Anecdotes of Polite Literature ...G. Burnet, 1764 - Literature |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 10
Page 62
... King William , are languid , profaic , and void of any poetical imagery or fpirit : that the poem to Dryden is languid , I grant ; but why he should couple the other two , particularly that to King William , I cannot fo clearly perceive ...
... King William , are languid , profaic , and void of any poetical imagery or fpirit : that the poem to Dryden is languid , I grant ; but why he should couple the other two , particularly that to King William , I cannot fo clearly perceive ...
Page 90
Blackmore wrote no less than fix epic poems , Prince Arthur , King Arthur , Eliza , Alfred , the Redeemer , and Job ; befides thefe , he compofed the whole book of Pfalms , the Creation , Nature of Man , and many more , all void of any ...
Blackmore wrote no less than fix epic poems , Prince Arthur , King Arthur , Eliza , Alfred , the Redeemer , and Job ; befides thefe , he compofed the whole book of Pfalms , the Creation , Nature of Man , and many more , all void of any ...
Page 103
... King's want of li- The Rehearsal of the Duke of Buckingham exposed with a fine fpirit of ridicule thefe wild productions of folly , and partly corrected the vi cious taste of the nation . H 4 berality berality in rewarding literary ...
... King's want of li- The Rehearsal of the Duke of Buckingham exposed with a fine fpirit of ridicule thefe wild productions of folly , and partly corrected the vi cious taste of the nation . H 4 berality berality in rewarding literary ...
Page 118
... King , We poets fucceed better in fiction than in truth . " On a beaucoup entendu parler du celebre Wal- ler en France . Mr. de la Fontaine , St. Evremond , & Bayle ont faits fon eloge ; mais on ne con- noit de lui que fon nom . Il eut ...
... King , We poets fucceed better in fiction than in truth . " On a beaucoup entendu parler du celebre Wal- ler en France . Mr. de la Fontaine , St. Evremond , & Bayle ont faits fon eloge ; mais on ne con- noit de lui que fon nom . Il eut ...
Page 125
... book mentioned before . " What , have you ne- ver heard of that immortal poet ( return- ed the other much furprized ) that light of the eyes , that favourite of kings , that rofe " rofe of perfection ? I fuppofe you know nothing ( 125 )
... book mentioned before . " What , have you ne- ver heard of that immortal poet ( return- ed the other much furprized ) that light of the eyes , that favourite of kings , that rofe " rofe of perfection ? I fuppofe you know nothing ( 125 )
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.