The Works of the English Poets: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, Volume 8Samuel Johnson C. Bathurst, 1779 |
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Page 8
... last too ; for I quef- tion , whether in Charles the fecond's reign , English did not come to its full perfection ; and whether it has not had its Auguftan Age , as well as the Latin . It feems to be already mixed with foreign languages ...
... last too ; for I quef- tion , whether in Charles the fecond's reign , English did not come to its full perfection ; and whether it has not had its Auguftan Age , as well as the Latin . It feems to be already mixed with foreign languages ...
Page 9
... last long enough to confute itself : for , though English be moul- dering stone , as he tells us there , yet he has certainly picked the best out of a bad quarry . We are no lefs beholden to Him for the new turn of Verfe , which he ...
... last long enough to confute itself : for , though English be moul- dering stone , as he tells us there , yet he has certainly picked the best out of a bad quarry . We are no lefs beholden to Him for the new turn of Verfe , which he ...
Page 10
... last syllable , you will hardly ever find Him using a word of no force there . I would fay , if I were not afraid the reader would think me too nice , that He commonly clofes with Verbs ; in which we know the life of language confifts ...
... last syllable , you will hardly ever find Him using a word of no force there . I would fay , if I were not afraid the reader would think me too nice , that He commonly clofes with Verbs ; in which we know the life of language confifts ...
Page 12
... last , and that is the worst we can say of them . He is there * Jam fenior ; fed cruda Deo viridifque fenectus . The fame cenfure perhaps will be paffed on the pieces of this Second Part . I shall not fo far engage for them , as to ...
... last , and that is the worst we can say of them . He is there * Jam fenior ; fed cruda Deo viridifque fenectus . The fame cenfure perhaps will be paffed on the pieces of this Second Part . I shall not fo far engage for them , as to ...
Page 13
... last hand were not put to them . And I be- lieve none of thofe Gentlemen that will make the ob- jection , would refuse a sketch of Raphael's , or one of Titian's draughts of the first fitting . I might tell them too , what care has been ...
... last hand were not put to them . And I be- lieve none of thofe Gentlemen that will make the ob- jection , would refuse a sketch of Raphael's , or one of Titian's draughts of the first fitting . I might tell them too , what care has been ...
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Common terms and phrases
beauty beſt blood boaſt bold bounty brave breaſt Britiſh CANTO command confin'd crown'd Engliſh eyes facred fafe fair falutes fame fate fear feem fhall fide fight fince fing firft firſt flain flame foes fome fong foul ftill ftorms fuccefs fuch give glorious glory grace Heaven herſelf himſelf increaſe inftructed inſpire Iſle itſelf Jove juſt King Lady Lady Anne Hyde laft laſt lefs leſs light loft Lucretius marble live mind mortals Mufe muft Muſe muſt noble nobler numbers Nymph o'er paffion peace Phaëton Phoebus pleaſe pleaſure praiſe prefent Prince rage raiſe reft reſt rife royal ſea ſhake ſhall ſhe ſhine ſhips ſhould ſhow ſome ſpoil ſpread ſpring ſtand ſtars ſtate ſtay ſtill ſtore ſuch ſweet ſword themſelves theſe thofe thoſe thou thought thouſand uſe verſe vex'd victorious virtue Whofe whoſe wind youth
Popular passages
Page 232 - For then we know how vain it was to boast Of fleeting things, so certain to be lost. Clouds of affection from our younger eyes Conceal that emptiness which age descries. The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed, Lets in new light through chinks that Time has made: Stronger by weakness, wiser men become As they draw near to their eternal home. Leaving the old, both worlds at once they view That stand upon the threshold of the new.
Page 231 - The seas are quiet when the winds give o'er; So calm are we when passions are no more. For then we know how vain it was to boast Of fleeting things, so certain to be lost.
Page 79 - Hermes' rod, And powerful, too, as either god TO PHYLLIS. PHYLLIS ! why should we delay Pleasures shorter than the day Could we (which we never can Stretch our lives beyond their span, Beauty like a shadow flies, And our youth before us dies. Or would youth and beauty stay, Love hath wings, and will away. Love hath swifter wings than Time ; Change in love to heaven does climb. Gods, that never change their state, Vary oft their love and hate.
Page 99 - Then die, that she The common fate of all things rare May read in thee ; How small a part of time they share, That are so wondrous sweet and fair.
Page 137 - A race unconquer'd, by their clime made bold, The Caledonians, arm'd with want and cold, Have, by a fate indulgent to your fame, Been from all ages kept for you to tame. Whom the old Roman wall...
Page 135 - Whether this portion of the world were rent By the rude ocean from the continent, Or thus created, it was sure design'd To be the sacred refuge of mankind.
Page 87 - ON A GIRDLE. That which her slender waist confined, Shall now my joyful temples bind ; No monarch but would give his crown His arms might do what this has done. It was my heaven's extremest sphere, The pale which held that lovely deer, My joy, my grief, my hope, my love, Did all within this circle move. A narrow compass, and yet there Dwelt all that's good and all that's fair; Give me but what this ribband bound, Take all the rest the sun goes round.
Page 10 - Among other improvements, we may reckon that of his rhymes, which are always good, and very often the better for being new.
Page 136 - Gold, though the heaviest metal, hither swims. Ours is the harvest where the Indians mow, We plough the deep, and reap what others sow.
Page 7 - Our language owes more to him than the French does to Cardinal Richelieu, and the whole Academy. A poet cannot think of him without being in the same rapture Lucretius is in when Epicurus comes in his way.