The British essayists; with prefaces by A. Chalmers, Volume 14 |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 23
Page 35
... excellent talents , with a moderate estate , and an agreeable person , is preferable to him who is only rich , if it were only that good faculties may purchase riches , but riches cannot purchase worthy endow- ments . I do not mean that ...
... excellent talents , with a moderate estate , and an agreeable person , is preferable to him who is only rich , if it were only that good faculties may purchase riches , but riches cannot purchase worthy endow- ments . I do not mean that ...
Page 39
... excellent compositions of that inge- nious gentleman . I have had a pleasure of the same kind in perusing a poem that is just published On the Prospect of Peace * ; and which , I hope , will meet with such a reward from its patrons as ...
... excellent compositions of that inge- nious gentleman . I have had a pleasure of the same kind in perusing a poem that is just published On the Prospect of Peace * ; and which , I hope , will meet with such a reward from its patrons as ...
Page 44
... excellent ser- mon I had heard that afternoon in my parish church . Among other observations the preacher showed us that the temptations which the tempter proposed are all on a supposition , that we are either madmen or fools , or with ...
... excellent ser- mon I had heard that afternoon in my parish church . Among other observations the preacher showed us that the temptations which the tempter proposed are all on a supposition , that we are either madmen or fools , or with ...
Page 53
... excellent brother , and know you love his daughter as your own , so as not only to express the tenderness of the best of aunts , but even to supply that of the best of fathers ; I am sure it will be a pleasure to you to hear that she ...
... excellent brother , and know you love his daughter as your own , so as not only to express the tenderness of the best of aunts , but even to supply that of the best of fathers ; I am sure it will be a pleasure to you to hear that she ...
Page 68
... excellent young women , who might be patterns of conjugal affection , and parents of a worthy race , pine under unhappy passions for such as have not attention to observe , or virtue enough to prefer them to their common wenches . Now ...
... excellent young women , who might be patterns of conjugal affection , and parents of a worthy race , pine under unhappy passions for such as have not attention to observe , or virtue enough to prefer them to their common wenches . Now ...
Common terms and phrases
acquainted admirer Anacreon animals appear beautiful black tower Blank body Britomartis character Cicero cities of London city of Westminster club consider conversation creatures CREECH death desire discourse divine drachmas endeavour entertain epigram excellent eyes fancy father favour forbear fortune Freeport gentleman give hand happiness hear heard heart honour hope human humble servant humour husband infinite JUNE 23 kind lady learned letter live look manner marriage matter mean Menander mentioned mind nature never obliged observed occasion OVID paper particular passion person pleased pleasure poet poetical justice praise present Procris racters readers reason shoeing horn short sorrow soul speak species Spect SPECTATOR talk Tatler tell thing thou thought tion town VIRG virtue virtuous whole woman worthy writ writing young
Popular passages
Page 128 - No more ; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; To sleep : perchance to dream : ay, there's the rub ; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause...
Page 126 - Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness ! This is the state of man; To-day he puts forth The tender leaves of hope, to-morrow blossoms, And bears his blushing honours thick upon him : The third day, comes a frost, a killing frost; And, — when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a ripening, — nips his root, And then he falls, as I do.
Page 128 - TO be— or not to be — that is the question ; Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The stings and arrows of outrageous fortune — Or to take arms against a sea of troubles ; And, by opposing, end them...
Page 128 - The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin...
Page 24 - And when we consider the infinite Power and Wisdom of the Maker, we have reason to think, that it is suitable to the magnificent Harmony of the Universe, and the great Design and infinite Goodness of the Architect, that the Species of Creatures should also, by gentle degrees, Ascend upward from us toward his infinite Perfection, as we see they gradually descend from us downwards...
Page 243 - There is no question but the universe has certain bounds set to it : but when we consider that it is the work of infinite power, prompted by infinite goodness, with an infinite space...
Page 209 - The dialect of conversation is now-a-days so swelled with vanity and compliment, and so surfeited (as I may say) of expressions of kindness and respect, that if a man that lived an age or two ago should return into the world again, he would really want a dictionary to help him to understand his own language...
Page 245 - Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Page 128 - But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?
Page 24 - ... in all the visible corporeal world, we see no chasms, or gaps. All quite down from us the descent is by easy steps, and a continued series of things, that in each remove differ very little one from the other.