The Works ...: With the Author's Life and Character, Notes [etc.] In Eight Volumes, Volume 8

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A. Donaldson, 1761

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Page 92 - I will further tell you, that all my endeavours, from a boy, to distinguish myself, were only for want of a great title and fortune, that I might be used like a Lord by those who have an opinion of my parts — whether right or wrong, it is no great matter, and so the reputation of wit or great learning does the office of a blue ribbon, or of a coach and six horses.
Page 44 - I hate and detest that animal called man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and so forth.
Page 122 - I dislike nothing in your letter but an affected apology for bad writing, bad spelling, and a bad pen; which you pretend Mr Gay found fault with; Wherein you affront Mr Gay, you affront me, and you affront yourself.
Page 179 - I see things more in the whole, more consistent, and more clearly deduced from, and related to each other. But what I gain on the side of philosophy, I lose on the side of poetry : the flowers are gone, when the fruits begin to ripen, and the fruits perhaps will never ripen perfectly.
Page 60 - Motte * received the copy (he tells me) he knew not from whence, nor from whom, dropped at his house in the dark, from a hackney-coach : by computing the time, I found it was after you left England, so, for my part, I suspend my judgment.
Page 15 - ... to war and gods. I tell you all the faults I know, only in one or two places you are a little obscure; but I expected you to be so in one or two and twenty.
Page 33 - I often threatened myself with the journey, and am every summer practising to ride and get health to bear it : the only inconvenience is, that I grow old in the experiment. Although I care not to talk to you as a divine, yet I hope you have not been author of your colic : do you drink bad wine, or keep bad company? Are you not as many years older as I ? It will not be always et tibi quos mihi dempserit apponet annos.
Page 31 - I dare not venture to publish them : For however orthodox they may be while I am now writing, they may become criminal enough to bring me into trouble before midsummer.
Page 155 - But even this trick shall not provoke me to print the true one, which indeed is not proper to be seen till I can be seen no more...
Page 194 - Patron, and then descended to be my Friend. It is a great favour of Heaven, that your health grows better by the addition of years. I have...

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