Essays, Biographical, Critical, and Historical, Illustrative of the Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian

Front Cover
Suttaby, Evance, and Fox; and Sharpe and Hailes, 1814

From inside the book

Selected pages

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 67 - Westward the course of empire takes its way; The four first acts already past, A fifth shall close the drama with the day : Time's noblest offspring is the last.
Page 66 - The Muse, disgusted at an age and clime Barren of every glorious theme, In distant lands now waits a better time, Producing subjects worthy fame. In happy climes, where from the genial sun • And virgin earth such scenes ensue, The force of Art by Nature seems outdone, And fancied beauties by the true : In happy climes, the seat of innocence, Where Nature guides and Virtue rules, Where men shall not impose for truth and sense The pedantry of...
Page 102 - She, who ne'er answers till a husband cools, Or, if she rules him, never shows she rules; Charms by accepting, by submitting sways, Yet has her humour most, when she obeys...
Page 91 - The darksome pines that o'er yon rocks reclin'd Wave high, and murmur to the hollow wind, The wand'ring streams that shine between the hills, The grots that echo to the tinkling rills, The dying gales that pant upon the trees, The lakes that quiver to the curling breeze; No more these scenes my meditation aid, Or lull to rest the visionary maid...
Page 88 - Some to the sun their insect-wings unfold, Waft on the breeze, or sink in clouds of gold ; Transparent forms, too fine for mortal sight, Their fluid bodies half...
Page 104 - Me, let the tender office long engage To rock the cradle of reposing age, With lenient arts extend a mother's breath, 410 Make languor smile, and smooth the bed of death, Explore the thought, explain the asking eye, And keep a while one parent from the sky!
Page 227 - O'er which were shadowy cast elysian gleams, That played, in waving lights, from place to place ; And shed a roseate smile on nature's face.
Page 66 - There shall be sung another Golden Age, The rise of empire and of arts, The good and great inspiring epic rage, The wisest heads and noblest hearts.
Page 88 - Bodies half dissolv'd in Light. Loose to the Wind their airy Garments flew, Thin glitt'ring Textures of the filmy Dew; Dipt in the richest Tincture of the Skies, Where Light disports in ever-mingling Dyes, While ev'ry Beam new transient Colours flings, Colours that change whene'er they wave their Wings.
Page 339 - Mind," of which the radical principles may indeed be found in Locke's ' Conduct of the Understanding ;' but they are so expanded and ramified by Watts, as to confer upon him the merit of a work in the highest degree useful and pleasing.

Bibliographic information