Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets: Addison. Blackmore. SheffieldJ. Nichols, 1781 - English poetry |
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Common terms and phrases
Addiſon afterwards almoſt becauſe beſt Blackmore Cato cauſe cenfure character compofitions confidered converſation criticism defire Dennis deſign diſcovered diſpoſition Dryden eaſy Effay elegance Engliſh Eſſays expoſed faid fame fatire feems feen fimile fince firſt fome foon friends fuch fuffer genius guards honour houſe inſtruction intereſt Juba Juba's judgement juſt juſtly king laſt leſs lord lord Halifax Marcia maſter moſt Muſe muſt nature neceffity never obſerved occafion paffion paſs paſſage perhaps perſonal pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope poſe praiſe preſent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reader reaſon ſame ſays ſcarcely ſcene ſchool ſecond ſeems Sempronius ſent ſentiments ſhall ſhe ſhewed ſhewn ſhort ſhould ſkill ſome ſometimes Spectator Spence ſpirit ſtage ſtand ſtate Steele ſtile ſtill ſtory ſtudy ſubject ſuch ſung ſupplied ſuppoſed Syphax Tatler theſe thoſe thought Tickell tion topicks tragedy tranflations uſed verſes virtue Whig whoſe write
Popular passages
Page 150 - That general knowledge which now circulates in common talk, was in his time rarely to be found. Men not professing learning were not ashamed of ignorance ; and, in the female world, any acquaintance with books was distinguished only to be censured.
Page 155 - He copies life with so much fidelity that he can be hardly said to invent : yet his exhibitions have an air so much original that it is difficult to suppose them not merely the product of imagination.
Page 75 - He taught us how to live; and, oh! too high The price of knowledge, taught us how to die.
Page 90 - He not only made the proper use of wit himself, but taught it to others ; and from his time it has been generally subservient to the cause of reason and of truth. He has dissipated the prejudice that had long connected gaiety with vice, and easiness of manners with laxity of principles.
Page 158 - What he attempted, he performed; he is never feeble, and he did not wish to be energetic ; he is never rapid, and he never stagnates. His sentences have neither studied amplitude, nor affected brevity; his periods, though not diligently rounded, are voluble and easy.
Page 156 - As a teacher of wisdom, he may be confidently followed. His religion has nothing in it enthusiastic or superstitious: he appears neither weakly credulous, nor wantonly sceptical; his morality is neither dangerously lax, nor impracticably rigid. All the enchantment of fancy, and all the cogency of argument, are employed to recommend to the reader his real interest, the care of pleasing the Author of his being.
Page 96 - To bridle a goddess is no very delicate idea; but why must she be bridled? because she longs to launch; an. act which was never hindered by a bridle: and whither will she launch? into a nobler strain. She is in the first line a horse, in the second a boat; and the care of the poet is to keep his horse or his boat from singing. The next composition is the far-famed Campaign, which Dr. Warton has termed a Gazette in Rhyme, with harshness not often used by the good-nature of his criticism.
Page 68 - ... reign ; an act of authority violent enough, yet certainly legal, and by no means to be compared with that contempt of national right with •which, some time afterwards, by the instigation of whiggism, the commons, chosen by the people for three years, chose themselves for seven.
Page 61 - The marriage, if uncontradicted report can be credited, made no addition to his happiness ; it neither found them nor made them equal. She always remembered her own rank, and thought herself entitled to treat with very little ceremony the tutor of her son.
Page 127 - Sempronius lead us in our flight, We'll force the gate, where Marcus keeps his guard, And hew down all that would oppose our passage ; A day will bring us into Caesar's camp. ' Semp. Confusion ! I have fail'd of half my purpose ; Marcia, the charming Marcia's left behind.