The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets;: Dryden. Smith. Duke. King. Sprat. Halifax. Parnell. Garth. Rowe. Addison. Huches. SheffieldC. 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, ... [and 24 others], 1781 - English poetry - 503 pages |
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Page 65
... studies , and filled it , capacious as it was , with other materials , came unprovided to the controver- fy , and wanted rather skill to discover the right than virtue to maintain it . But en- quiries into the heart are not for man ; we ...
... studies , and filled it , capacious as it was , with other materials , came unprovided to the controver- fy , and wanted rather skill to discover the right than virtue to maintain it . But en- quiries into the heart are not for man ; we ...
Page 92
... study and meditation , and his trade rather than his pleasure . Of the mind that can trade in corruption , and can deliberately pollute itfelf with ideal wickedness for the fake of fpreading the contagion in fociety , I wish not to ...
... study and meditation , and his trade rather than his pleasure . Of the mind that can trade in corruption , and can deliberately pollute itfelf with ideal wickedness for the fake of fpreading the contagion in fociety , I wish not to ...
Page 116
... study ; from which if ever he departs , he is in danger of lofing himself in unknown regions . In his Dialogue on the Drama , he pro- nounces with great confidence that the Latin tragedy of Medea is not Ovid's , because it is not ...
... study ; from which if ever he departs , he is in danger of lofing himself in unknown regions . In his Dialogue on the Drama , he pro- nounces with great confidence that the Latin tragedy of Medea is not Ovid's , because it is not ...
Page 127
... itself , and however ftored with acquifitions . He whofe work is ge- neral and arbitrary , has the choice of his matter , and takes that which his inclination and and his studies have beft qualified him to display and DRY DE N. 127.
... itself , and however ftored with acquifitions . He whofe work is ge- neral and arbitrary , has the choice of his matter , and takes that which his inclination and and his studies have beft qualified him to display and DRY DE N. 127.
Page 128
Samuel Johnson. and his studies have beft qualified him to display and decorate . He is at liberty to delay his publication , till he has fatisfied his friends and himself ; till he has reformed his firft thoughts by fubfequent ...
Samuel Johnson. and his studies have beft qualified him to display and decorate . He is at liberty to delay his publication , till he has fatisfied his friends and himself ; till he has reformed his firft thoughts by fubfequent ...
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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 defire diction diſcovers dramatick Dryden duke eafily earl eaſy Effay elegant Engliſh excellence expreffed faid fame fatire favour fays fecond feems feldom fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould fince firft firſt fome fometimes foon friends ftudies fubject fuch fuffered fufficient fuppofed genius himſelf Hiſtory houſe intereft itſelf John Dryden king laft laſt leaſt lefs leſs likewife lord maſter mind moſt muſt neceffary never numbers obferved occafion paffages paffed paffions perfon perhaps play pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racters raiſed reaſon rhyme ſay ſcenes ſeems Sempronius ſhip ſkill ſome ſtage Steele ſtill ſtudy ſuch ſuppoſe Syphax Tatler theſe thofe thoſe thought tion tragedy tranflated Tyrannick Love uſe verfe verfion verſes Virgil Whig whofe whoſe write written
Popular passages
Page 439 - That general knowledge which now circulates in common talk, was in his time rarely to be found. Men not professing learning were not ashamed of ignorance ; and, in the female world, any acquaintance with books was distinguished only to be censured.
Page 444 - 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.
Page 120 - 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 192 - 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 160 - As only buz to Heaven with evening wings ; Strike in the dark, offending but by chance ; Such are the blindfold blows of Ignorance : They know not beings,, and but hate a name ; To them the Hind and Panther are the same.
Page 259 - He was a Whig, with all the virulence and malevolence of his party; yet difference of opinion did not keep us apart. I honoured him, and he endured me. He had mingled with the gay world without exemption from its vices or its follies, but had never neglected the cultivation of his mind; his belief of Revelation was unshaken; his learning preserved his principles; he grew first regular, and then pious.
Page 259 - At this man's table I enjoyed many cheerful and instructive hours, with companions such as are not often found ; with one who has lengthened and one who has gladdened life ; with Dr. James, whose skill in physic will be long remembered, and with David Garrick...
Page 93 - Of this kind of meanness he never seems to decline the practice or lament the necessity : he considers the great as entitled to encomiastic homage ; and brings praise rather as a tribute than a gift, more delighted with the fertility of his invention than mortified by the prostitution of his judgment.
Page 372 - 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 454 - 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.