The Life of Alexander Pope, Esq: Comp. from Original Manuscripts; with a Critical Essay on His Writings and Genius |
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Page 3
... fhould , even under the like early cultivation , bear fuch unequal crops of fame . But if we attend minutely to the causes by which men have acquired renown , we shall find that perhaps the far greater part owed their reputation to ...
... fhould , even under the like early cultivation , bear fuch unequal crops of fame . But if we attend minutely to the causes by which men have acquired renown , we shall find that perhaps the far greater part owed their reputation to ...
Page 19
... fhould read , faid he , in a very different manner now than when I had my early fit of reading , from 14 to 20. Then it was merely from the amusement the ftory afforded me , now it fhould be with the view of learn- ing how to make ...
... fhould read , faid he , in a very different manner now than when I had my early fit of reading , from 14 to 20. Then it was merely from the amusement the ftory afforded me , now it fhould be with the view of learn- ing how to make ...
Page 30
... fhould blush to mislead , fo I equally scorn to prepoffefs the reader . As The paftorals are the firft pieces which fall under the examination of our critic ; and with refpect to thefe , he obferves in the very open- ing , " that it is ...
... fhould blush to mislead , fo I equally scorn to prepoffefs the reader . As The paftorals are the firft pieces which fall under the examination of our critic ; and with refpect to thefe , he obferves in the very open- ing , " that it is ...
Page 35
... fhould be a dog - day ? The British fhepherd might very confiftently defcribe what he often felt , though not fo frequently as the Grecian ; and we have days in England , which might make even a Grecian faint . He admits , however ...
... fhould be a dog - day ? The British fhepherd might very confiftently defcribe what he often felt , though not fo frequently as the Grecian ; and we have days in England , which might make even a Grecian faint . He admits , however ...
Page 38
... liftening is paffive : and if the rhyme would have admitted , the verb engage fhould feem moft proper . Impartial judgment muft , nevertheless , in fome degree , Impar- 38 THE LIFE OF toral images to be fimple and natural. The ...
... liftening is paffive : and if the rhyme would have admitted , the verb engage fhould feem moft proper . Impartial judgment muft , nevertheless , in fome degree , Impar- 38 THE LIFE OF toral images to be fimple and natural. The ...
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Common terms and phrases
AARON HILL addreffed admirable affured againſt anſwer beautiful becauſe beft beſt cenfure character compofition critic Dean Swift defcribed defcription defign defire difplayed Dunciad Effay effayift epiftle ev'ry excellent expreffed fafe faid fame fatire fays feems fenfe fenfibility fentiments ferve feveral fhall fhew fhort fhould fince fincere firft firſt fome foon fpeaking fpirit friendſhip ftate ftill ftriking ftrong fubject fublime fuch fuperior fuppofed fure genius himſelf honour Iliad illuftrated imagination inftance itſelf John Searl judgment juft juſt laft laſt learned lefs letter likewife Lord Lord Bolingbroke merit mind moft moral moſt muft muſt myſelf nature never nevertheleſs numbers obferves occafion paffage paffed paffion perfon piece pleaſed pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry POPE POPE's prefent profe publiſhed purpoſe racter raiſe reafon refpect ridicule ſay ſcene ſeems ſpeak tafte thefe themſelves theſe lines thofe thoſe thought tion tranflation uſe verfe virtue whofe writings
Popular passages
Page 265 - Let not this weak unknowing hand Presume Thy bolts to throw, And deal damnation round the land, On each I judge Thy foe. If I am right, Thy grace impart Still in the right to stay ; If I am wrong, oh, teach my heart To find that better way...
Page 256 - Know then this truth (enough for man to know) 'Virtue alone is happiness below.
Page 231 - With too much weakness for the Stoic's pride, He hangs between, in doubt to act or rest; In doubt to deem himself a God or Beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and...
Page 80 - She gives in large recruits of needful pride ; For, as in bodies, thus in souls we find, What wants in blood and spirits, swell'd with wind : Pride, where wit fails, steps in to our defence, And fills up all the mighty void of sense.
Page 298 - Who builds a church to God, and not to Fame, Will never mark the marble with his name : Go, search it there, where to be born and die, Of rich and poor makes all the history ; Enough, that Virtue fill'd the space between ; Prov'd by the ends of being, to have been.
Page 229 - But what his nature and his state can bear. Why has not Man a microscopic eye? For this plain reason, Man is not a Fly. Say what the use, were finer optics giv'n, T' inspect a mite, not comprehend the heav'n? Or touch, if tremblingly alive all o'er, To smart and agonize at ev'ry pore? Or quick effluvia darting thro' the brain, Die of a rose in aromatic pain?
Page 116 - He springs to vengeance with an eager pace, And falls like thunder on the prostrate ace. The nymph exulting fills with shouts...
Page 239 - Nor think, in Nature's state they blindly trod; The state of Nature was the reign of God: Self-love and social at her birth began, Union the bond of all things, and of man.
Page 231 - KNOW then thyself, presume not God to scan, The proper study of mankind is Man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great; With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, He hangs between; in doubt to act or rest...
Page 226 - Heaven from all creatures hides the book of fate All but the page prescribed, their present state: From brutes what men, from men what spirits know: Or who could suffer being here below ? The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play ? Pleased to the last, he crops the flowery food, And licks the hand just raised to shed his blood.