Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets, Volume 58J. Nichols, 1781 - English poetry |
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Page 14
... expected to obtain -it ; but by the fecretary's influence , fup- pofed to have been fecured by a bribe , it was beftowed on fomebody elfe ; and Swift was difiniffed with the livings , of Laracor and Rathbeggin in the diocefe of Meath ...
... expected to obtain -it ; but by the fecretary's influence , fup- pofed to have been fecured by a bribe , it was beftowed on fomebody elfe ; and Swift was difiniffed with the livings , of Laracor and Rathbeggin in the diocefe of Meath ...
Page 35
... expected to do every man's bufinefs , to procure employment for one , and to retain it for another . In affifting thofe who addreffed him , he reprefents him- felf as fufficiently diligent ; and defires C 2 to to have others believe ...
... expected to do every man's bufinefs , to procure employment for one , and to retain it for another . In affifting thofe who addreffed him , he reprefents him- felf as fufficiently diligent ; and defires C 2 to to have others believe ...
Page 99
... expected to be received as his peculiar mode of jocularity ; but he apparently flattered his own arrogance by an af fumed predomination , in which he was ironical only to the refentful , and to the fubmiffive fufficiently ferious . Two ...
... expected to be received as his peculiar mode of jocularity ; but he apparently flattered his own arrogance by an af fumed predomination , in which he was ironical only to the refentful , and to the fubmiffive fufficiently ferious . Two ...
Page 11
... expected to find an imitator ; But thou , O Mufe , whofe fweet nepen- thean tongue Can charm the pangs of death with deathlefs fong ; Canft Stinging plagues with easy thoughts beguile , Make pains and tortures objects of a Smile . To ...
... expected to find an imitator ; But thou , O Mufe , whofe fweet nepen- thean tongue Can charm the pangs of death with deathlefs fong ; Canft Stinging plagues with easy thoughts beguile , Make pains and tortures objects of a Smile . To ...
Page 5
... expected , and is still spoken . The propriety of Epilogues in gene- ral , and confequently of this , was quef- tioned by a correfpondent of the Specta- tor , whofe Letter was undoubtedly ad- mitted for the fake of the Anfwer , which ...
... expected , and is still spoken . The propriety of Epilogues in gene- ral , and confequently of this , was quef- tioned by a correfpondent of the Specta- tor , whofe Letter was undoubtedly ad- mitted for the fake of the Anfwer , which ...
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Common terms and phrases
affiftance afterwards againſt becauſe Beggar's Opera biſhop Broome cenfure confidered converfation deanery death defire Delany diction diftinguiſhed dili diſcovered Dublin Dunciad eafily eaſy Engliſh eſtabliſhed fafe faid fame fatire fays fecond feems feldom fent Fenton fervant ferved feven fhew fhould fince firft firſt folicitations fome fometimes foon friends friendſhip ftate ftill ftudies fubject fuccefs fuch fuffered fufficiently funk fuppofed fure himſelf honour houfe houſe hundred pounds Iliad increaſed intereft Ireland JONATHAN SWIFT kindneſs laft laſt lefs Letters Lord Orrery mafter meaſure Minifters moſt muſt neceffary never obfervation occafion Orrery paffed paffion Paftorals PARNELL perfuaded Philips pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poet Pope Pope's praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purchaſed purpoſe Queen raiſe reader reafon refolution rienced ſeems Spence Spenfer ſtudy Swift Tatler tences tenderneſs Theocritus thofe thoſe thought tion told tranflation univerfal uſed verfes vifit Whigs whofe whoſe write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 30 - A Pastoral of an hundred lines may be endured ; but who will hear of sheep and goats, and myrtle bowers, and purling rivulets, through five acts? Such scenes please Barbarians in the dawn of literature, and children in the dawn of life; but will be for the most part thrown away, as men grow wise, and nations grow learned.
Page 21 - But his devotional poetry is, like that of others, unsatisfactory. The paucity of its topics enforces perpetual repetition, and the sanctity of the matter rejects the ornaments of figurative diction. It is sufficient for Watts to have done better than others what no man has done well.
Page 21 - What wonderful productions of wit should we be deprived of, from those whose genius by continual practice hath been wholly turned upon raillery and invectives against religion, and would therefore never be able to shine or distinguish themselves upon any other subject. We are daily complaining of the great decline of wit among us, and would we take away the greatest, perhaps the only topic we have left?
Page 19 - Polly, till then obscure, became all at once the favourite of the town; her pictures were engraved, and sold in great numbers; her Life written, books of letters and verses to her published, and pamphlets made even of her sayings and jests. Furthermore, it drove out of England (for that season) the Italian Opera, which had carried all before it for ten years.
Page 7 - Here he dwelt in a family, which, for piety, order, harmony, and every virtue, was a house of God. Here he had the privilege of a country recess, the fragrant bower, the spreading lawn, the flowery garden, and other advantages to...
Page 18 - This piece was received with greater applause than was ever known. Besides being acted in London sixtythree days without interruption, and renewed the next season with equal applause, it spread into all the great towns of England; was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time ; at Bath and Bristol fifty, &c.
Page 14 - Every man, acquainted with the common principles of human action, will look with veneration on the writer, who is at one time -combating Locke, and at another making a catechism for children in their fourth year. A voluntary descent from the dignity of science is perhaps the hardest lesson that humility can teach.
Page 101 - ... enjoyed by the neglect of those ceremonies which custom has established as the barriers between one order of society and another. This transgression of regularity was by himself and his admirers termed greatness of soul. But a great mind disdains to hold any thing by courtesy, and therefore never usurps what a lawful claimant may take away.
Page 97 - But if you had supped with me, as in all reason you ought to have done, you must then have drank with me.