Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets, Volume 1J. Nichols, 1779 - English poetry |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 27
Page 10
... those who attended the king , and amongst . others of lord Falkland , whofe notice caft a luftre on all to whom it was ex- tended . About the time when Oxford was furrendered to the parliament , he fol- lowed the Queen to Paris , where ...
... those who attended the king , and amongst . others of lord Falkland , whofe notice caft a luftre on all to whom it was ex- tended . About the time when Oxford was furrendered to the parliament , he fol- lowed the Queen to Paris , where ...
Page 32
... Those were the reasons that moved " him to follow the violent inclination " of his own mind , which , in the great- " eft throng of his former bufiness , " had ftill called upon him , and repre- " fented to him the true delights of ...
... Those were the reasons that moved " him to follow the violent inclination " of his own mind , which , in the great- " eft throng of his former bufiness , " had ftill called upon him , and repre- " fented to him the true delights of ...
Page 45
... Those writers who lay on the watch for novelty could have little hope of greatnefs ; for great things cannot have escaped former ob- fervation . Their attempts were always analytick ; they broke every image into fragments ; and could no ...
... Those writers who lay on the watch for novelty could have little hope of greatnefs ; for great things cannot have escaped former ob- fervation . Their attempts were always analytick ; they broke every image into fragments ; and could no ...
Page 48
... those who know their value ; and fuch as , when they are expanded to perfpicuity , and polished to elegance , may give luftre to works which have more propriety , though lefs copioufnefs of fentiment . This kind of writing , which was ...
... those who know their value ; and fuch as , when they are expanded to perfpicuity , and polished to elegance , may give luftre to works which have more propriety , though lefs copioufnefs of fentiment . This kind of writing , which was ...
Page 76
... those , who think lefs , but are more diligent to adorn their thoughts . That a mistress beloved is fairer in idea than in reality , is by Cowley thus expreffed : Thou in my fancy doft much higher stand , Than women can be plac'd by ...
... those , who think lefs , but are more diligent to adorn their thoughts . That a mistress beloved is fairer in idea than in reality , is by Cowley thus expreffed : Thou in my fancy doft much higher stand , Than women can be plac'd by ...
Other editions - View all
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.