Timber: Or, Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter

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Ginn, 1892 - English prose literature - 166 pages

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Page 23 - Sufflaminandus erat, as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his own power, would the rule of it had been so too. Many times he fell into those things, could not escape laughter : as when he said in the person of Caesar, one speaking to him,
Page 30 - His hearers could not cough or look aside from him without loss. He commanded where he spoke, and had his judges angry and pleased at his devotion. No man had their affections more in his power. The fear of every man that heard him was lest he should make an end.
Page 31 - My conceit of his person," says Ben Jonson very finely, " was never increased towards him by his place or honours ; but I have and do reverence him for the greatness that was only proper to himself; in that he seemed to me ever, by his work, one of the greatest men and most worthy of admiration, that had been in many ages. In his adversity I ever prayed that God would give him strength ; for greatness he could not want.
Page 145 - I have represented an example of late times, yet it hath been and will be secundum majus et minus in all time. And how is it possible but this should have an operation to discredit learning, even with vulgar capacities, when they see learned men's works like the first letter of a patent, or limned book; which though it hath large flourishes, yet it is but a letter?
Page 106 - So that the sum of all is, ready writing makes not good writing, but good writing brings on ready writing.
Page 23 - I remember the players have often mentioned it as an honour to Shakespeare that in his writing (whatsoever he penned) he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been, "Would he had blotted out a thousand!" which they thought a malevolent speech.
Page 96 - But that which most doth take my Muse and me Is a pure cup of rich canary wine, Which is the Mermaid's now, but shall be mine; Of which had Horace or Anacreon tasted, Their lives, as do their lines, till now had lasted.
Page 111 - That low man seeks a little thing to do, Sees it and does it : This high man, with a great thing to pursue, Dies ere he knows it.
Page 54 - In style, to consider what ought to be written, and after what manner, he must first think and excogitate his matter, then choose his words, and examine the weight of either. Then take care, in placing and ranking both matter and words, that the composition be comely; and to do this with diligence and often. No matter how slow the style be at first, so it be labored and accurate; seek the best, and be not glad of the forward conceits or first words that offer themselves to us, but judge of what we...
Page 115 - That though I lived with him and knew him from a child, yet I never knew him other than a man; with such staidness of mind, lovely and familiar gravity as carried grace and reverence above greater years. His talk ever of knowledge, and his very play tending to enrich his mind.

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