Boswell's Life of Johnson: Life (v.l, 1709-1765Clarendon Press, 1887 |
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Page xvii
... give a truer insight into the nature of the man , but also will show the greatness of the author to a generation of readers who have wandered into widely different paths . In my attempts to trace the quotations of which both Johnson and ...
... give a truer insight into the nature of the man , but also will show the greatness of the author to a generation of readers who have wandered into widely different paths . In my attempts to trace the quotations of which both Johnson and ...
Page xx
... give in the beginning of the sixth volume of the books which I quote , the reader will find stated in full the titles which in the notes , through regard to space , I was forced to compress . The Concordance of Johnson's sayings which ...
... give in the beginning of the sixth volume of the books which I quote , the reader will find stated in full the titles which in the notes , through regard to space , I was forced to compress . The Concordance of Johnson's sayings which ...
Page xxi
... give the date under which the reference will be found , frequently I am able to quote the page and volume . The explanation is a simple one : two sets of compositors were generally at work , and two volumes were passing through the ...
... give the date under which the reference will be found , frequently I am able to quote the page and volume . The explanation is a simple one : two sets of compositors were generally at work , and two volumes were passing through the ...
Page xxiii
... give the advice Johnson gives about Shakespeare : - ' Let him that is yet unacquainted with the powers of Shakespeare , and who desires to feel the highest pleasure that the drama can give , read every play from the first scene to the ...
... give the advice Johnson gives about Shakespeare : - ' Let him that is yet unacquainted with the powers of Shakespeare , and who desires to feel the highest pleasure that the drama can give , read every play from the first scene to the ...
Page 3
... give a rule how to write a book that a man must read ? I believe Lon- ginus could not . ' Letters of Boswell , p . 322 . 2 Boswell perhaps quotes from memory the following passage in Goldsmith's Life of Nash : - ' The doctor was one day ...
... give a rule how to write a book that a man must read ? I believe Lon- ginus could not . ' Letters of Boswell , p . 322 . 2 Boswell perhaps quotes from memory the following passage in Goldsmith's Life of Nash : - ' The doctor was one day ...
Common terms and phrases
acknowl acquaintance Aetat afterwards Anec appeared April April 17 Baretti bookseller Boswell Boswell's Hebrides Burney called Cave character College Croker DEAR SIR death Debates Dictionary Dodsley edition Edward Cave English Essay father favour Garrick genius Gent gentleman Gentleman's Magazine Goldsmith happiness Hawkins Hawkins's honour hope Horace Horace Walpole humble servant James Boswell John July King labour Lady Langton language learning Lichfield literary lived London Lord Chesterfield Malone March March 21 master mentioned mind Miss never observed opinion Oxford paper passage Pembroke College pension Piozzi Letters pleased pleasure poem poet Pope Preface publick published Rambler Rasselas Samuel Johnson Savage says Sept shew Sir John Hawkins Sir Joshua Reynolds suppose talk thing Thomas Warton thought Thrale tion told translation verses viii Walpole Warton wish writing written
Popular passages
Page 472 - How must we, when we reflect on the loss of such an intellectual feast, regret that he should be characterised as the man, 'Who born for the universe narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind
Page 24 - After my death I wish no other herald, ' No other speaker of my living actions, ' To keep mine honour from corruption, 'But such an honest chronicler as Griffith ' .' SHAKSPEARE, Henry VIII. {Act IV. Sc. 2.] ' See Dr. Johnson's letter to Mrs.
Page 202 - The 17th of March, 1752', on which day it closed. This is a strong confirmation of the truth of a remark of his, which I have had occasion to quote elsewhere 2 , that 'a man may write at any time, if he will set himself doggedly to it 3
Page 226 - to which he consoles himself. How much better would it have been, to have ended with the prose sentence ' I shall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other cause, if I can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth V
Page 276 - Collins :—' I knew him a few years ago full of hopes, and full of projects, versed in many languages, high in fancy, and strong in retention. This busy and forcible mind is now under the government of those who lately would not have been able to comprehend the least and most narrow of its designs.
Page 425 - Arbuthnot was a man of great comprehension, skilful in his profession, versed in the sciences, acquainted with ancient literature, and able to animate his mass of knowledge by a bright and active imagination ; a scholar with great brilliancy of wit ; a wit, who in the crowd of life retained and discovered a noble ardour of religious zeal.
Page 88 - The reader will here find no regions cursed with irremediable barrenness, or blessed with spontaneous fecundity; no perpetual gloom, or unceasing sunshine; nor are the nations here described either devoid of all sense of humanity, or consummate in all private or social virtues. Here are no Hottentots without religious polity or articulate language
Page 159 - It has been circulated, I know not with what authenticity, that Johnson considered Dr. Birch as a dull writer, and said of him, 'Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in conversation ; but no sooner does he take a pen in his hand, than it becomes a torpedo to him, and benumbs all his faculties
Page 298 - written with little assistance of the learned, and without any patronage of the great; not in the soft obscurities of retirement, or under the shelter of academick bowers, but amidst inconvenience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow.
Page 173 - the great biographer has forgotten that he himself has mentioned, that Savage's story had been told several years before in The Plain Dealer; from which he quotes this strong saying of the generous Sir Richard Steele, that 'the inhumanity of his mother had given him a right to find every good man his father.