The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: The lives of the most eminent English poetsJ. Buckland [and 40 others], 1787 - English literature |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 80
Page 4
... and great affiftance has been given me by Mr. SPENCE'S Collections , of which I confider the communication as a favour worthy of publick acknowledgement . COWLEY . COWLEY . HE Life of Cowley , notwithstanding the penury ADVERTISEMENT .
... and great affiftance has been given me by Mr. SPENCE'S Collections , of which I confider the communication as a favour worthy of publick acknowledgement . COWLEY . COWLEY . HE Life of Cowley , notwithstanding the penury ADVERTISEMENT .
Page 5
... given the character , not the life of Cowley ; for he writes with fo little detail , that scarcely any thing is diftinctly known , but all is fhewn confused and enlarged through the mift of pa- negyrick . ABRAHAM COWLEY was born in the ...
... given the character , not the life of Cowley ; for he writes with fo little detail , that scarcely any thing is diftinctly known , but all is fhewn confused and enlarged through the mift of pa- negyrick . ABRAHAM COWLEY was born in the ...
Page 7
... given fuch early proofs , not only of powers of language , but of comprehenfion of things , as to more tardy minds seems scarcely credible . But of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no doubt , fince a volume of his poems was ...
... given fuch early proofs , not only of powers of language , but of comprehenfion of things , as to more tardy minds seems scarcely credible . But of the learned puerilities of Cowley there is no doubt , fince a volume of his poems was ...
Page 11
... given fome credit to the answer of his oracle . Some * Confulting the Virgilian Lots , Sortes Virgiliana , is a method of Divination by the opening of Virgil , and applying to the circum- ftances of the perufer the firft paffage in ...
... given fome credit to the answer of his oracle . Some * Confulting the Virgilian Lots , Sortes Virgiliana , is a method of Divination by the opening of Virgil , and applying to the circum- ftances of the perufer the firft paffage in ...
Page 13
... given by Dr. Scarborough . This year he published his poems , with a preface , in which he feems to have inferted fomething , fup- preffed in fubfequent editions , which was interpreted to denote fome relaxation of his loyalty . In this ...
... given by Dr. Scarborough . This year he published his poems , with a preface , in which he feems to have inferted fomething , fup- preffed in fubfequent editions , which was interpreted to denote fome relaxation of his loyalty . In this ...
Common terms and phrases
againſt anfwer appears becauſe caufe cenfure character Charles Dryden compofitions confidered converfation Cowley criticifm criticks defign defire delight difcovered Dryden eafily Earl elegance English excellence expreffions exprefs fafe faid fame fatire fays fecond feems feen fenfe fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould fince firft firſt fome fomething fometimes foon ftill ftudies ftyle fubject fuch fuffered fufficiently fupply fuppofed fure genius himſelf honour houfe houſe Hudibras itſelf John Dryden King labour laft laſt leaft learning lefs Lord Milton mind moft moſt muft muſt nature neceffary never NIHIL numbers obferved occafion paffages paffed paffions Paradife Loft perfon perhaps Pindar pleafed pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry praife praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reafon reft reprefented rhyme ſeems ſtudy thefe theſe thing thofe thoſe thou thought tion tragedy tranflation univerfally uſed verfes verſes Virgil Waller whofe write written
Popular passages
Page 146 - In this Poem there is no nature, for there is no truth ; there is no art, for there is nothing new. Its form is that of a pastoral, easy, vulgar, and therefore disgusting : whatever images it can supply, are long ago exhausted ; and its inherent improbability always forces dissatisfaction on the mind.
Page 382 - 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 395 - To see this fleet upon the ocean move, Angels drew wide the curtains of the skies; And heaven, as if there wanted lights above, For tapers made two glaring comets rise.
Page 22 - The most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence together ; nature and art are ransacked for illustrations, comparisons, and allusions ; their learning instructs and their subtlety surprises ; but the reader commonly thinks his improvement dearly bought, and, though he sometimes admires, is seldom pleased.
Page 165 - Paradise Lost is one of the books which the reader admires and lays down, and forgets to take up again. None ever wished it longer than it is. Its perusal is a duty rather than a pleasure.
Page 57 - Wash'd from the morning beauties' deepest red ; An harmless flatt'ring meteor shone for hair, And fell adown his shoulders with loose care ; He cuts out a silk mantle from the skies, Where the most sprightly azure...
Page 132 - that though our author had daily about him one or other to read, some persons of man's estate, who, of their own accord, greedily catched at the opportunity of being his readers, that they might as well reap the benefit of what they read to him, as oblige him by the benefit of their reading ; and others of younger years were sent by their parents to the same end...
Page 174 - From his contemporaries he neither courted nor received support : There is in his writings nothing by which the pride of other authors might be gratified, or favour gained ; no exchange of praise, nor solicitation of support.
Page 314 - Latin proverb, were not always the least happy; and as his fancy was quick, so likewise were the products of it remote and new. He borrowed not of any other, and his imaginations were such as could not easily enter into any other man.
Page 146 - We know that they never drove a field, and that they had no flocks to batten; and though it be allowed that the representation may be allegorical, the true meaning is so uncertain and remote, that it is never sought because it cannot be known when it is found.