The Percy Anecdotes: Original and Select [by] Sholto and Reuben Percy, Brothers of the Benedictine Monastery, Mont Benger, Volume 17T. Boys, 1826 - Anecdotes |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 20
Page 17
... the Greeks , and it was long before the Latin stage could boast of an original composition . When delivered from the trammels of imitation , their plays became c 2 THE STAGE . 17 to pay a fixed sum of money; and if ...
... the Greeks , and it was long before the Latin stage could boast of an original composition . When delivered from the trammels of imitation , their plays became c 2 THE STAGE . 17 to pay a fixed sum of money; and if ...
Page 18
... imitation , their plays became more descriptive of Roman character and manners ; but it may be doubted whether they did not lose more in purity of taste , than they gained in originality ; for we find that the stage degenerated soon ...
... imitation , their plays became more descriptive of Roman character and manners ; but it may be doubted whether they did not lose more in purity of taste , than they gained in originality ; for we find that the stage degenerated soon ...
Page 67
... imitating an actor ; so that the others on the stage appeared really great persons , and not representatives in comparison with him . This was a nicety that none but the most subtile player could conceive . In the words , " For us , and ...
... imitating an actor ; so that the others on the stage appeared really great persons , and not representatives in comparison with him . This was a nicety that none but the most subtile player could conceive . In the words , " For us , and ...
Page 93
... imitating the tone and difficulty of instruments ; and her chief labour and ambition was to surprise ; concluding that wonder , however ex- cited , must needs include pleasure . Travelling with her husband , an excellent performer on ...
... imitating the tone and difficulty of instruments ; and her chief labour and ambition was to surprise ; concluding that wonder , however ex- cited , must needs include pleasure . Travelling with her husband , an excellent performer on ...
Page 103
... imitation , and all alike did honour to his execution . Every passion of the human breast seemed subjected to his powers of expression ; nay , even time itself Speared to stand still or advance as he would have it Rage and ridicule ...
... imitation , and all alike did honour to his execution . Every passion of the human breast seemed subjected to his powers of expression ; nay , even time itself Speared to stand still or advance as he would have it Rage and ridicule ...
Other editions - View all
The Percy Anecdotes: Original and Select [By] Sholto and Reuben Percy ... Sholto Percy,Reuben Percy No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
acted actors admired afterwards ancient appears astonished audience bards Bartholomew Fair Beggar's Opera birds called celebrated character church comedy composed composition concert court Covent Garden Covent Garden Theatre dance death delight dramatic Drury Lane Drury Lane Theatre effect England English entertainment exhibited Farinelli father favour favourite flute French Garrick genius Handel harmony harp harpsichord Haydn Haymarket Theatre hear heard honour humour imitation instrument introduced Italian Italy John King lady Lincoln's Inn Fields London manner master melody ment Moliere Mozart musician never night occasion opera oratorio orchestra Paris performed persons piece pipe play players pleasure poet poetry prince produced Queen reign representation Roman royal says scene Senesino Shakespeare singer singing sky lark song soon Sophocles sound stage success sung Susarion talents taste theatre theatrical Thespis tone tragedy tune violin vocal voice whole William Davenant writer
Popular passages
Page 72 - His characters are not modified by the customs of particular places, unpractised by the rest of the world ; by the peculiarities of studies or professions, which can operate but upon small numbers ; or by the accidents of transient fashions or temporary opinions ; they are the genuine progeny of common humanity, such as the world will always supply, and observation will always find. His persons act and speak by the influence of those general passions and principles by which all minds are agitated,...
Page 106 - The times have been That, when the brains were out, the man would die, And there an end ; but now they rise again, With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, And push us from our stools.
Page 73 - They are the genuine progeny of common humanity such as the world will always supply and observation will always find. His persons act and speak by the influence of those general passions and principles by which all minds are agitated and the whole system of life is continued in motion. In the writings of other poets a character is too often an individual ; in those of Shakespeare it is commonly a species.
Page 37 - The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark, When neither is attended ; and, I think The nightingale, if she should sing by day, When every goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than the wren.
Page 64 - Our women are defective, and so sized, You'd think they were some of the guard disguised ; For to speak truth, men act, that are between Forty and fifty, wenches of fifteen ; With bone so large, and nerve so incompliant, When you call Desdemona, enter giant.
Page 72 - WHEN Learning's triumph o'er her barbarous foes First rear'd the stage, immortal Shakespeare rose; Each change of many-colour'd life he drew, Exhausted worlds, and then imagin'd new: Existence saw him spurn her bounded reign, And panting Time toil'd after him in vain.
Page 111 - Reason thus with life : If I do lose thee, I do lose a thing That none but fools would keep. A breath thou art (Servile to all the skyey influences) That dost this habitation, where thou keep'st, Hourly afflict.
Page 74 - She was so well pleased with that admirable character of Falstaff, in The Two Parts of Henry the Fourth, that she commanded him to continue it for one play more, and to shew him in love. This is said to be the occasion of his writing The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Page 128 - Dives' gate, the dogs lick his sores. 12. The good angel and Death contend for Lazarus's life. 13. Rich Dives is taken sick, and dieth ; he is buried in great solemnity. 14. Rich Dives in hell, and Lazarus in Abraham's bosom, seen in a most glorious object, all in machines descending in a throne, guarded with multitudes of angels ; with the breaking of the clouds, discovering the palace of the sun, in double and treble prospects, to the admiration of all the spectators.
Page 77 - I should visit him upon no other footing than that of a gentleman who led a life of plainness and simplicity. I answered, that had he been so unfortunate as to be a mere gentleman, I should never have come to see him; and I was very much disgusted at so unseasonable a piece of vanity.