Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets, Volume 1J. Nichols, 1779 - English poetry |
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Page 29
... begin a quarrel with them . " It ap- pears , however , from the Theatrical Register of Downes the prompter , to have been popularly confidered as a fa- tire on the royalists . That That he might fhorten this tedious fufpenfe , he ...
... begin a quarrel with them . " It ap- pears , however , from the Theatrical Register of Downes the prompter , to have been popularly confidered as a fa- tire on the royalists . That That he might fhorten this tedious fufpenfe , he ...
Page 35
... begin with . And befides , I can get no money from my tenants , and have my meadows eaten up every night " by cattle put in by my neighbours . " What this fignifies , or may come to " in time , God knows ; if it be omi- nous , it can ...
... begin with . And befides , I can get no money from my tenants , and have my meadows eaten up every night " by cattle put in by my neighbours . " What this fignifies , or may come to " in time , God knows ; if it be omi- nous , it can ...
Page 111
... Begin the fong , and ftrike the living lyre : Lo how the years to come , a numerous and well - fitted quire , All hand in hand do decently advance , And to my fong with fmooth and equal meafure dance ; While the dance lafts , how long ...
... Begin the fong , and ftrike the living lyre : Lo how the years to come , a numerous and well - fitted quire , All hand in hand do decently advance , And to my fong with fmooth and equal meafure dance ; While the dance lafts , how long ...
Page 112
... begin- ' Tis an unruly and a hard - mouth'd horfe " Twill no unskilful touch endurę , But flings writer and reader too that fits not fure . The fault of Cowley , and perhaps of all the writers of the metaphyfical race , is that of ...
... begin- ' Tis an unruly and a hard - mouth'd horfe " Twill no unskilful touch endurę , But flings writer and reader too that fits not fure . The fault of Cowley , and perhaps of all the writers of the metaphyfical race , is that of ...
Page 114
... begin her career ; but there is yet more to be done . Let the poftilion Nature mount , The coachman Art be fet ; and let And let the airy footmen , running all befide , Make a long row of goodly pride ; Figures , conceits , raptures ...
... begin her career ; but there is yet more to be done . Let the poftilion Nature mount , The coachman Art be fet ; and let And let the airy footmen , running all befide , Make a long row of goodly pride ; Figures , conceits , raptures ...
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Common terms and phrases
againſt allufions Anacreon anſwered becauſe Clarendon compofitions conceits confidered converfation copacy Cowley Cowley's Cromwel Davideis defcription deferved defire delight diction diſcovered Donne doth Engliſh expreffions fafe faid fame fatire fays fecond feems fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould filk fince fion firft firſt fome fomething fometimes foon ftile ftill ftudies fubject fuch fuffered fufficiently fupply fuppofes fure furpriſed fyllables Hampden heroick himſelf houſe itſelf juft king known lady laft laſt leaft learning lefs lines loft lord lord Conway meaſure metaphyfical poets Milton mind moft moſt muft muſt nature never numbers obferved occafion paffage parliament perufal Petrarch Pindar pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poetical poetry poets praife praiſe prefent promiſe publiſhed purpoſe racter reafon reprefented ſeems ſhe ſome Sprat Taffo thee thefe themſelves theſe thing thofe thoſe thou thought thouſand tion ufed uſed verfe verfification verſes Waller whofe whoſe writing
Popular passages
Page 38 - If the father of criticism has rightly denominated poetry, an imitative art, these writers will, without great wrong, lose their right to the name of poets for they cannot be said to have imitated any thing; they neither copied nature nor life; neither painted the forms of matter, nor represented the operations of intellect.
Page 4 - The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction.
Page 59 - On a round ball A workman that hath copies by, can lay An Europe, Afric, and an Asia, And quickly make that, which was nothing, all...
Page 113 - ... running all beside, Make a long row of goodly pride, Figures, conceits, raptures, and sentences, In a well-worded dress, And innocent loves, and pleasant truths, and useful lies, In all their gaudy liveries.
Page 75 - The essence of poetry is invention; such invention as, by producing something unexpected, surprises and delights. The topics of devotion are few, and being few are universally known ; but, few as they are, they can be made no more ; they can receive no grace from novelty of sentiment, and very little from novelty of expression.
Page 32 - He was now,' says the courtly Sprat, 'weary of the vexations and formalities of an active condition. He had been perplexed with a long compliance to foreign manners. He was satiated with the arts of a court; which sort of life, though his virtue made it innocent to him, yet nothing could make it quiet.
Page 104 - The compositions are such as might have been written for penance by a hermit, or for hire by a philosophical rhymer who had only heard of another sex...
Page 161 - He doubtless praised some whom he would have been afraid to marry, and perhaps married one whom he would have been ashamed to praise. Many qualities contribute to domestic happiness, upon which poetry has no colours to bestow ; and many airs and sallies may delight imagination, which he who flatters them never can approve.
Page 145 - tis imposture all; And as no chemic yet the elixir got, But glorifies his pregnant pot If by the way to him befall Some odoriferous thing, or medicinal, So lovers dream a rich and long delight, But get a winter-seeming summer's night.