A Tale of a Tub: Written for the Universal Improvement of Mankind. To which is Added, An Account of a Battel, Between the Antient and Modern Books in St. James's Library..John Nutt, near Stationers-Hall., 1710 - 344 pages |
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... observed , that fome of thofe Paffages in this Difcourfe , which appear moft liable to Objection are what they call Parodies , where the Author perfonates the Style and Manner of other Writers , whom he has a mind to expofe . I shall ...
... observed , that fome of thofe Paffages in this Difcourfe , which appear moft liable to Objection are what they call Parodies , where the Author perfonates the Style and Manner of other Writers , whom he has a mind to expofe . I shall ...
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... observed , how he was pleafed and affected to have that noble Writer call'd his Adverfary , and it was a Point of Satyr well directed , for I have been told , Sir W. T. was fufficiently mortify'd at the Term . All the Men of Wit and ...
... observed , how he was pleafed and affected to have that noble Writer call'd his Adverfary , and it was a Point of Satyr well directed , for I have been told , Sir W. T. was fufficiently mortify'd at the Term . All the Men of Wit and ...
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... observe , not at all re- garded , or thought on by any of our pre- fent Writers ; And , being wholly free from that Slavery , which Bookfellers usu- ally lie under , to the Caprices of Authors ; I think it a wife Piece of Prefumption ...
... observe , not at all re- garded , or thought on by any of our pre- fent Writers ; And , being wholly free from that Slavery , which Bookfellers usu- ally lie under , to the Caprices of Authors ; I think it a wife Piece of Prefumption ...
Page 17
... observe many such egregious Tou- ches , which if fhall not injure the Authors by tranfplanting . Because I have remark . ed , that nothing is fo very tender as a Modern Piece of Wit , and which is apt to fuffer fo much in the Carriage ...
... observe many such egregious Tou- ches , which if fhall not injure the Authors by tranfplanting . Because I have remark . ed , that nothing is fo very tender as a Modern Piece of Wit , and which is apt to fuffer fo much in the Carriage ...
Page 21
... observe many of thefe polite Pre- faces , to be not only from the fame Hand , but from thofe who are most voluminous in their feveral Productions . Upon which Ifhall tell the Reader a fhortTale . A Mountebank in Leicester - Fields , bad ...
... observe many of thefe polite Pre- faces , to be not only from the fame Hand , but from thofe who are most voluminous in their feveral Productions . Upon which Ifhall tell the Reader a fhortTale . A Mountebank in Leicester - Fields , bad ...
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Common terms and phrases
abfolutely Affiftance affigned againſt alfo alſo Anfwerer Antients Author becauſe Befides beft beſt Body Book Bookfeller Brain Brothers call'd cauſe Church of Rome Circumſtances cloſe Coats confequently Courſe Defign defire Difcourfe Difpute diſcover expofe faid fame farther Faſhion feems felf ferve feven feveral fhall fhew fhort fhould fide fince firft firſt fome fometimes foon fuch fufficient fure ginal greateſt Guife hath Head himſelf Horfe iffuing Invention Irenæus Jack juſt laft laſt leaft Learning Lord Mankind MDCCX Modern moft Momus moſt muſt Myfteries Nature never Nofe Number obferved Occafion Paffages paffed Perfon Peter Philofophers pleaſe poffible prefent pretend Publick purpoſe raiſe Reader Reaſon refolved reft Satyr Scythian SECT Senfes ſeveral ſhall Spirit Spleen thefe themſelves ther theſe Things thofe thor thoſe thro tion Tour Highness Treatife True Critick ufual underſtand underſtood univerfal uſeful wherein whereof whofe wholly Word World Wotton Writers
Popular passages
Page 151 - The most accomplished way of using books at present is twofold : either first to serve them as some men do lords, learn their titles exactly, and then brag of their acquaintance ; or, secondly, which is indeed the choicer, the profounder, and politer method, to get a thorough insight into the index by which the whole book is governed and turned, like fishes by the tail.
Page 162 - Words are but wind; and learning is nothing but words; ergo, learning is nothing but wind.
Page 63 - Others of these professors, though agreeing in the main system, were yet more refined upon certain branches of it; and held that man was an animal compounded of two dresses, the natural and the celestial suit, which were the body and the soul: that the soul was the outward, and the body the inward clothing; that the latter was ex traduce; but the former of daily creation and circumfusion.
Page 61 - Proceed to the particular works of the creation, you will find how curious journeyman Nature has been, to trim up the vegetable beaux; observe how sparkish a periwig adorns the head of a beech, and what a fine doublet of white satin is worn by the birch.
Page 151 - Men do Lords, learn their Titles exactly, and then brag of their Acquaintance. Or Secondly, which is indeed the choicer, the profounder, and politer Method, to get a thorough Insight into the Index, by which the whole Book is governed and turned, like Fishes by the Tail. For, to enter the Palace of Learning at the great Gate, requires an Expence of Time and Forms; therefore Men of much Haste and little Ceremony, are content to get in by the Back-Door.
Page 271 - As for us the ancients, we are content, with the bee, to pretend to nothing of our own, beyond our wings and our voice : that is to say, our flights and our language.
Page 151 - ... only what comes from behind. Thus men catch knowledge by throwing their wit on the posteriors of a book, as boys do sparrows with flinging salt upon their tails. Thus human life is best understood by the wise man's rule of regarding the end. Thus are the sciences found like Hercules's oxen, by tracing them backwards. Thus are old sciences unravelled like old stockings, by beginning at the foot.
Page 26 - ... all the virtues that have been ever in mankind, are to be counted upon a few fingers ; but their follies and vices are innumerable, and time adds hourly to the heap.
Page 270 - ... of either. Erect your schemes with as much method and skill as you please, yet if the materials be nothing but dirt spun out of your own entrails (the guts of modern brains), the edifice will conclude at last in a cobweb, the duration of which, like that of other spiders' webs, may be imputed to their being forgotten, or neglected, or hid in a corner.
Page 61 - To conclude from all, what is man himself but a micro-coat, or rather a complete suit of clothes with all its trimmings? As to his body there can be no dispute; but examine even the acquirements of his mind, you will find them all contribute in their order towards furnishing out an exact dress: to instance no more; is not religion a cloak, honesty a pair of shoes worn out in the dirt...