 | David Hume - Great Britain - 1859 - 824 pages
...the officers in the boat with him Gray's beautiful Elegy in a Country Church-yard, adding at the end, "Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec." Wolfe himself was one of the first to leap ashore. The precipitous path was climbed ; an outpost of... | |
 | Samuel Orchart Beeton - 1859 - 414 pages
...Wolfe, the night before he made his attack on Quebec, where he fell, declared to his fellow-soldiers, " Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec." "I know not," says Sir Egerton Brydges, " what there is of spell in the following simple line, —... | |
 | Epes Sargent - Readers - 1859 - 450 pages
...St. Lawrei.-ce in a boat with some of his officers, repeated this eleey, then new, aloud, and said, " Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec." See Curfew. GREECE. The effecta of Grecian art, literature, and philosophy, up; -.n the world, promise... | |
 | Washington Irving - 1859 - 498 pages
...appeared to be slightly guarded at top. Wolfe was among " Now gentlemen," said he, when he had finished, " I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec." 1 Afterwards Professor John Robinson, of Edinburgh. the first that landed and ascended up the steep... | |
 | Nelson Thomas and sons, ltd - 1862 - 392 pages
...side, " Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard ;" and as he concluded the beautiful verses, he said, " Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec ! " But while "Wolfe thus, in the poet's words, gave vent to the intensity of his feelings, his eye... | |
 | Philip Smith - 1863 - 564 pages
...Gray's Elegy to his officers, and, pausing on the line, " The paths of glory lead but to the grave," he added, " Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than to take Quebec." The enterprise succeeded perfectly. Montcalm was forced to abandon his position and... | |
 | John Timbs - Anecdotes - 1864 - 374 pages
...low voice, to the other officers in his boat, the beautiful elegy written in a country churchyard, by Gray. One noble line, " The paths of glory lead but...rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec." This anecdote is related by Professor Robison, of Edinburgh, who was then a midshipman, and was in... | |
 | Henry Reed - English literature - 1866 - 502 pages
...to the other officers in his boat those beautiful stanzas with which a country church-yard in spired the muse of Gray. One noble line ' The paths of glory...rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec!' "* Of Gray, and Goldsmith, and Cowper this is also to be remembered — that they have enriched the... | |
 | Charles Bilton - 1866 - 264 pages
...side, ' Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard ; ' and as he concluded the beautiful verses, said, ' Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec ! ' But while Wolfe thus, in the poet's words, gave vent to the intensity of his feelings, his eye... | |
 | Frederick Saunders - American poetry - 1866 - 412 pages
...must have seemed at such a time fraught with mournful meaning ; and turning to his officers, said : " Now, gentlemen, I would rather be the author of that poem than take Quebec !" There are two manuscripts of the Elegy in existence ; and they were recently (in 1854) sold at auction... | |
| |
Not a word was spoken, not a sound was heard beyond the rippling of the stream. Wolfe alone, thus tradition has told us, repeated in a low voice to the other officers in his boat those beautiful stanzas with which a country churchyard inspired the muse... 
