Lectures on English History and Tragic Poetry, as Illustrated by ShakespeareLippincott, 1860 - 466 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
ancient Banquo battle beautiful blood Bolingbroke Britain British career character chroniclers conquest course crown dark death drama Duke Duke of York Edward Edward the Confessor elements England faith Falstaff father fear feeling France gentle give guilt Hamlet hand hath heart heaven Henry the Fifth Henry the Fourth historian honour house of York human Iago Iago's illustration imagination innocent intellect Joan of Arc Julius Cæsar King John King Lear Lancaster Lancastrian land lecture look Lord Macbeth memory mind misery moral murder mysterious nature noble Othello palace passions period play poet poetic poetry pride Prince Prince of Wales racter reign of Henry Richard the Second Roman royal Saxon scene seems sense Shakspeare Shakspeare's soldiers sorrow soul sovereign speak spirit story supernatural sympathy thee thing thou thought throne tion tragedy tragic truth utterance victory words Wordsworth's Yorkists
Popular passages
Page 173 - This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands, This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England...
Page 432 - ... this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.
Page 391 - Shine not in vain ; nor think, though men were none, That heaven would want spectators, God want praise : Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep : All these with ceaseless praise his works behold Both day and night. How often from the steep Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard Celestial voices to the midnight air, Sole, or responsive each to other's note, Singing their great Creator...
Page 220 - So, when this loose behaviour I throw off, And pay the debt I never promised, By how much better than my word I am, By so much shall I falsify men's hopes ; And, like bright metal on a sullen ground, My reformation, glittering o'er my fault, Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
Page 308 - Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the realm in erecting a grammar school : and whereas, before, our forefathers had no other books but the score and the tally, thou hast caused printing to be used, and, contrary to the king, his crown and dignity, 40 thou hast built a paper-mill.
Page 335 - Love thyself last : cherish those hearts that hate thee; Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace, To silence envious tongues.
Page 458 - Never, lago. Like to the Pontic sea, Whose icy current and compulsive course Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on To the Propontic and the Hellespont ; Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love. Till that a capable and wide revenge Swallow them up. — Now, by yond marble heaven, In the due reverence of a sacred vow {Kneels, I here engage my words.
Page 179 - God save him ; No joyful tongue gave him his welcome home ; But dust was thrown upon his sacred head, Which with such gentle sorrow he shook off, His face still combating with tears and smiles, The badges of his grief and patience, That had not God, for some strong purpose, steeled The hearts of men, they must perforce have melted, And barbarism itself have pitied him.
Page 385 - If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow and which will not, 60 Speak then to me, who neither beg nor fear Your favours nor your hate.
Page 181 - Ha, ha! keep time. How sour sweet music is When time is broke and no proportion kept! So is it in the music of men's lives. And here have I the daintiness of ear To check time broke in a disorder'd string; But for the concord of my state and time Had not an ear to hear my true time broke. I wasted time, and now doth time waste me...