The Life of Samuel Johnson: 1709-March 18, 1776 |
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Page xxiii
... PERSONS ; AND VARIOUS ORIGINAL PIECES OF HIS COMPOSITION , NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED . THE WHOLE EXHIBITING A VIEW OF LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN IN GREAT - BRITAIN , FOR NEAR HALF A CENTURY , DURING WHICH HE FLOURISHED . IN TWO BY JAMES ...
... PERSONS ; AND VARIOUS ORIGINAL PIECES OF HIS COMPOSITION , NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED . THE WHOLE EXHIBITING A VIEW OF LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN IN GREAT - BRITAIN , FOR NEAR HALF A CENTURY , DURING WHICH HE FLOURISHED . IN TWO BY JAMES ...
Page xxv
... person to whom the following Work should be inscribed . From an engraving after a picture by himself SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS President of the Royal Academy of Arts If there be a pleasure in celebrating the distin- guished merit of a ...
... person to whom the following Work should be inscribed . From an engraving after a picture by himself SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS President of the Royal Academy of Arts If there be a pleasure in celebrating the distin- guished merit of a ...
Page xxvi
... persons , especially in distant quarters , not penetrating enough into Johnson's character , so as to understand his mode of treating his friends , have arraigned my judgment , instead of seeing that I was sensible of all that they ...
... persons , especially in distant quarters , not penetrating enough into Johnson's character , so as to understand his mode of treating his friends , have arraigned my judgment , instead of seeing that I was sensible of all that they ...
Page 2
... person who is the subject of the book ; and , in that , there is such an inaccuracy in the statement of facts , as in so solemn an author is hardly excusable , and certainly makes his narrative very unsatisfactory . But what is still ...
... person who is the subject of the book ; and , in that , there is such an inaccuracy in the statement of facts , as in so solemn an author is hardly excusable , and certainly makes his narrative very unsatisfactory . But what is still ...
Page 3
... person , by which I might have appeared to have more merit in the execu- tion of the work , I have resolved to adopt and enlarge upon the excellent plan of Mr. Mason , in his Memoirs of Gray . Wherever narrative is necessary to explain ...
... person , by which I might have appeared to have more merit in the execu- tion of the work , I have resolved to adopt and enlarge upon the excellent plan of Mr. Mason , in his Memoirs of Gray . Wherever narrative is necessary to explain ...
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance admiration afterwards appeared Baretti Beauclerk believe BENNET LANGTON bookseller Boswell's character Church compliments consider conversation Court David Garrick DEAR SIR death Dictionary dined Edinburgh edition eminent endeavour English engraving Essay Etat father favour Fleet Street Garrick gentleman Gentleman's Magazine give Goldsmith happy Hebrides honour hope humble servant JAMES BOSWELL John Joseph Warton kind King labour lady Langton language learning letter Lichfield literary lived London Lord Lord Chesterfield Lucy Porter manner mentioned merit mind never obliged observed occasion opinion Oxford Pembroke College perhaps pleased pleasure poem poet printed published Rambler remarkable Reverend Samuel Johnson Savage Scotland Shakspeare Sheridan Sir John Hawkins Sir Joshua Reynolds Street suppose talk tell thing Thomas THOMAS WARTON thought Thrale told translation truth verses Warton Williams wish write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 131 - His sentences have neither studied amplitude, nor affected brevity: his periods, though not diligently rounded, are voluble and easy. Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.
Page 154 - Seven years, my Lord, have now passed since I waited in your outward rooms or was repulsed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties of which it is useless to complain and have brought it at last to the verge of publication without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favor. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a Patron before.
Page 304 - Closed his eyes in endless night. Behold, where Dryden's less presumptuous car, Wide o'er the fields of glory bear Two coursers of ethereal race, With necks in thunder clothed, and long-resounding pace.
Page 33 - James, whose skill in physic will be long remembered; and with David Garrick, whom I hoped to have gratified with this character of our common friend: but what are the hopes of man! I am disappointed by that stroke of death, which has eclipsed the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure.
Page 76 - O Thou whose power o'er moving worlds presides, Whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides, On darkling man in pure effulgence shine, And cheer the clouded mind with light divine. Tis thine alone to calm the pious breast, With silent confidence and holy rest : From thee, great God ! we spring, to thee we tend, Path, motive, guide, original, and end...
Page 286 - Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it, or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind.
Page 527 - Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.
Page 432 - BY inscribing this slight performance to you, I do not mean so much to compliment you as myself. It may do me some honour to inform the public, that I have lived many years in intimacy with you. It may serve the interests of mankind also to inform them, that the greatest wit may be found in a character without impairing the most unaffected piety.
Page 272 - I thus, Sir, shewed her the absurdity of the levelling doctrine. She has never liked me since. Sir, your levellers wish to level down as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves. They would all have some people under them; why not then have some people above them?
Page 253 - I received one morning a message from poor Goldsmith that he was in great distress, and as it was not in his power to come to me, begging that I would come to him as soon as possible. I sent him a guinea, and promised to come to him directly. I accordingly went as soon as I was dressed, and found that his landlady had arrested him for his rent, at which he was in a violent passion. I perceived that he had already changed my guinea, and had got a bottle of Madeira and a glass before him.