Essays, Critical and MiscellaneousCarey and Hart, 1846 - 758 pages |
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Page 3
... thing which gives so much pleasure ought to be called unsoundness . By poetry we mean , not of course all writing in verse , nor even all good writing in verse . Our definition excludes many metrical compo- sitions which , on other ...
... thing which gives so much pleasure ought to be called unsoundness . By poetry we mean , not of course all writing in verse , nor even all good writing in verse . Our definition excludes many metrical compo- sitions which , on other ...
Page 7
... thing : and the business of poetry is with images , and not with words . The poet uses words indeed ; but they are merely the instruments of his art , not its objects . They are the materials which he is to dispose in such a manner as ...
... thing : and the business of poetry is with images , and not with words . The poet uses words indeed ; but they are merely the instruments of his art , not its objects . They are the materials which he is to dispose in such a manner as ...
Page 14
... thing more were wanting to the justification ought to be responsible for the acts of the of Milton , the book of Salmasius would furnish sovereign . If so , why not impeach Jeffries it . That miserable performance is now with and retain ...
... thing more were wanting to the justification ought to be responsible for the acts of the of Milton , the book of Salmasius would furnish sovereign . If so , why not impeach Jeffries it . That miserable performance is now with and retain ...
Page 25
... thing is forgotten , but the victory of invention ready ; they were tolerant , affable , Agincourt ! Francis Sforza , on the other hand , humane . But of courage and sincerity they was the model of the Italian hero . He made were almost ...
... thing is forgotten , but the victory of invention ready ; they were tolerant , affable , Agincourt ! Francis Sforza , on the other hand , humane . But of courage and sincerity they was the model of the Italian hero . He made were almost ...
Page 26
... thing but philosophic moderation . Hatred and revenge eat into his heart : yet every look is a cordial smile , every gesture a familiar caress . He never excites the suspicion of his adver- sary by petty provocations . His purpose is ...
... thing but philosophic moderation . Hatred and revenge eat into his heart : yet every look is a cordial smile , every gesture a familiar caress . He never excites the suspicion of his adver- sary by petty provocations . His purpose is ...
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absurd admiration ancient appeared army Bacon better Catholic century character Charles Church Church of England Church of Rome civil Clive court defend Demosthenes doctrines Dupleix effect eminent enemies England English Europe evil favour feelings France French Gladstone Hampden honour house of Bourbon House of Commons human hundred interest James judge king less liberty lived Long Parliament Lord Lord Byron manner means ment Milton mind minister moral nation nature never Novum Organum Omichund opinion Parliament party passed persecution person philosophy Pitt poet poetry political prince principles produced Protestant Protestantism racter readers reason reform reign religion religious respect Revolution Rome scarcely seems Sir James Mackintosh Southey sovereign Spain spirit statesmen strong talents temper Temple thing thought thousand Thucydides tion took Tories truth Walpole Whigs whole writer
Popular passages
Page 13 - ... faces. But the remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon, but to accustom him to the rays of the sun. The blaze of truth and liberty may at first dazzle and bewilder nations which have become half blind in the house of bondage. But let them gaze on, and they will soon be able to bear it. In a few years men learn to reason. The extreme violence of opinion subsides.
Page 16 - Thus the Puritan was made up of two different men, the one all self-abasement, penitence, gratitude, passion ; the other proud, calm, inflexible, sagacious. He prostrated himself in the dust before his Maker ; but he set his foot on the neck of his king. In his devotional retirement, he prayed with convulsions, and groans, and tears. He was halfmaddened by glorious or terrible illusions. He heard the lyres of angels or the tempting whispers of fiends. He caught a gleam of the Beatific Vision, or...
Page 287 - We see in needle-works and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy work upon a lightsome ground : judge therefore of the pleasure of the heart by the pleasure of the eye. Certainly virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed: for Prosperity doth best discover vice, but Adversity doth best discover virtue.
Page 133 - There is no book in our literature, on which we would so readily stake the fame of the old, unpolluted English language ; no book which shows so well, how rich that language is, in its own proper wealth, and how little it has been improved by all that it has borrowed.
Page 401 - She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca.
Page 133 - The style of Bunyan is delightful to every reader, and invaluable as a study to every person who wishes to obtain a wide command over the English language. The vocabulary is the vocabulary of the common people. There is not an expression, if we except a few technical terms of theology, which would puzzle the rudest peasant. We have observed several pages which do not contain a single word of more than two syllables. Yet no writer has said more exactly what he meant to say. For magnificence, for pathos,...
Page 65 - If a man, such as we are supposing, should write the history of England, he would assuredly not omit the battles, the sieges, the negotiations, the seditions, the ministerial changes. But with these he would intersperse the details which are the charm of historical romances. At Lincoln Cathedral there is a beautiful painted window, which was made by an apprentice out of the pieces of glass which had been rejected by his master. It is so far superior to every other in the church, that, according to...
Page 401 - Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her long dominion is approaching. She saw the commencement of all the governments, and of all the ecclesiastical establishments, that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all.
Page 163 - He was of an industry and vigilance not to be tired out, or wearied by the most laborious; and of parts not to be imposed upon by the most subtle or sharp; and of a personal courage equal to his best parts...
Page 4 - We often hear of the magical influence of poetry. The expression in general means nothing : but, applied to the writings of Milton, it is most appropriate. His poetry acts like an incantation. Its merit lies less in its obvious meaning than in its occult power. There would seem, at first sight, to be no more in his words than in other words. But they are words of enchantment.