The lives of the English poetsF. C. and J. Rivington, 1823 - Authors, English |
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Page 1
... known ; and that little claims no praise but what can be given to intellectual ex- cellence , seldom employed to any virtuous purpose . His character , as given by Mr. Oldisworth , with all the partiality of friendship , which is said ...
... known ; and that little claims no praise but what can be given to intellectual ex- cellence , seldom employed to any virtuous purpose . His character , as given by Mr. Oldisworth , with all the partiality of friendship , which is said ...
Page 9
... known and allowed , that he had been singled out by some great men to write a history , which it was for their interest to have done with the utmost art and dexterity . I shall not mention for what rea- sons this design was dropped ...
... known and allowed , that he had been singled out by some great men to write a history , which it was for their interest to have done with the utmost art and dexterity . I shall not mention for what rea- sons this design was dropped ...
Page 16
... known by the name of Smith , was born at Handley , the seat of the Lech- meres , in Worcestershire . The year of his birth is uncertain . * He was educated at Westminster . It is known to have been the practice of Dr. Busby to detain ...
... known by the name of Smith , was born at Handley , the seat of the Lech- meres , in Worcestershire . The year of his birth is uncertain . * He was educated at Westminster . It is known to have been the practice of Dr. Busby to detain ...
Page 22
... known characters . A subject will not easily occur that can give more opportunities of informing the understanding , for which Smith was unquestionably qualified , or for moving the passions , in which I suspect him to have had less ...
... known characters . A subject will not easily occur that can give more opportunities of informing the understanding , for which Smith was unquestionably qualified , or for moving the passions , in which I suspect him to have had less ...
Page 48
... known , had he no other attractions than those of his poetry , of which a short time has withered the beauties . It would now be esteemed no honour , by a contributor to the monthly bundles of verses , to be told , that , in strains ...
... known , had he no other attractions than those of his poetry , of which a short time has withered the beauties . It would now be esteemed no honour , by a contributor to the monthly bundles of verses , to be told , that , in strains ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Addison afterwards appeared Battle of Ramillies Beggar's Opera Cato censure character Cibber conduct Congreve considered contempt court criticism death declared distress Dryden Duke Earl elegance endeavoured excellence expence favour fortune friends genius gentleman honour imagined Juba jury justly kind King William Lady letter likewise lived lord chamberlain Lord Halifax mankind Matthew Prior ment mentioned merit mind mother nature ness never observed obtained occasion once opinion Oxford passion performance perhaps person play pleased pleasure poem poet poetical poetry Pope pounds praise present Prior publick published Queen racter reason received regard remarkable Savage Savage's says seems Sempronius sent shew shewn Sir Richard Steele Sir Robert Walpole Smith solicited sometimes Spence Steele supposed Syphax Tatler tenderness Theophilus Cibber thought Tickell tion told topicks tragedy Tyrconnel verses virtue Whig William Congreve write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 26 - His studies had been so various, that I am not able to name a man of equal knowledge. His acquaintance with books was great; and what he did not immediately know, he could at least tell where to find.
Page 113 - was particular in this writer, that, when he had taken his resolution, or made his plan for what he designed to write, he would walk about a room, and dictate it into language, with as much freedom and ease as any one could write it down, and attend to the coherence and grammar of what he dictated.
Page 26 - 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, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend. But what are the hopes of man ? I am disappointed by that stroke of death which has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.
Page 184 - ... clash of wit, in which nothing flows necessarily from the occasion, or is dictated by nature. The characters both of men and women are either fictitious and artificial, as those of Heartwell and the Ladies; or easy and common, as Wittol a tame idiot, Bluff a swaggering coward, and Fondlewife a jealous puritan; and the catastrophe arises from a mistake not very probably produced, by marrying a woman in a mask.
Page 193 - Looking tranquillity ! It strikes an awe And terror on my aching sight ; the tombs And monumental caves of death look cold, And shoot a chillness to my trembling heart. Give me thy hand, and let me hear thy voice; Nay, quickly speak to me, and let me hear Thy voice — my own affrights me with its echoes.
Page 110 - He taught us how to live ; and, oh ! too high The price of knowledge, taught us how to die.
Page 144 - His prose is the model of the middle style ; on grave subjects not formal, on light occasions not grovelling, pure without scrupulosity, and exact without apparent elaboration ; always equable, and always easy, without glowing words or pointed sentences.
Page 296 - Performance, he was without Lodging, and often without Meat ; nor had he any other Conveniences for Study than the Fields or the Streets allowed him, there he used to walk and form his Speeches, and afterwards step into a Shop, beg for a few Moments the Use of the Pen and Ink, and write down what he had composed upon Paper which he had picked up by Accident.
Page 144 - outsteps the modesty of nature," nor raises merriment or wonder by the violation of truth. His figures neither divert by distortion, nor amaze by aggravation. He copies life with so much fidelity, that he can...
Page 99 - He wrote, as different exigencies required (in 1707), the Present State of the War, and the necessity of an augmentation...