The Lives of the English Poets: and a Criticism of Their Work |
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Page 73
... sometimes sweet and fonorous . He says of the Meffiah , Round the whole earth his dreaded name shall found , And reach to worlds that must not yet be found . In another place , of David , Yet bid him go fecurely , when he fends ; ' Tis ...
... sometimes sweet and fonorous . He says of the Meffiah , Round the whole earth his dreaded name shall found , And reach to worlds that must not yet be found . In another place , of David , Yet bid him go fecurely , when he fends ; ' Tis ...
Page 120
... Sometimes , having fucceeded in the first part , he makes a feeble conclufion . In the fong of Sachariffa's and Amoret's Friend- fhip , " the two laft ftanzas ought to have been omitted . << His images of gallantry are not always in the ...
... Sometimes , having fucceeded in the first part , he makes a feeble conclufion . In the fong of Sachariffa's and Amoret's Friend- fhip , " the two laft ftanzas ought to have been omitted . << His images of gallantry are not always in the ...
Page 121
... sometimes elegant and happy , as that in return for the Silver Pen ; and fometimes empty and tri- fling , as that upon the Card torn by the Queen . There are a few lines written in the Dutchess's Tallo , which he is faid by Fenton to ...
... sometimes elegant and happy , as that in return for the Silver Pen ; and fometimes empty and tri- fling , as that upon the Card torn by the Queen . There are a few lines written in the Dutchess's Tallo , which he is faid by Fenton to ...
Page 151
... Sometimes he tries to be humorous : " Left I should take him for " fome chaplain in hand , fome fquire of the body to his prelate , one who serves not at " the altar only but at the Court - cupboard , " he will bestow on us a pretty ...
... Sometimes he tries to be humorous : " Left I should take him for " fome chaplain in hand , fome fquire of the body to his prelate , one who serves not at " the altar only but at the Court - cupboard , " he will bestow on us a pretty ...
Page 195
... sometimes vifited him , was , that he was a good rhymift , but no poet . His theological opinions are faid to have been first calvinistical ; and afterwards , perhaps when he began to hate the Prefbyterians , to have tended towards ...
... sometimes vifited him , was , that he was a good rhymift , but no poet . His theological opinions are faid to have been first calvinistical ; and afterwards , perhaps when he began to hate the Prefbyterians , to have tended towards ...
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Common terms and phrases
afterwards againſt almoſt anſwer appears becauſe beſt cenfure character Charles Dryden compofition confeffed confidered Cowley criticiſm defign defired diction diſcover Dryden earl eaſily elegance Engliſh excellence expreffion faid fame fatire fays fecond feems feldom fenfe fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould fince firft firſt fome fomething fometimes foon ftudies fubject fuccefs fuch fuffered fufficiently fupply fuppofed fure genius greateſt heroick himſelf Hiſtory houſe Hudibras intereft itſelf king labour laft laſt learning leaſt lefs lord maſter Milton mind moft moſt muft muſt neceffary never NIHIL numbers obferved occafion paffages paffed paffions Paradife Loft perfon perhaps play pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reaſon reprefented rhyme ſay ſeems ſome ſtate ſtill ſtudy ſuch thefe themſelves theſe thing thofe thoſe thought thouſand tion tragedy tranflated uſe verfe verfification verſes Virgil Waller whofe whoſe write written
Popular passages
Page 372 - Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And without sneering, teach the rest to sneer; Willing to wound and yet afraid to strike, Just hint a fault and hesitate dislike; Alike...
Page 188 - 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.
Page 137 - ... devout prayer to that eternal Spirit who can enrich with all utterance and knowledge, and sends out his seraphim, with the hallowed fire of his altar, to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases...
Page 181 - To be of no Church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by Faith and Hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind, unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
Page 299 - Of him that knows much it is natural to suppose that he has read with diligence; yet I rather believe that the knowledge of Dryden was gleaned from accidental intelligence and various conversation; by a quick apprehension, a judicious selection, and a happy memory, a keen appetite of knowledge, and a powerful digestion...
Page 483 - James, whose skill in physic will be long remembered ; and with David Garrick, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend. But what are the hopes of man ? I am disappointed by that stroke of death which has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.
Page 316 - Or, shipwreck'd, labour to some distant shore ; Or, in dark churches, walk among the dead : They wake with horror, and dare sleep no more.
Page 20 - Yet great labour directed by great abilities is never wholly lost : if they frequently threw away their wit upon false conceits, they likewise sometimes struck out unexpected truth ; if their conceits were far-fetched, they were often worth the carriage. To write on their plan, it was at least necessary to read and think.
Page 172 - ... read for pleasure or accomplishment, and who buy the numerous products of modern typography, the number was then comparatively small. To prove the paucity of readers, it may be sufficient to remark, that the nation had been satisfied from 1623 to 1664, that is, forty-one years, with only two editions of the works of Shakspeare, which probably did not together make one thousand copies.
Page 323 - From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began : When Nature underneath a heap of jarring atoms lay, And could not heave her head, The tuneful voice was heard from high. Arise ye more than dead. Then cold and hot, and moist and dry, In order to their stations leap, And music's power obey. From harmony, from heavenly harmony, This universal frame began : From harmony to harmony Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in man.