Anecdotes of Polite Literature ...G. Burnet, 1764 - Literature |
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Page 1
... fubject , that my only business will be to explain the real and effential qualities of a pastoral poem . A point concerning which moft critics differ . Few fpecies of poetry have excited more writers than the paftoral ; but fcarce any ...
... fubject , that my only business will be to explain the real and effential qualities of a pastoral poem . A point concerning which moft critics differ . Few fpecies of poetry have excited more writers than the paftoral ; but fcarce any ...
Page 4
... fubject for a pastoral poett . It has nothing peculiar but its confine- ment to rural imagery , without which it ceases to be paftoral . This is its true characteristic , and this it cannot lose by any dignity of fentiments or beauty of ...
... fubject for a pastoral poett . It has nothing peculiar but its confine- ment to rural imagery , without which it ceases to be paftoral . This is its true characteristic , and this it cannot lose by any dignity of fentiments or beauty of ...
Page 28
... genius , and applied himself to fatirical compo- fitions . Yet he has fometimes offended against the just rules of fatire , by mak- ing mankind in general , instead of the vicious vicious part , the fubject of his ridicule . " ( 28 )
... genius , and applied himself to fatirical compo- fitions . Yet he has fometimes offended against the just rules of fatire , by mak- ing mankind in general , instead of the vicious vicious part , the fubject of his ridicule . " ( 28 )
Page 29
... fubject for fatire in another of his celebrated pieces , which is called , The fatire upon man . What vice or frailty can a difcourfe correct , which cenfures the whole fpecies alike , and endeavours to fhow by fome fuper- ficial ...
... fubject for fatire in another of his celebrated pieces , which is called , The fatire upon man . What vice or frailty can a difcourfe correct , which cenfures the whole fpecies alike , and endeavours to fhow by fome fuper- ficial ...
Page 45
... picture of mo- dern life ; and that the fubject is of a more ele gant nature , as well as more artfully conducted , than that of any other heroi - comic poem . Pope here fider the invention that poem difplays , the correctness of ( 45 )
... picture of mo- dern life ; and that the fubject is of a more ele gant nature , as well as more artfully conducted , than that of any other heroi - comic poem . Pope here fider the invention that poem difplays , the correctness of ( 45 )
Common terms and phrases
abfurd abuſe Addiſon admirable againſt Alcman alfo almoſt anſwer beautiful beſt Boileau celebrated character Charles Dryden compofed compofitions confiderable contain converfation deferves defire difplay Dryden Dunciad Eclogues effays excellent expreffion expreffive faid fame fatire fays feems fenfe ferve feveral fhall fhepherds fhould filk filly fince fineſt firft fome foon foul fpeaks fpirit ftrokes fubject fublime fuch fuperior fure genius Giorgione greateſt himſelf honour houſe Houyhnhnms Hudibras humour imitation inftances juft laft language laſt Lord Halifax Lord Harvey merit moft moſt mufic muft muſt never numbers obferved paffage paffed paffions paftoral painting perfon pieces pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poem poet poetic poetry Pope Pope's praiſe prefent publiſhed purpoſe racter Rambler refpect ribaldry ridicule rife ſeveral Shakeſpear ſome ſpeak taſte thefe themſelves Theſe lines thing thofe thoſe thouſand tion tranflation underſtanding univerfally uſed Verfe verfification Verſe whofe whoſe writings wrote Zimri
Popular passages
Page 86 - Me, let the tender office long engage To rock the cradle of reposing age, With lenient arts extend a mother's breath, 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 ! On cares like these, if length of days attend, May Heaven, to bless those days, preserve my friend!
Page 175 - In the worst inn's worst room, with mat half-hung, The floors of plaster, and the walls of dung, On once a flock-bed, but repair'd with straw, With tape-tied curtains, never meant to draw, The George and Garter dangling from that bed Where tawdry yellow strove with dirty red, Great Villiers lies — alas!
Page 55 - And born to write, converse, and live with ease: Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne...
Page 56 - Who but must laugh if such a man there be ? Who would not weep if Atticus were he?
Page 167 - Lo! at the Wheels of her Triumphal Car, Old England's Genius, rough with many a Scar, Dragg'd in the Dust! his Arms hang idly round, His Flag inverted trails along the ground! Our Youth, all liv'ry'd o'er with foreign Gold, Before her dance; behind her crawl the Old!
Page 36 - A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts and nothing long; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page 169 - Thus with each gift of nature and of art, And wanting nothing but an honest heart ; Grown all to all, from no one vice exempt; And most contemptible to shun contempt...
Page 36 - Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking. Blest madman, who could every hour employ With something new to wish or to enjoy ! Railing and praising were his usual themes, And both, to show his judgment, in extremes : So over violent or over civil That every man with him was God or Devil.
Page 13 - This piece was received with greater applause than was ever known. Besides being acted in London sixtythree days without interruption, and renewed the next season with equal applause, it spread into all the great towns of England; was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time ; at Bath and Bristol fifty, &c.
Page 34 - If his grace and his wit improve both proportionably, he will hardly find that he has gained much by the change he has made, from having no religion, to choose one of the worst.