Good Queen Anne: Or, Men and Manners, Life and Letters in England's Augustan Age, 1. köide

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Remington & Company, 1886

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Page 134 - twould a saint provoke," (Were the last words that poor Narcissa spoke ;} " No, let a charming chintz and Brussels lace Wrap my cold limbs, and shade my lifeless face : One would not, sure, be frightful when one's dead — And — Betty — give this cheek a little red.
Page 328 - This breaks a girth, and that a bone. His body active as his mind, Returning sound in limb and wind, Except some leather lost behind. A skeleton in outward figure ; His meagre corpse, though full of vigour, Would halt behind him, were it bigger. So wonderful his expedition, When you have not the least suspicion, He's with you like an apparition.
Page 3 - ARISTOTLE has observed, that ordinary writers in tragedy endeavour to raise terror and pity in their audience, not by proper sentiments and expressions, but by the dresses and decorations of the stage. There is something of this kind very ridiculous in the English theatre When the author has a mind to terrify us, it thunders; when he would make us melancholy, the stage is darkened. But among all our tragic artifices, I am the most offended at those which are made use of to inspire us with magnificent...
Page 82 - Rinaldo is filled with thunder and lightning, illuminations and fire-works ; which the audience may look upon without catching cold, and, indeed, without much danger of being burnt ; for there are several engines filled with water, and ready to play at a minute's warning, in case any such accident should happen.
Page 83 - I cannot in this place omit doing justice to the boy who had the direction of the two painted dragons, and made them spit fire and smoke. He flashed out his rosin in such just proportions, and in such due time, that I could not forbear conceiving hopes of his being one day a most excellent player. I saw, indeed, but two things wanting to render his whole action complete, I mean the keeping his head a little lower, and hiding his candle.
Page 199 - Bid her be all that cheers or softens life, The tender sister, daughter, friend, and wife ! Bid her be all that makes mankind adore ; Then view this marble, and be vain no more ! Yet still her charms in breathing paint engage ; Her modest cheek shall warm a future age. Beauty, frail flower, that every season fears, Blooms in thy colours for a thousand years.
Page 3 - The ordinary Method of making an Hero, is to clap a huge Plume of Feathers upon his Head, which rises so very high, that there is often a greater Length from his Chin to the Top of his Head, than to the Sole of his Foot.
Page 306 - From realm to realm he ran, and never staid : Kingdoms and crowns he won, and gave away : It seemed as if his labours were repaid By the mere noise and movement of the fray...
Page 350 - Shovel's monument has very often given me great offence: instead of the brave rough English admiral, which was the distinguishing character of that plain gallant man, he is represented on his tomb by the figure of a beau, dressed in a long periwig, and reposing himself upon velvet cushions under a canopy of state.
Page 26 - ... he comes flounce into bed, dead as a salmon into a fishmonger's basket ; his feet cold as ice, his breath hot as a furnace, and his hands and his face as greasy as his flannel nightcap.

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