Specimens of English Prose Writers: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Seventeenth Century, with Sketches, Biographical and Literary ... |
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Page 8
I shall extract certain parts of this long letter as a specimen of the bishop ' s
manner , as likewise , of the opinions common in that age . The letter is preserved
in Foxe ' s Acts and Monuments , and is by no means marked by that absurdity ...
I shall extract certain parts of this long letter as a specimen of the bishop ' s
manner , as likewise , of the opinions common in that age . The letter is preserved
in Foxe ' s Acts and Monuments , and is by no means marked by that absurdity ...
Page 25
... Speaking of the equalitarian principles of the first reformers , their plunder of
the rich , & c . he says : It is the very property of common people , namely of these
Almaynes , that whatsoever they be persuaded unto , agreeable to their
affections ...
... Speaking of the equalitarian principles of the first reformers , their plunder of
the rich , & c . he says : It is the very property of common people , namely of these
Almaynes , that whatsoever they be persuaded unto , agreeable to their
affections ...
Page 65
The most frequent fault seems to have been , the rejection of common and proper
phrases , for those that were more curious , refined , and unintelligible . ” This
work exhibits a favourable symptom of the dawn of reason . It was considered as
...
The most frequent fault seems to have been , the rejection of common and proper
phrases , for those that were more curious , refined , and unintelligible . ” This
work exhibits a favourable symptom of the dawn of reason . It was considered as
...
Page 89
English , than was used by the common writers of that age , whom he censures
for mingling exotic terms with their native language , and of whom he complains ,
that they were made authors not by skill or education , but by arrogance and ...
English , than was used by the common writers of that age , whom he censures
for mingling exotic terms with their native language , and of whom he complains ,
that they were made authors not by skill or education , but by arrogance and ...
Page 90
... most bold in English : when surely every man that is most ready to talk is not
most able to write . He that will write well in any tongue , must follow this counsel
of Aristotle , to speak as the common people do , to think as wise men do : as 50 ...
... most bold in English : when surely every man that is most ready to talk is not
most able to write . He that will write well in any tongue , must follow this counsel
of Aristotle , to speak as the common people do , to think as wise men do : as 50 ...
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Common terms and phrases
according afterwards Anatomy of Melancholy ancient appear beginning better bishop body born brought called cause Christ Christians Chronicle church collection College common contained continued court death desire died divers divine doth edition Elizabeth England English friars give hand hath Henry Holinshed honour Italy James John kind king knowledge land language Latin learning likewise live London lord manner Mary matter mean mind nature never observed opinion original persons present prince printed published queen reason reign religion Scripture shew sometimes sort sound speak taken thee thereof things thou thought tion translated true truth unto volume wherein whole write written
Popular passages
Page 332 - ... a couch whereupon to rest a searching and restless spirit ; or a terrace for a wandering and variable mind to walk up and down with a fair prospect ; or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise itself upon ; or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention ; or a shop for profit or sale ; and not a rich storehouse for the glory of the creator and the relief of man's estate.
Page 155 - But he cometh to you with words set in delightful proportion, either accompanied with, or prepared for, the wellenchanting skill of music; and with a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you, with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney-corner...
Page 329 - Execrabilis ista turba, quae non novit legem^] for the winning and persuading of them, there grew of necessity in chief price and request eloquence and variety of discourse, as the fittest and forciblest access into the capacity of the vulgar sort.
Page 292 - My lord, when I lost the freedom of my cell, which was my college, yet I found some degree of it in my quiet country parsonage ; but I am weary of the noise and oppositions of this place, and indeed God and nature did not intend me for contentions, but for study and quietness.
Page 420 - 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.
Page 484 - ... Equity is a roguish thing : for law we have a measure, know what to trust to ; equity is according to the conscience of him that is chancellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is equity. "Tis all one as if they should make the standard for the measure we call a foot...
Page 156 - ... with a tale, forsooth; he cometh unto you, with a tale, which holdeth children from play and old men from the chimney-corner; and, pretending no more, doth intend the winning of the mind from wickedness to virtue ; even as the child is often brought to take most wholesome things by hiding them in such other as have a pleasant taste...
Page 151 - ... comfort ; here a shepherd's boy piping, as though he should never be old : there a young shepherdess knitting, and withal singing, and it seemed that her voice comforted her hands to work, and her hands kept time to her voice-music.
Page 331 - It seems to me that Pygmalion's frenzy is a good emblem or portraiture of this vanity ; for words are but the images of matter, and except they have life of reason and invention, to fall in love with them is all one as to fall in love with a picture.
Page 422 - Custom is the most certain mistress of language, as the public stamp makes the current money. But we must not be too frequent with the mint, every day coining. Nor fetch words from the extreme and utmost ages; since the chief virtue of a style is perspicuity, and nothing so vicious in it as to need an interpreter.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Specimens of English Prose Writers: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Seventeenth Century, with Sketches, Biographical and Literary ... Volume 2 of Specimens of English Prose Writers: From the Earliest Times to the Close of the Seventeenth Century, with Sketches, Biographical and Literary, George Burnett |
| Author | George Burnett |
| Publisher | Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, 1807 |
| Original from | the New York Public Library |
| Digitized | 7 Nov 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |