A Reply to an "Unsentimental Sort of Critic,": The Reviewer of "Spence's Anecdotes" in the Quarterly Review for October [i.e. July] 1820; Otherwise to a Certain Critic and Grocer, the Family of the Bowleses!!

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R. Cruttwell and sold by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1820 - 43 pages
 

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Page 22 - He scarce had ceased, when the superior fiend Was moving toward the shore ; his ponderous shield, Ethereal temper, massy, large, and round, Behind him cast ; the broad circumference Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views At evening from the top of Fesole Or in Valdarno, to descry new lands, Rivers, or mountains, in her spotty globe.
Page 22 - His spear, — to equal which, the tallest pine Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast Of some great ammiral, were but a wand...
Page 25 - But his wit is not all his charm. He glows with passion in the Epistle of Eloisa, and displays a lofty feeling much above that of the satirist and the man of the world in his Prologue to Cato and his Epistle to Lord Oxford.
Page 24 - Eloisa, and displays a LOFTY feeling, much ABOVE that of the SATIRIST and man of the world, in his Prologue to Cato, and his Epistle to Lord OXFORD...
Page 22 - dextraque sinistrdque," and say, not only Satan's spear is compared to an "admiral's mast," but " his shield to the moon seen through a telescope !" My dear Sir, consider a little. You forget the passage; or have purposely left out more than half of its essential poetical beauty. What reason have I to complain, when you use MILTON thus ? I beseech you recollect MILTON'S image.
Page 20 - The " exquisite description of artificial manners and " habits is NOT LESS characteristic of genius than " the description of simple physical appearances.
Page 22 - ... might have been left out; but remark, in this image MILTON DOES NOT compare Satan's spear "with the mast of some great admiral," as you assert. The passage is, "His spear, to equal which the TALLEST PINE HEWN ON NORWEGIAN HILLS TO BE the mast Of some great ammiral, were but a wand!!" You leave out the chief, I might say the only, circumstance which reconciles the "mast" to us; and having detruncated MILTON'S image, triumphantly say, "MILTON is full of imagery derived from art!!
Page 22 - dextraque sinistraqite," and say, not only Satan's spear is compared to an "admiral's mast," but "his shield to the moon seen through a telescope]" My dear Sir, consider a little. You forget the passage; or have purposely left out more than half of its essential poetical beauty. What reason have I to complain, when you use MILTON thus? I beseech you recollect MILTON'S image. "His pond'rous shield Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb Through optic glass the Tuscan artist views AT EVENING,...
Page 21 - Supposing it is, do you really think that such a comparison makes the description' of Satan's spear a whit more poetical ? I think much less so. But MILTON was not so unpoetical as you imagine, though I think his simile does not greatly add to our poetical ideas of Satan's spear ! The
Page 22 - NEW LANDS, RIVERS, or MOUNTAINS, IN HER SPOTTY GLOBE.' " Who does not perceive the art of the poet in introducing, besides the telescope, as if conscious how unpoetical it was in itself, all the circumstances from NATURE, external nature, — the evening — the top of Fesole — the scenes of Valdarno — and the LANDS, MOUNTAINS, and RIVERS, in the moon's orb? It is these which make the passage poetical, and not the telescope!

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