The Works of the English Poets: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, 15. köideSamuel Johnson C. Bathurst, 1779 |
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Page 20
... said in his just praife for his Episodes are almost wholly of his own invention ; and the form , which he has given to the telling , makes the tale his own , even though the ori- ginal story had been the same . But this proves , how ...
... said in his just praife for his Episodes are almost wholly of his own invention ; and the form , which he has given to the telling , makes the tale his own , even though the ori- ginal story had been the same . But this proves , how ...
Page 27
... said , though somewhat profanely , Not being of God , he could not stand . Chaucer followed nature every where ; but was ne- ver fo bold to go beyond her : and there is a great dif- ference of being Poeta and nimis Poeta , if we believe ...
... said , though somewhat profanely , Not being of God , he could not stand . Chaucer followed nature every where ; but was ne- ver fo bold to go beyond her : and there is a great dif- ference of being Poeta and nimis Poeta , if we believe ...
Page 35
... said enough . But there are more great wits befides Chaucer , whose fault is their excess of conceits , and thofe ill forted . An au- thor is not to write all he can , but only all he ought . Having obferved this redundancy in Chaucer ...
... said enough . But there are more great wits befides Chaucer , whose fault is their excess of conceits , and thofe ill forted . An au- thor is not to write all he can , but only all he ought . Having obferved this redundancy in Chaucer ...
Page 39
... said , to adventure on her prologue , because it is too licen- tious : there Chaucer introduces an old woman of mean parentage , whom a youthful knight of noble blood was D 4 forced forced to marry , and confequently loathed her the ...
... said , to adventure on her prologue , because it is too licen- tious : there Chaucer introduces an old woman of mean parentage , whom a youthful knight of noble blood was D 4 forced forced to marry , and confequently loathed her the ...
Page 64
... said , The beauty I behold has ftruck me dead : Unknowingly she strikes ; and kills by chance ; Poison is in her eyes , and death in every glance . O , I must ask ; nor ask alone , but move Her mind to mercy , or muft die for love ...
... said , The beauty I behold has ftruck me dead : Unknowingly she strikes ; and kills by chance ; Poison is in her eyes , and death in every glance . O , I must ask ; nor ask alone , but move Her mind to mercy , or muft die for love ...
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againſt Arcite arms becauſe befides behold beſt betwixt blood breaſt caft Canterbury tales caufe cauſe Chanticleer Chaucer cry'd Cymon dame death defcended deferve defire earth eaſe Emily ev'n eyes fafe faid fair fame fate fear feas fecret feem'd fenfe fent fhall fhould fide fight fince fing fire firft firſt flain fome foon forc'd forrow fought foul ftill ftood fuch fuffer fure fweet fword grace heart heaven himſelf honour iffuing king knight laft laſt lefs liv'd loft lord lov'd maid mind moft moſt muft muſt myſelf numbers o'er Ovid Palamon Pirithous plac'd pleas'd pleaſe pleaſure poet prefent prepar'd prifon purfue purſued reaſon refolv'd reft reſt Reynard ſaid ſeen ſhall ſhe ſky ſpace ſpeak ſpread ſtate ſteed ſtill ſtood Synalepha Thebes thee thefe theſe thofe thoſe thou thought tranflated turn'd Twas Virgil whofe wife Wife of Bath
Popular passages
Page 32 - Even the grave and serious characters are distinguished by their several sorts of gravity, their discourses are such as belong to their age, their calling and their breeding — such as are becoming of them and of them only.
Page 27 - Tis true, I cannot go so far as he who published the last edition of him; for he would make us believe the fault is in our ears, and that there were really ten syllables in a verse where we find but nine...
Page 37 - ... when the reason ceases for which they were enacted. As for the other part of the argument, that his thoughts will lose of their original beauty by the innovation of words; in the first place, not only their beauty, but their being is lost, where they are no longer understood, which is the present case.
Page 279 - God's images; he forms and equips those ungodly man-killers, whom we poets, when we flatter them, call heroes ; a race of men who can never enjoy quiet in themselves, till they have taken it from all the world.
Page 26 - In the first place, as he is the father of English poetry, so I hold him in the same degree of veneration as the Grecians held Homer or the Romans Virgil...
Page 211 - ... him, too, with envious eye, And, as on Job, demanded leave to try. He took the time when Richard was deposed, And high and low with happy Harry closed.
Page 31 - Tales the various manners and humours (as we now call them) of the whole English nation, in his age. Not a single character has escaped him. All his pilgrims are severally distinguished from each other; and not only in their inclinations, but in their very physiognomies and persons.
Page 309 - Because thou can'st not be My mistress, I espouse thee for my tree : Be thou the prize of honour and renown ; The deathless poet, and the poem, crown. Thou shalt the Roman festivals adorn, And, after poets, be by victors worn...
Page 25 - Dido: he would not destroy what he was building. Chaucer makes Arcite violent in his love, and unjust in the pursuit of it; yet when he came to die, he...
Page 32 - May I have leave to do myself the justice (since my enemies will do me none, and are so far from granting me to be a good poet, that they will not allow me so much as to be a Christian, or a moral man), may I have leave, I say...