The English Humourists of the Eighteenth Century: A Series of Lectures, Delivered in England, Scotland, and the United States of AmericaSmith, Elder, 1853 - 322 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Addison admirable asked beautiful Beggar's Opera Bolingbroke called Captain character charming cheerful Congreve court Dean dear death delightful Dick Steele dinner Drapier's Letters Dublin Duke Dunciad Earl England English eyes famous fancy father fortune genius gentleman give Goldsmith hand heart hero Hogarth honest honour humour humourist Iliad Ireland Jane Eyre Johnson Joseph Addison kind lady laugh letters literary lived London look Lord Lord Bolingbroke Lord Treasurer manner married MATTHEW PRIOR moral nature never night novel passion person pleasure poem poet poor Pope Pope's pretty Queen Queen Anne reader satire says smile speak Spence's Anecdotes spirit Stella Sterne story Struldbrugs Swift Tatler tell tender Thackeray thee thought told Tom Jones truth Vanity Fair verses volume W. M. THACKERAY whilst wife William Congreve woman women writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 34 - I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London that a young, healthy child well nursed is, at a year old, . a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout.
Page 103 - Soon as the evening shades prevail The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth. Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole.
Page 147 - I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion ; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions and debates of mankind.
Page 297 - At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks adorn'd the venerable place; Truth from his lips prevail'd with double sway, And fools who came to scoff, remain'd to pray.
Page 104 - Mirth is short and transient, cheerfulness fixed and permanent. Those are often raised into the greatest transports of mirth, who are subject to the greatest depressions of melancholy; on the contrary, cheerfulness, though it does not give the mind such an exquisite gladness, prevents us from falling into any depths of sorrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with...
Page 311 - In all my wanderings round this world of care, In all my griefs - and God has given my share I still had hopes my latest hours to crown, Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down; To husband our life's taper at the close And keep the flame from wasting by repose.
Page 312 - Amidst the swains to show my book-learned skill, Around my fire an evening group to draw, And tell of all I felt and all I saw; And, as a hare, whom hounds and horns pursue, Pants to the place from whence at first she flew — I still had hopes — my long vexations past, Here to return, and die at home at last.
Page 216 - She comes ! she comes ! the sable throne behold Of Night primeval, and of Chaos old ! Before her, Fancy's gilded clouds decay, And all its varying rainbows die away. Wit shoots in vain its momentary fires, The meteor drops, and in a flash expires. As one by one, at dread Medea's strain, The sickening stars fade off the ethereal plain ; As Argus
Page 100 - I have observed, that a reader seldom peruses a book with pleasure, 'till he knows whether the writer of it be a black or a fair man, of a mild or choleric disposition, married or a bachelor, with other particulars of the like nature, that conduce very much to the right understanding of an author.
Page 103 - What though, in solemn silence, all Move round the dark terrestrial ball ? What though no real voice nor sound Amid their radiant orbs be found ? In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice, For ever singing, as they shine, " The Hand that made us is Divine.