Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets: Young. Dyer. Mallet. Shenstone. Akenside. Lyttelton. West. GrayJ. Nichols, 1781 - English poetry |
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Page 28
... laft mental exertion of the unhappy fuperannuated young man , in his quar- ters at Lerida in Spain , was fome scenes of a tragedy on the ftory of Mary Queen of Scots . Dryden dedicated Marriage à la Mode to Wharton's infainous relation ...
... laft mental exertion of the unhappy fuperannuated young man , in his quar- ters at Lerida in Spain , was fome scenes of a tragedy on the ftory of Mary Queen of Scots . Dryden dedicated Marriage à la Mode to Wharton's infainous relation ...
Page 36
... Paraphrafe on Job . The laft was cer- tainly finished in the beginning of the year 1726 ; for in December 1725 the King , in his paffage from Helvoetfluys , efcaped with King , 36 YOUNG . "Guilt's chief foe in Addifon is fled;" ...
... Paraphrafe on Job . The laft was cer- tainly finished in the beginning of the year 1726 ; for in December 1725 the King , in his paffage from Helvoetfluys , efcaped with King , 36 YOUNG . "Guilt's chief foe in Addifon is fled;" ...
Page 39
... Laft Day . After all , Swift pro- nounced of thefe Satires , that they fhould either have been more angry , or more merry . Is it not fomewhat fingular that Young preferved , without any pal- hation , this Preface , fo bluntly deci five ...
... Laft Day . After all , Swift pro- nounced of thefe Satires , that they fhould either have been more angry , or more merry . Is it not fomewhat fingular that Young preferved , without any pal- hation , this Preface , fo bluntly deci five ...
Page 59
... Laft Day , almoft his ear- lieft poem , he calls her the melancholy Maid , -whom difmal fcenes delight , Frequent at tombs and in the realms of Night . And in the prayer which concludes the fecond book of the fame poem— -Oh ! permit the ...
... Laft Day , almoft his ear- lieft poem , he calls her the melancholy Maid , -whom difmal fcenes delight , Frequent at tombs and in the realms of Night . And in the prayer which concludes the fecond book of the fame poem— -Oh ! permit the ...
Page 61
... his father's days , faved him the trouble of feigning a character com- pletely deteftable , and fucceeded at laft in bringing his grey hairs with forrow to the grave . The The humanity of the world , little fa- tisfied with YOUNG . 61 .
... his father's days , faved him the trouble of feigning a character com- pletely deteftable , and fucceeded at laft in bringing his grey hairs with forrow to the grave . The The humanity of the world , little fa- tisfied with YOUNG . 61 .
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Common terms and phrases
addreffed afterwards All-fouls almoft Anne Wharton beftowed blank verfe cenfure College compofition conclufion confequence curiofity daugh death dedicated deferve defign diſcover Duke Duke of Wharton eafily eafy Edward Young Engliſh faid fame father fatire favour fays fecond feems felf fenfe fent fentiments fhall fhew fhort fhould fide firft firſt flain fome fomething fometimes foon ftand ftanzas ftory ftrain ftudy fubject fuccefs fuch fufficient fuppofe fupported fure Gray Grongar Hill himſelf honour Houſe increaſe Lady laft laſt leaſt lefs Lord Lorenzo Lyrick Lyttelton Mallet Margaret of Anjou ments mind moſt Mufe muſt never Night Thoughts Obfervations occafion paffage paffed paffion perfon perfuaded Pindar pleafed pleaſed pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope praife praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed raiſed reafon reft rhyme ſeems ſhall thee thefe theſe Thomſon thoſe tion tragedy Univerfal vifit Voltaire Walpole Weft Wharton whofe worfe write Young
Popular passages
Page 18 - Alas ! from the day that we met What hope of an end to my woes ? When I cannot endure to forget The glance that undid my repose. Yet time may diminish the pain : The flower, and the shrub, and the tree, Which I rear'd for her pleasure in vain, In time may have comfort for me.
Page 17 - Tis his with mock passion to glow ! Tis his in smooth tales to unfold, How her face is as bright as the snow, And her bosom, be sure, is as cold ; How the nightingales labour the strain, With the notes of his charmer to vie ; How they vary their accents in vain, Repine at her triumphs and die.
Page 19 - ... always to mean more than he said. Would you have any more reasons? An interval of above forty years has pretty well destroyed the charm. A dead lord ranks with commoners; vanity is no longer interested in the matter ; for a new road has become an old one.
Page 35 - In the character of his Elegy I rejoice to concur with the common reader; for by the common sense of readers uncorrupted with literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtilty and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours.
Page 8 - The pleasure of Shenstone was all in his eye ; he valued what he valued merely for its looks; nothing raised his indignation more than to ask if there were any fishes in his water.
Page 26 - An epithet or metaphor drawn from Nature ennobles Art: an epithet or metaphor drawn from Art degrades Nature.
Page 107 - In his Night Thoughts he has exhibited a very wide display of original poetry, variegated with deep reflections and striking allusions, a wilderness of thought in which the fertility of fancy scatters flowers of every hue and of every odour. This is one of the few poems in which blank verse could not be changed for rhyme but with disadvantage.
Page 6 - Mallet, without any imaginable reason of preference which the eye or ear can discover. What other proofs he gave of disrespect to his native country, I know not ; but it was remarked of him, that he was the only Scot whom Scotchmen did not commend.
Page 16 - I priz'd every hour that went by, Beyond all that had pleas'd me before; But now they are past, and I sigh; And I grieve that I priz'd them no more.
Page 30 - To select a singular event, and swell it to a giant's bulk by fabulous appendages of spectres and predictions, has little difficulty ; for he that forsakes the probable may always find the marvellous. And it has little use ; we are affected only as we believe ; we are improved only as we find something to be imitated or declined. I do not see that " The Bard" promotes any truth, moral or political.