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 7
... writing and publishing is not always the fame ; nor can the firft edi- tions be easily found , if even from them . could be obtained the neceffary information . The time at which his first play was exhibit- ed is not certainly known ...
... writing and publishing is not always the fame ; nor can the firft edi- tions be easily found , if even from them . could be obtained the neceffary information . The time at which his first play was exhibit- ed is not certainly known ...
Page 11
... writing to a poet , he has interspersed critical obfervations , of which fome are common , and fome perhaps ventured ... written on them is " much better than what I have performed " ' on " on any other . As I have endeavoured to DRY D E ...
... writing to a poet , he has interspersed critical obfervations , of which fome are common , and fome perhaps ventured ... written on them is " much better than what I have performed " ' on " on any other . As I have endeavoured to DRY D E ...
Page 12
... written in quatrains , or heroick ftan- zas of four lines ; a meafure which he had learned from the Gondibert of Davenant , and which he then thought the most ma- jestick that the English language affords . Of this ftanza he mentions ...
... written in quatrains , or heroick ftan- zas of four lines ; a meafure which he had learned from the Gondibert of Davenant , and which he then thought the most ma- jestick that the English language affords . Of this ftanza he mentions ...
Page 13
... writing both for the theatre , were naturally rivals . He was now so much diftinguished , that in 1668 he fucceeded Sir William Davenant as poet - laureat . The falary of the laureat had been raised in favour of Jonfon , by Charles the ...
... writing both for the theatre , were naturally rivals . He was now so much diftinguished , that in 1668 he fucceeded Sir William Davenant as poet - laureat . The falary of the laureat had been raised in favour of Jonfon , by Charles the ...
Page 16
... written in rhyme by Elkanah Settle ; which was fo much applauded , as to make him think his fupremacy of reputation in some danger . Settle had not only been profper- ous on the stage , but , in the confidence of fuccefs , had published ...
... written in rhyme by Elkanah Settle ; which was fo much applauded , as to make him think his fupremacy of reputation in some danger . Settle had not only been profper- ous on the stage , but , in the confidence of fuccefs , had published ...
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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.