Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the Works of the English Poets: Addison. Blackmore. SheffieldJ. Nichols, 1781 |
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Addiſon afterwards againſt becauſe Blackmore Cato cenfure character compofitions confidered criticiſm critick defign defire Dennis difon difpofition diſcovered Dryden eafily eafy Effay elegance faid fame fatire fays fcene fecond feems feen fent fentiments fhall fhew fhewn fhort fhould fimile fince fingle firft firſt fome fometimes foon friends friendſhip ftage ftill ftudies fubject fucceffion fuch fuffer fupplied fuppofed fure genius guards himſelf houſe House of Hanover inftruction Juba Juba's judgement king laft leaft lefs lord lord chamberlain lord Halifax mafter Marcia moft moſt Mufe muft muſt nature neceffary never obferved occafion paffage paffed paffion perfon perhaps pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry pofe Pope praife praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſed reader reafon ſchool Sempronius Spectator Spence ſtage Steele Syphax Tatler thefe theſe thofe thoſe thought Tickell tion topicks tragedy tranflated uncon uſe verfes verfion verſes Whig whofe 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.