Memoirs of John Dryden, Volumes 1-2A. & W. Galignani, 1826 |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 42
Page 7
... letter , » for alliteration was almost as fashionable as punning , seemed , in some degree , to bring back English com- position to the barbarous rules of the ancient Anglo - Saxons , the merit of whose poems con- sisted , not in the ...
... letter , » for alliteration was almost as fashionable as punning , seemed , in some degree , to bring back English com- position to the barbarous rules of the ancient Anglo - Saxons , the merit of whose poems con- sisted , not in the ...
Page 24
... letters to his old master is addressed , « Honoured Sir , » and couched in terms of respect , and even humility , fully sufficient for the occasion . Another written by Dryden , when his feelings were considerably irritated by a ...
... letters to his old master is addressed , « Honoured Sir , » and couched in terms of respect , and even humility , fully sufficient for the occasion . Another written by Dryden , when his feelings were considerably irritated by a ...
Page 28
... letter to his cou- sin Honor Driden , would have been enough to assure us , even without his own testimony , that Cowley was the darling of his youth ; and that he imitated his points of wit , and quirks of epigram , with a similar ...
... letter to his cou- sin Honor Driden , would have been enough to assure us , even without his own testimony , that Cowley was the darling of his youth ; and that he imitated his points of wit , and quirks of epigram , with a similar ...
Page 37
... letters , as well as that of legal government . With Charles , as Dryden has expressed it , The officious muses came along , A gay , harmonious quire , like angels ever young . It was not , however , to be expected , that an alteration ...
... letters , as well as that of legal government . With Charles , as Dryden has expressed it , The officious muses came along , A gay , harmonious quire , like angels ever young . It was not , however , to be expected , that an alteration ...
Page 46
... letter , which he read all over very atten- tively ; and then prayed me to assure you , that he would , upon all occasions , be most ready to give you the marks of his affection , and assist you in any affairs you should recommend to ...
... letter , which he read all over very atten- tively ; and then prayed me to assure you , that he would , upon all occasions , be most ready to give you the marks of his affection , and assist you in any affairs you should recommend to ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Absalom and Achitophel admired admitted Æneid afterwards Albion and Albanius Almanzor ancient appears audience Aureng-Zebe Bayes beautiful Ben Jonson Catholic censure character Charles church comedy comic court Cowley criticism D'Avenant death dedication den's drama Duke of Guise Duke of York Earl English expression favour genius Gilbert Pickering heroic plays Hind honour humour imitated James John Dryden Jonson king King Arthur labour Lady language laureat learned literary lived Lord Malone ment merit metaphysical metaphysical poets mode Monmouth Mulgrave muse nature never noble occasion Panther party passages passion patron perhaps person piece plot poem poet poet-laureat poet's poetical poetry political Pope preface probably Prologue published Rehearsal reign religion rendered rhyme ridicule Rochester royal satirist says scene seems Settle Shadwell Shakspeare Sir Robert Howard Spanish stage style taste theatre thou thought tion tragedy translation verse versification Virgil Whig write wrote
Popular passages
Page 156 - ... The style of Dryden is capricious and varied, that of Pope is cautious and uniform; Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind, Pope constrains his mind to his own rules of composition. Dryden is sometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is always smooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rising into inequalities, and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe, and levelled by the roller. Of genius, that power which constitutes...
Page 150 - With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon, And these the gems of heaven, her starry train: But neither breath of morn, when she ascends With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit...
Page 10 - What recks it them? What need they? They are sped; And, when they list, their lean and flashy songs Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw; The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed, But, swoln with wind and the rank mist they draw, Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread : Besides what the grim wolf with privy paw Daily devours apace, and nothing said: But that two-handed engine at the door Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.
Page 149 - With thee conversing I forget all time ; All seasons and their change, all please alike. Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet, With charm of earliest birds...
Page 201 - They have not the formality of a settled style, in which the first half of the sentence betrays the other. The clauses are never balanced, nor the periods modelled; every word seems to drop by chance, though it falls into its proper place. Nothing is cold or languid ; the whole is airy, animated, and vigorous : what is little is gay; what is great is splendid.
Page 108 - I shall say the less of Mr Collier, because in many things he has taxed me justly; and I have pleaded guilty to all thoughts and expressions of mine which can be truly argued of obscenity, profaneness, or immorality, and retract them.
Page 180 - I'm out of favour with a certain poet, whom I have admired for the disproportion of him and his attributes. He is a rarity which I cannot but be fond of, as one would be of a hog that could fiddle, or a singing owl. If he falls on me at the blunt, which is his very good weapon in wit, I will forgive him if you please ; and leave the repartee to black Will with a cudgel...
Page 8 - Jeroms, compelled me to embrace the superior merits of celibacy, the institution of the monastic life, the use of the sign of the cross, of holy oil, and even of images, the invocation of saints, the worship of relics, the rudiments of purgatory in prayers for the dead, and the tremendous mystery of the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, which insensibly swelled into the prodigy of transubstantiation.
Page 5 - Thy rate and price, and mark thee for a treasure, Hearken unto a Verser, who may chance Rhyme thee to good, and make a bait of pleasure : A verse may find him, who a Sermon flies, And turn delight into a Sacrifice.
Page 107 - This last is indeed the representation of nature, but 'tis nature wrought up to an higher pitch. The plot, the characters, the wit, the passions, the descriptions are all exalted above the level of common converse, as high as the imagination of the poet can carry them, with proportion to verisimility.