Anecdotes of Polite Literature ...G. Burnet, 1764 - Literature |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 21
Page 3
... Dryden's Virgil , vol . i . p . 89 . + If we would copy nature , it may be useful to take this idea along with us , that paftoral is an image of what they call the golden age , fo that we are not to describe our fhepherds , as shepherds ...
... Dryden's Virgil , vol . i . p . 89 . + If we would copy nature , it may be useful to take this idea along with us , that paftoral is an image of what they call the golden age , fo that we are not to describe our fhepherds , as shepherds ...
Page 10
... Dryden , who praises his Calen- dar highly . Pope fays , that in his manners , thoughts , and characters , he comes near to Theocritus himself . Mr. Pope's paftorals have been criti- cifed in fo mafterly a manner by Mr. Warton , that I ...
... Dryden , who praises his Calen- dar highly . Pope fays , that in his manners , thoughts , and characters , he comes near to Theocritus himself . Mr. Pope's paftorals have been criti- cifed in fo mafterly a manner by Mr. Warton , that I ...
Page 11
... . Pope lengthened the abruptnefs of Waller , and at the fame time contracted the exuberance of Dryden . Effay on the writings and genius of Pope , p . 10 . but but what pleasure can we receive from an imitation of ( II )
... . Pope lengthened the abruptnefs of Waller , and at the fame time contracted the exuberance of Dryden . Effay on the writings and genius of Pope , p . 10 . but but what pleasure can we receive from an imitation of ( II )
Page 31
... Dryden No author ever excelled Butler in the art of introducing abundance of erudition into fo comic a poem . Few pieces ever compofed contain more learning than Hudibras . + Voltaire , speaking of Hudibras , fays , " Il y a fur tout un ...
... Dryden No author ever excelled Butler in the art of introducing abundance of erudition into fo comic a poem . Few pieces ever compofed contain more learning than Hudibras . + Voltaire , speaking of Hudibras , fays , " Il y a fur tout un ...
Page 32
Dryden had great abilities for fatire . The generality of his pieces are almost the refuse of our language , but in some appears the richness of his genius , and in none more than his fatirical compofi- tions . Abfalom and Achitophel ...
Dryden had great abilities for fatire . The generality of his pieces are almost the refuse of our language , but in some appears the richness of his genius , and in none more than his fatirical compofi- tions . Abfalom and Achitophel ...
Common terms and phrases
abfurd abuſe Addiſon admirable againſt Alcman alfo almoſt anſwer beautiful beſt Boileau celebrated character Charles Dryden compofed compofitions confiderable contain converfation deferves defire difplay Dryden Dunciad Eclogues effays excellent expreffion expreffive faid fame fatire fays feems fenfe ferve feveral fhall fhepherds fhould filk filly fince fineſt firft fome foon foul fpeaks fpirit ftrokes fubject fublime fuch fuperior fure genius Giorgione greateſt himſelf honour houſe Houyhnhnms Hudibras humour imitation inftances juft laft language laſt Lord Halifax Lord Harvey merit moft moſt mufic muft muſt never numbers obferved paffage paffed paffions paftoral painting perfon pieces pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetic poetry Pope Pope's praiſe prefent publiſhed purpoſe racter Rambler refpect ribaldry ridicule rife ſeveral Shakeſpear ſome ſpeak taſte thefe themſelves Theſe lines thing thofe thoſe thouſand tion tranflation underſtanding univerfally uſed Verfe verfification Verſe whofe whoſe writings wrote Zimri
Popular passages
Page 86 - Me, let the tender office long engage To rock the cradle of reposing age, With lenient arts extend a mother's breath, Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death; Explore the thought, explain the asking eye, And keep a while one parent from the sky ! On cares like these, if length of days attend, May Heaven, to bless those days, preserve my friend!
Page 175 - In the worst inn's worst room, with mat half-hung, The floors of plaster, and the walls of dung, On once a flock-bed, but repair'd with straw, With tape-tied curtains, never meant to draw, The George and Garter dangling from that bed Where tawdry yellow strove with dirty red, Great Villiers lies — alas!
Page 55 - And born to write, converse, and live with ease: Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne...
Page 56 - Who but must laugh if such a man there be ? Who would not weep if Atticus were he?
Page 167 - Lo! at the Wheels of her Triumphal Car, Old England's Genius, rough with many a Scar, Dragg'd in the Dust! his Arms hang idly round, His Flag inverted trails along the ground! Our Youth, all liv'ry'd o'er with foreign Gold, Before her dance; behind her crawl the Old!
Page 36 - A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts and nothing long; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page 169 - Thus with each gift of nature and of art, And wanting nothing but an honest heart ; Grown all to all, from no one vice exempt; And most contemptible to shun contempt...
Page 36 - Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking. Blest madman, who could every hour employ With something new to wish or to enjoy ! Railing and praising were his usual themes, And both, to show his judgment, in extremes : So over violent or over civil That every man with him was God or Devil.
Page 13 - This piece was received with greater applause than was ever known. Besides being acted in London sixtythree days without interruption, and renewed the next season with equal applause, it spread into all the great towns of England; was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time ; at Bath and Bristol fifty, &c.
Page 34 - If his grace and his wit improve both proportionably, he will hardly find that he has gained much by the change he has made, from having no religion, to choose one of the worst.