The British Essayists: SpectatorJames Ferguson J. Richardson and Company, 1823 - English essays |
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Page 1
... nature , slow in its re- solves , and languishing in its executions . The use therefore of the passions is to stir it up , and to put it upon action , to awaken the understanding , to en- force the will , and to make the whole man more ...
... nature , slow in its re- solves , and languishing in its executions . The use therefore of the passions is to stir it up , and to put it upon action , to awaken the understanding , to en- force the will , and to make the whole man more ...
Page 3
... nature , and accomplished by their own industry , how few are there whose virtues are not obscured by the ignorance ... natural perverseness of temper , grow wary in their praises of one who sets too great a value on them , lest they ...
... nature , and accomplished by their own industry , how few are there whose virtues are not obscured by the ignorance ... natural perverseness of temper , grow wary in their praises of one who sets too great a value on them , lest they ...
Page 4
... natural weak- ness of an ambitious man , which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with , and ruins the character he is so industrious to advance by it . For though his actions are never so glorious , they ...
... natural weak- ness of an ambitious man , which exposes him to the secret scorn and derision of those he converses with , and ruins the character he is so industrious to advance by it . For though his actions are never so glorious , they ...
Page 8
... nature casts a shade on all the other beauties , and darkens the whole character . How difficult therefore is it to preserve a great name , when he that has acquired it is so obnoxious to such little weaknesses and infirmities as are no ...
... nature casts a shade on all the other beauties , and darkens the whole character . How difficult therefore is it to preserve a great name , when he that has acquired it is so obnoxious to such little weaknesses and infirmities as are no ...
Page 10
... natural coldness of old age ; but seldom from a full satis- faction and acquiescence in their present enjoy- ments of it . Nor is fame only unsatisfying in itself , but the desire of it lays us open to many accidental troubles which ...
... natural coldness of old age ; but seldom from a full satis- faction and acquiescence in their present enjoy- ments of it . Nor is fame only unsatisfying in itself , but the desire of it lays us open to many accidental troubles which ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance action Adam and Eve admired Æneas Æneid agreeable angels appear Aristotle beauty behaviour cerned character CHARLES DIEUPART circumstances creature critics desire discourse dress Enville epic poem excellent fable fallen angels fame father fault favour FEBRUARY 18 female fortune genius gentleman give grace greatest happy head heart Homer honour hope humble servant humour Iliad innocent Julius Cæsar kind lady late letter likewise live look lover mankind manner marriage Milton mind mistress nature never obliged observed occasion opinion OVID paper Paradise Lost particular pass passage passion perfect person pleased pleasure poet pray present proper racters reader reason Satan sentiments shew speak SPECTATOR speech spirit sublime tell Thammuz thing thou thought tion told town turn VIRG Virgil virtue whole woman women words young
Popular passages
Page 232 - OF man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heavenly Muse...
Page 234 - Almighty hath not built Here for his envy, will not drive us hence: Here we may reign secure, and, in my choice, To reign is worth ambition, though in hell: Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven.
Page 343 - On our first father; half her swelling breast Naked met his under the flowing gold Of her loose tresses hid: he, in delight Both of her beauty and submissive charms, Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds That shed May flowers...
Page 234 - Their dread commander ; he, above the rest In shape and gesture proudly eminent, Stood like a tower ; his form had yet not lost All her original brightness, nor appeared Less than archangel ruined, and the excess Of glory obscured...
Page 234 - Hail horrors, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive thy new possessor; one who brings A mind not to be changed by place or time.
Page 165 - And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth...
Page 344 - Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe, And starry pole : Thou also mad'st the night, Maker Omnipotent, and thou the day...
Page 271 - To work in close design, by fraud or guile, What force effected not: that he no less At length from us may find, who overcomes By force hath overcome but half his foe. Space may produce new worlds...
Page 342 - So pass'd they naked on, nor shunn'd the sight Of God or Angel; for they thought no ill: So hand in hand they pass'd, the loveliest pair, That ever since in love's embraces met; Adam the goodliest man of men since born His sons, the fairest of her daughters Eve.
Page 60 - ¿Eneid also labours in this particular, and has episodes which may be looked upon as excrescences rather than as parts of the action. On the contrary, the poem which we have now under our consideration, hath no other episodes than such as naturally arise from the subject, and yet is filled with such a multitude of astonishing incidents...