A Second Series of Curiosities of Literature: Consisting of Researches in Literary, Biographical, and Political History; of Critical and Philosophical Inquiries; and of Secret History, Volume 1J. Murray, 1824 - English literature |
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Common terms and phrases
Abbé academy Agostino amidst amusing ancient Annibale ANTHONY COLLINS antiquary antiquity appears Arabella Stuart Aulus Gellius Bacon BAYLE Ben Jonson body burlesque called Caraccis character Charles Cicero circumstance COKE collection Collins court critical curious Dante delight Dictionary discovered elegant English expression father favour favourite folio formed France French genius historian honour Hudibras human humour imagined Inigo Jones invention Italian Italy James Jonson king labours Lady Arabella language learned letter literary literature lived Lodovico Lord Lord Bacon MAIZEAUX majesty manuscript Marolles Marot marriage Masque mind modern nature never Niceron observes occasion original parody party perhaps persons philosophical Plutarch poet political preserved printed proverbs Psalms racter Raynaud ridicule royal says scene secret history seems society spirit style taste thing Thomas Warton tion translation truth verse volumes words writer written
Popular passages
Page 246 - In every village mark'd with little spire, Embower'd in trees, and hardly known to fame, There dwells, in lowly shed, and mean attire, A matron old, whom we school-mistress name...
Page 314 - Thou art an odious fellow, thy name is hateful to all the realm of England for thy pride.
Page 374 - Boileau, where there is such a dull, heavy succession of long quotations of disinteresting passages, that it makes their method quite nauseous. But the verbose, tasteless Frenchman seems to lay it down as a principle, that every life must be a book, and what's worse, it proves a book without a life ; for what do we know of Boileau, after all his tedious stuff?
Page 160 - Pour grands que soient les rois, ils sont ce que nous sommes : Ils peuvent se tromper comme les autres hommes ; Et ce choix sert de preuve à tous les courtisans Qu'ils savent mal payer les services présents.
Page 322 - Is there a parson, much bemused in beer, A maudlin poetess, a rhyming peer, A clerk, foredoomed his father's soul to cross, Who pens a stanza, when he should engross? Is there, who, locked from ink and paper, scrawls With desperate charcoal round his darkened walls?
Page 286 - ... itselfe at the feet of the most merciful king -that ever was, desiring nothing but mercy and favour, not being more afflicted for any thing than for the losse of that which hath binne this long time the onely comfort it had in the world, and which T if it weare to do again, I would not adventure the losse of for any other worldly comfort; mercy it is I desire, and that for God's sake!
Page 348 - Tout ce qu'on dit de trop est fade et rebutant; L'Esprit rassasié le rejette à l'instant, Qui ne sait se borner, ne sut jamais ecrire.
Page 269 - Arabella's epistolary talent was not vulgar : Dr. Montford, in a manuscript letter, describes one of those effusions which Arabella addressed to the king. " This letter was penned by her in the best terms, as she can do right well. It was often read without offence, nay it was even commended by his highness, with the applause of prince and council.
Page 314 - Nay, I will prove all : thou art a monster ; thou hast an English face, but a Spanish heart.
Page 292 - ... without respect of the person's dignity or your own : this disgraceth your gravity, more than it can advance the opinion of your wit ; and so do all actions which we see you do directly with a touch of vain-glory, having no respect to the true end. You make the law to lean too much to your opinion, whereby you show yourself to be a legal tyrant...