Journal of a Visit to Constantinople: And Some of the Greek Islands, in the Spring and Summer of 1833

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Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, 1835 - Greece - 259 pages

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Page 24 - tis haunted, holy ground, No earth of thine is lost in vulgar mould, But one vast realm of wonder spreads around, And all the Muse's tales seem truly told, Till the sense aches with gazing to behold The scenes our earliest dreams have dwelt upon: Each hill and dale, each deepening glen and wold Defies the power which crush'd thy temples gone: Age shakes Athena's tower, but spares gray Marathon.
Page 155 - Who hath not proved how feebly words essay To fix one spark of Beauty's heavenly ray? Who doth not feel, until his failing sight Faints into dimness with its own delight, His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess The might, the majesty of Loveliness...
Page 8 - Full on its crown a fig's green branches rise, And shoot a leafy forest to the skies; Beneath, Charybdis holds her boisterous reign 'Midst roaring whirlpools, and absorbs the main; Thrice in her gulfs the boiling seas subside, Thrice in dire thunders she refunds the tide.
Page 4 - How beautiful this night ! The balmiest sigh Which vernal Zephyrs breathe in Evening's ear Were discord to the speaking quietude That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon vault, Studded with stars unutterably bright, Through which the moon's unclouded grandeur rolls, Seems like a canopy which Love has spread To curtain her sleeping world.
Page ii - ... furnish the apartments ? I almost envy your last month, being in a very insipid situation myself; and desire you would not fail to send me some furniture for my Gothic apartment, which is very cold at present. It will be the easier task, as you have nothing to do but transcribe your little red books, if they are not rubbed out ; for I conclude you have not trusted every thing to memory, which is ten times worse than a lead pencil : Half a word fixed upon or near the spot, is worth a cart-load...
Page 223 - ... about our middles, though not to be fwung down by, but only for fear of danger, as there are lakes and deep waters all the way from hence on the left hand. With this caution, however, we entered the laft.
Page 187 - Queen of the morn ! Sultana of the East ! City of wonders, on whose sparkling breast, Fair, slight, and tall, a thousand palaces Fling their gay shadows over golden seas ! Where towers and domes bestud the gorgeous land, And countless masts a mimic forest stand ; Where cypress shades ; the...
Page 187 - Where eypress shades the minaret's snowy hue. And gleams of gold dissolve in skies of blue, Daughter of Eastern art, the most divine — Lovely, yet faithless bride of Constantine — Fair Istamboul, whose tranquil mirror flings Back with delight thy thousand colourings. And who no equal in the world dost know, Save thy own image pictured thus below ! Dazzled, amazed, our eyes, half-blinded, fail, While sweeps the phantasm past our gliding sail — Like as in festive scene, some sudden light Rises...
Page 153 - Her hair, I said was auburn ; but her eyes Were black as death, their lashes the same hue, Of downcast length, in whose silk shadow lies Deepest attraction ; for when to the view Forth from its raven fringe the full glance flies, Ne'er with such force the swiftest arrow flew, Tis as the snake late coil'd, who pours his length, And hurls at once his venom and his strength.
Page 80 - I took in my pocket-book, and it is as follows: DIFFICILIS QUONDAM, DOMINIS PARERE SERENIS JUSSUS, ET EXTINCTIS PALMAM PORTARE TYRANNIS OMNIA THEODOSIO CEDUNT, SOBOLIQUE PERENNI.* Your lord will interpret these lines. Don't fancy they are a love-letter to him. All the figures have their heads on; and I cannot forbear reflecting again on the impudence of authors, who all say they have not; but I dare swear the greatest part of them never saw them; but took the report from the...

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