The Fortunes of Nigel, Volume 1Archibald Constable and Company Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Company, London., 1822 - English fiction - 355 pages Lord Nigel Olifaunt's father loaned huge sums of money to King James I of England years before. Nigel now wants the money back, but the royal courtiers will stop at nothing to steal the young lord's wealth. Court intrigue and swashbuckling action serve as the background to this historical fiction set in early seventeenth century Great Britain |
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Page 126
... a sub- ject of doubt amongst his contemporaries , and bequeathing it as a problem to future historians . He was deeply learned , without possessing use- ful knowledge ; sagacious in many individual cases , without having real wisdom ; fond ...
... a sub- ject of doubt amongst his contemporaries , and bequeathing it as a problem to future historians . He was deeply learned , without possessing use- ful knowledge ; sagacious in many individual cases , without having real wisdom ; fond ...
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Common terms and phrases
answered attend auld Author better betwixt Buckingham Captain citizen cloak court d'ye lack Dame Ursley Dame Ursula David Ramsay dear door Duke Duke of Buckingham Earl eyes father favour fortune FORTUNES OF NIGEL gallant Geordie goldsmith hand hath heard honest honour James Jenkin John Christie Kennaquhair King King's lady laugh link-boy London look Lord Dalgarno Lord Glenvarloch Lord Huntinglen Lord Nigel Lord of Glenvarloch lordship mair Majesty Majesty's Master Heriot maun ment mind Mistress Margaret Moniplies mony neighbour neral never Nigel Olifaunt noble person poor present rank replied Richie royal Scot Scotch Scotland Scottish scrivener seemed shew silver Sir Mungo Malagrowther speak Steenie stood Suddlechop Supplication sure tell ther thing thou thought tion tone Troth Tunstall Vincent weel whilk Whitehall word young lord young nobleman youth
Popular passages
Page xxvi - ... divided it into volumes and chapters, and endeavoured to construct a story which I meant should evolve itself gradually and strikingly, maintain suspense, and stimulate curiosity; and which, finally, should terminate in a striking catastrophe. But I think there is a demon who seats himself on the feather of my pen when I begin to write, and leads it astray from the purpose.
Page 127 - He was laborious in trifles, and a trifler where serious labour was required ; devout in his sentiments, and yet too often profane in his language ; just and beneficent by nature, he yet gave way to the iniquities and oppression of others. He was penurious respecting money which he had to give from his own hand, yet inconsiderately and unboundedly profuse of that which he did not see. In a word, those good qualities which displayed themselves in particular cases and occasions, were not of a nature...
Page 222 - Full little knowest thou, that hast not tried, What hell it is in suing long to bide : To lose good days, that might be better spent ; To waste long nights in pensive discontent ; To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow ; To feed on hope, to pine with fear and sorrow ; To have thy Princes
Page 292 - But come," he said, changing his tone, " I know not why I should worry you thus — I who have so many follies of my own, when I should rather make excuse for being here at all, and tell you wherefore I came.
Page xxiv - But, to confess to you the truth, the works and passages in which I have succeeded, have uniformly been written with the greatest rapidity; and when I have seen some of these placed in opposition with others, and commended as more highly finished, I could appeal to pen and standish, that the parts in which I have come feebly off, were by much the more laboured.