The British essayists, with prefaces by A. Chalmers, Volumes 29-30 |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 77
Page 10
... opinion . " An ingenious author of this age * has lately de- monstrated , that it is possible to acquire a critical taste in any of the fine arts , without the smallest por- tion of natural genius ; and it must be acknowledged that his ...
... opinion . " An ingenious author of this age * has lately de- monstrated , that it is possible to acquire a critical taste in any of the fine arts , without the smallest por- tion of natural genius ; and it must be acknowledged that his ...
Page 14
... opinion , that one of the most important lessons to be learned in life , is that of being able to trifle upon occasion . No character can possibly be more contemptible than that of a talking , empty , giggling fool , who is incapable of ...
... opinion , that one of the most important lessons to be learned in life , is that of being able to trifle upon occasion . No character can possibly be more contemptible than that of a talking , empty , giggling fool , who is incapable of ...
Page 28
... opinion , or to take any decided measure . He was too conscious of his own infirmities ; and that con- sciousness led him to think , that his failure was greater than it really was . In this situation his whole dependence was upon Emily ...
... opinion , or to take any decided measure . He was too conscious of his own infirmities ; and that con- sciousness led him to think , that his failure was greater than it really was . In this situation his whole dependence was upon Emily ...
Page 32
... opinion of myself to take any other part than that of a hearer but I very soon discovered that I was the only per- son in the company who had an inclination to listen . Every one seemed impatient of his neighbour's speech , and eager to ...
... opinion of myself to take any other part than that of a hearer but I very soon discovered that I was the only per- son in the company who had an inclination to listen . Every one seemed impatient of his neighbour's speech , and eager to ...
Page 40
... opinion , without betraying it ; or , what in effect is much the same , supposing that we have betrayed it . Whe- ther she really perceived any alteration in my opi- nion of her , I cannot positively say ; but I thought her behaviour ...
... opinion , without betraying it ; or , what in effect is much the same , supposing that we have betrayed it . Whe- ther she really perceived any alteration in my opi- nion of her , I cannot positively say ; but I thought her behaviour ...
Common terms and phrases
Acasto acquainted acquired admiration affections amidst amusement appearance attended battle of Culloden beauty behaviour bestow called character choly circumstances conduct conversation Daniel Higgs dinner dreams dress elegant Emilia endeavoured fashion father favour FEBRUARY 22 feelings figure-making Flint fortune frequently genius gentleman give happy heard honour humour imagination indulge late learned letter live lively colours look Lord Chesterfield Louisa Lucullus manner marriage melan melancholy Melfort ment merit mind MIRROR Miss Juliana nature neighbour never nonsense verses novus homo object obliged observed paper passions perhaps persons pleasure possessed racter readers received remarkable satire of Juvenal SATURDAY scenes Scotland seemed sensible sentiments Sir Edward situation society sometimes soon sort spect spirit taste thing thought tion torrent streams town trifling TUESDAY Umphraville Venoni virtue wish writing XXIX
Popular passages
Page 160 - Ay, but to die, and go we know not where ; To lie in cold obstruction and to rot ; This sensible warm motion to become A kneaded clod...
Page 160 - tis too horrible ! The weariest and most loathed worldly life, ^ That age, ache, penury, and imprisonment Can lay on nature, is a paradise To what we fear of death.
Page 134 - That care, however, which watched his health was not repaid with success ; he was always more delicate, and more subject to little disorders than I; and at last, after completing his seventh year, was seized with a fever, which, in a few days, put an end to his life, and transferred to me the inheritance of my ancestors.
Page 238 - And will he not come again? And will he not come again? No, no, he is dead; Go to thy death-bed, He never will come again. His beard was as white as snow All flaxen was his poll, He is gone, he is gone, And we cast away moan: God ha
Page 235 - The spirit that I have seen May be the devil : and the devil hath power To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, — As he is very potent with such spirits, — Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds More relative than this: — the play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
Page 157 - Were I a father, I should take a particular care to preserve my children from these little horrors of imagination, which they are apt to contract when they are young, and are not able to shake off when they are in years.
Page 152 - I care not, fortune, what you me deny ; You cannot rob me of free nature's grace ; You cannot shut the windows of the sky, Through which Aurora shows her brightening face, You cannot bar my constant feet to trace The woods and lawns, by living stream, at eve : Let health my nerves and finer fibres brace, And I their toys to the great children leave : Of fancy, reason, virtue, nought can me bereave.
Page 233 - O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword; The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, The observed of all observers, quite, quite down!
Page 122 - And wisdom's self Oft seeks to sweet retired solitude, Where with her best nurse, contemplation, She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings, That in the various bustle of resort Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impair'd. He that has light within his own clear breast May sit i...
Page 89 - Taller, which, though it has every appearance of a real dream, comprehends a moral so sublime and so interesting, that I question whether any man who attends to it can ever forget it ; and if he remembers, whether he can ever cease to be the better for it.