Essays from the Rambler and the Idler, with Passages from the Lives of the Poets, Prayers and Meditations, and Other WritingsDoubleday, Page, 1901 - 179 pages |
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Page 143
... knew more of man in his general nature , and Pope in his local manners . The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive specu- lation , and those of Pope by minute attention . There is more dignity in the knowledge of Dryden , and ...
... knew more of man in his general nature , and Pope in his local manners . The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive specu- lation , and those of Pope by minute attention . There is more dignity in the knowledge of Dryden , and ...
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Essays From the Rambler and the Idler; With Passages From the Lives of the ... Bliss Perry Samuel Johnson No preview available - 2022 |
Common terms and phrases
Addison ALMIGHTY Amen April April 20 authors authour BLISS PERRY Boswell cause censure character church common considered criticism death desire diligence Dryden easily Easter endeavour English Dictionary English language essays evil expect fame fancy favour fear frequently garret genius George Strahan grant gratify happiness honour hope idle Idler imagination inquiry Jesus Christ Jesus Christ's sake Johnson knowledge labour language learning less Lives Lord LORD CHESTERFIELD lordship mankind Marasmus March 28 memory ment Milton mind morning nations nature neglected negligence ness never opinion orthography Paradise Lost performance perhaps pleasure poem Poets Pope praise publick purpose Rambler readers reason regard resolutions resolve rise at eight rise early sake of Jesus SAMUEL JOHNSON scarcely seldom September 18 sometimes sorrow suffer Thee Thou hast thoughts thy Holy Spirit tion tongues truth vanity vigour virtue words writers
Popular passages
Page 143 - 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.
Page 102 - Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation, My Lord, Your Lordship's most humble Most obedient servant, SAM. JOHNSON.
Page 101 - I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little.
Page 110 - ... author, and the world is little solicitous to know whence proceeded the faults of that which it condemns; yet it may gratify curiosity to inform it that the English Dictionary...
Page 52 - I have laboured to refine our language to grammatical purity, and to clear it from colloquial barbarisms, licentious idioms, and irregular combinations. Something, perhaps, I have added to the elegance of its construction, and something to the harmony of its cadence. When common- words were less pleasing to the ear, or less distinct in their signification, I have familiarized the terms of philosophy by applying them to popular ideas...
Page 101 - When upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address ; and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre...
Page 12 - ... no species of writing seems more worthy of cultivation than biography, since none can be more delightful or more useful, none can more certainly enchain the heart by irresistible interest, or more widely diffuse instruction to every diversity of condition.
Page 17 - There are many who think it an act of piety to hide the faults or failings of their friends, even when they can no longer suffer by their detection; we therefore see whole ranks of characters adorned with uniform panegyric, and not to be known from one another but by extrinsic and casual circumstances. 'Let me remember (says Hale) when I find myself inclined to pity a criminal, that there is likewise a pity due to the country.
Page 144 - Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more; for every other writer since Milton must give place to Pope ; and even of Dryden it must be said, that, if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems.
Page 122 - I have a particular reason," says he, " to remember; for whereas I had the perusal of it from the very beginning, for some years, as I went from time to time to visit him, in parcels of ten, twenty, or thirty verses at a time (which, being written by whatever hand came next, might possibly want correction as to the orthography and pointing...