Wit and Humour, Selected from the English Poets: With an Illustrative Essay, and Critical Comments |
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Page 3
... Sometimes it riseth only from a lucky hitting upon what is strange ; sometimes from a crafty wresting obvious matter to the purpose . Often it consisteth in one knows not what , and springeth up one can hardly tell ON WIT AND HUMOUR .
... Sometimes it riseth only from a lucky hitting upon what is strange ; sometimes from a crafty wresting obvious matter to the purpose . Often it consisteth in one knows not what , and springeth up one can hardly tell ON WIT AND HUMOUR .
Page 4
... tell how . Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable , being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language . It is , in short , a manner of speaking out of the simple and plain way ( such as reason teacheth ...
... tell how . Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable , being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language . It is , in short , a manner of speaking out of the simple and plain way ( such as reason teacheth ...
Page 17
... tell you it is a sensuality in the soul to be delighted that way . You are not therefore to commend , but silently consent to all she does and says . You are to consider , in her the scorn of you is not humour but opinion . There were ...
... tell you it is a sensuality in the soul to be delighted that way . You are not therefore to commend , but silently consent to all she does and says . You are to consider , in her the scorn of you is not humour but opinion . There were ...
Page 18
... tell him this was no place for him or his companions , up goes my grave impudence to the maid : Young woman , " said he , " if any of the ladies are in the way on this side of the house , pray carry us on the other side towards the ...
... tell him this was no place for him or his companions , up goes my grave impudence to the maid : Young woman , " said he , " if any of the ladies are in the way on this side of the house , pray carry us on the other side towards the ...
Page 39
... tell my mistress you are coming , and how happy you are to hear she is recovered . Il passa dans sa chambre au sortir de la table ; Et dans son lit bien chaud il se mit tout soudain , Où sans trouble il dormit jusques au lendemain . Org ...
... tell my mistress you are coming , and how happy you are to hear she is recovered . Il passa dans sa chambre au sortir de la table ; Et dans son lit bien chaud il se mit tout soudain , Où sans trouble il dormit jusques au lendemain . Org ...
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Common terms and phrases
admirable Apho APHOBUS Bacurius Ben Jonson Bessus brother call'd captain character Charles Lamb Chaucer Colax comedy Corb Corv courtepy courtier cried Dean Deil devil Don Quixote doth duke exquisite eyes Falstaff fancy fear fool Friar genius Gent gentleman give grace hath head hear heart heaven hire honour horse Hudibras Igno Jaques Kate Kath KATHARINA kick'd king Lady laugh laughter LEIGH HUNT lord Macaronic madam master mind mock-heroic Molière Mosca nature never night Panurge passage PETRUCHIO poem poet poetry poor pray quod quoth Rabelais rhymes satire servant Shakspeare Sompnour soul spleen summoner sure sweet Swift sylph Tartuffe tell thee ther things thou thought Twas twelf unto verse Volp Volpone Volt wife Wit and Humour word write
Popular passages
Page 253 - The rest the winds dispers'd in empty air. But now secure the painted vessel glides, The sunbeams trembling on the floating tides ; While melting music steals upon the sky, And soften'd sounds along the waters die : Smooth flow the waves, the zephyrs gently play, Belinda smil'd, and all the world was gay. All but the sylph — with careful thoughts opprest, Th' impending woe sat heavy on his breast.
Page 238 - A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts and nothing long ; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page 217 - twixt south and south-west side ; On either which he would dispute, Confute, change hands, and still confute He'd undertake to prove by force Of argument a man's no horse ; He'd prove a buzzard is no fowl, And that a lord may be an owl, A calf an alderman, a goose a justice, And rooks committee-men and trustees ; He'd run in debt by disputation, And pay with ratiocination.
Page 106 - Who therewith angry, when it next came there, Took it in snuff - and still he smil'd and talk'd: And as the soldiers bore dead bodies by, He call'd them untaught knaves, unmannerly, To bring a slovenly unhandsome corse Betwixt the wind and his nobility.
Page 309 - Though secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick, If they were not his own by finessing and trick ; He cast off his friends, as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleased he could whistle them back.
Page 307 - Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrowed his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind...
Page 270 - So proud, so grand: of that stupendous air, Soft and agreeable come never there. Greatness, with Timon, dwells in such a draught As brings all Brobdignag before your thought. To compass this, his building is a town, His pond an ocean, his parterre a down : Who but must laugh, the master when he sees, A puny insect, shivering at a breeze!
Page ix - For, wit lying most in the assemblage of ideas, and putting those together with quickness and variety wherein can be found any resemblance or congruity, thereby to make up pleasant pictures and agreeable visions in the fancy...
Page 235 - Pleased with the danger, when the waves went high, He sought the storms ; but, for a calm unfit, Would steer too nigh the sands to boast his wit.
Page 256 - At once they gratify their scent and taste, And frequent cups prolong the rich repast. Straight hover round the fair her airy band ; Some, as she...