pronouncing a sentence upon her . What hodge - podge does he make here ! Never was Dutch grout fuch clogging , thick ...
Page 39
... whole fourth act , and the first half or fomewhat more of the fifth . - This was a play written profeffedly for the party of the duke of York , whofe fucceffion was then opposed . A parallel is intended between the Leaguers of France ...
... whole fourth act , and the first half or fomewhat more of the fifth . - This was a play written profeffedly for the party of the duke of York , whofe fucceffion was then opposed . A parallel is intended between the Leaguers of France ...
Page 40
... whole creation's day , To change in fcenes , and fhow it in a play . It is another of his hafty productions ; for the heat of his imagination raised it in a month . This compofition is addreffed to the prin- cefs of Modena , then ...
... whole creation's day , To change in fcenes , and fhow it in a play . It is another of his hafty productions ; for the heat of his imagination raised it in a month . This compofition is addreffed to the prin- cefs of Modena , then ...
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Common terms and phrases
Addiſon afterwards againſt almoſt anſwer becauſe beſt Cato cenfure character Charles Dryden compofitions confidered converfation criticiſm criticks defign defired diction diſcover Dryden duke eafily earl elegant Engliſh excellence faid fame fatire favour fays fecond feems fent fentiments fhall fhew fince firft firſt fome fomething fometimes foon friends ftill ftudies fubject fuch fuffered fufficient fuppofed genius Hiftory himſelf houſe intereft itſelf John Dryden juſt king laft laſt leaſt lefs leſs lord maſter ment moft moſt muſt neceffary never obferved occafion paffages paffed paffions paſs perfon perhaps play pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope praiſe prefent profe promiſe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reaſon rhyme ſays ſcene ſeems Sempronius ſeveral ſhall ſhould ſome ſtage ſtory ſtudy ſuch ſuppoſed Syphax Tatler thefe theſe thofe thoſe thought tion tragedy tranflated Tyrannick Love uſed verfes verfion verſes Virgil Whig whofe whoſe write written
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.