The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets;: With Critical Observations on Their Works, Volume 4C. Bathurst, J. Buckland, W. Strahan, J. Rivington and Sons, T. Davies, T. Payne, L. Davis, W. Owen, B. White, S. Crowder, T. Caslon, T. Longman, B. Law, C. Dilly, J. Dodsley, J. Wilkie, J. Robson, J. Johnson, T. Lowndes, G. Robinson, T. Cadell, J. Nichols, E. Newbery, T. Evans, P. Elmsly, R. Baldwin, G. Nicol, Leigh and Sotheby, J. Bew, N. Conant, W. Nicoll, J. Murray, S. Hayes, W. Fox, and J. Bowen., 1783 |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 9
Page 8
... subjects . He wrote a comedy , a tragedy , an epick poem , with panegyricks on all the princes of Europe ; and , as he con- feffes , thought himself the greatest genius that Self - confidence is the firft requi- fite to great ...
... subjects . He wrote a comedy , a tragedy , an epick poem , with panegyricks on all the princes of Europe ; and , as he con- feffes , thought himself the greatest genius that Self - confidence is the firft requi- fite to great ...
Page 43
... subject to casualties . The encouragement given to this tranfla- tion , though report seems to have over - rated it , was fuch as the world has not often seen . The subscribers were five hundred and feventy- five . The copies for which ...
... subject to casualties . The encouragement given to this tranfla- tion , though report seems to have over - rated it , was fuch as the world has not often seen . The subscribers were five hundred and feventy- five . The copies for which ...
Page 123
... " the rest . The subject is large , and will " divide into four Epiftles , which naturally " follow the Effay on Man , viz . 1. Of the " Extent and Limits of Human Reason and " Science , 3 . Of " Science . 2. A View of POP E. 123.
... " the rest . The subject is large , and will " divide into four Epiftles , which naturally " follow the Effay on Man , viz . 1. Of the " Extent and Limits of Human Reason and " Science , 3 . Of " Science . 2. A View of POP E. 123.
Page 131
... subject therefore was of the fabu- lous age ; the actors were a race upon whom imagination has been exhausted , and attention wearied , and to whom the mind will not eafily be recalled , when it is invited in blank verfe , which Pope ...
... subject therefore was of the fabu- lous age ; the actors were a race upon whom imagination has been exhausted , and attention wearied , and to whom the mind will not eafily be recalled , when it is invited in blank verfe , which Pope ...
Page 224
... as the moft valuable of all Pope's epitaphs ; the subject of it is a character not difcriminated by any shining or eminent peculiarities ; yet that wife which really makes , though not the splendor , which 224 PO P E.
... as the moft valuable of all Pope's epitaphs ; the subject of it is a character not difcriminated by any shining or eminent peculiarities ; yet that wife which really makes , though not the splendor , which 224 PO P E.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Addiſon afterwards againſt almoſt appears becauſe beſt Bolingbroke cenfure character compofition confequence confiderable confidered converfation criticiſm criticks curiofity defign defire diction diſcovered Dryden Dunciad eafily Edward Young Effay elegance Engliſh epitaph fafe faid fame father fatire favour fays fecond feems fenfe fent fentiments fhall fhew fhould firft firſt folicited fome fomething fometimes foon friendſhip ftanza ftudies fubject fuccefs fuch fufficient fuppofed furely higheſt himſelf hiſtory honour houſe Iliad increaſe kindneſs labour laft laſt leaſt lefs Letters lived Lord Lyttelton Mallet mind moſt muſt never Night Thoughts numbers obferved occafion paffages paffed paffion perfons perfuaded perhaps Pindar pleafing pleaſed pleaſure poem poet poetical poetry Pope Pope's praiſe prefent profe publick publiſhed purpoſe raiſed reader reaſon ſay ſee ſeems ſhall ſhe ſome ſtate ſtudy ſuch theſe thofe Thomſon thoſe thouſand tion tranflated unkle uſed verfe verfion verſes vifit whofe whoſe wiſh write written Young
Popular passages
Page 170 - Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind, Pope constrains his mind to his own rules of composition. Dryden is sometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is always smooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rising into inequalities and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, shaven by the scythe and levelled by the roller.
Page 170 - Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more ; for every other writer since Milton must give place to Pope ; and even of Dryden it must be said, that, if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems.
Page 419 - The excellence of this work is not exactness, but copiousness ; particular lines are not to be regarded ; the power is in the whole ; and in the whole there is a magnificence like that ascribed to Chinese plantation, the magnificence of vast extent and endless diversity.
Page 168 - ... none to himself. He examined lines and words with minute and punctilious observation, and retouched every part with indefatigable diligence, till he had left nothing to be forgiven.
Page 328 - The pleasure of Shenstone was all in his eye : he valued what he valued merely for its looks; nothing raised his indignation more than to ask if there were any fishes in his water* His house was mean, and he did not improve it; his care was of his grounds.
Page 15 - Miscellany, in a volume which began with the pastorals of Philips, and ended with those of Pope. The same year was written the Essay on Criticism ; a work which displays such extent of comprehension, such nicety of distinction, such acquaintance with mankind, and such knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the maturest age and longest experience. It was published about two years afterwards ; and being praised by Addison in the Spectator* with sufficient liberality,...
Page 469 - In the character of his Elegy I rejoice to concur with the common reader; for by the common sense of readers uncorrupted with literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtilty and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours.
Page 208 - After all this it is surely superfluous to answer the question that has once been asked, whether Pope was a poet? otherwise than by asking in return, if Pope be not a poet, where is poetry to be found?
Page 123 - Man, of which he has given this account to Dr. Swift. March 25, 1736. If ever I write any more Epistles in verse one of them shall be addressed to you. I have long concerted it, and begun it; but I would make what bears your name as finished as my last work ought to be, that is to say, more finished than any of the rest. The subject is large, and will divide into four Epistles, which naturally follow the Essay on Man, viz.
Page 141 - Most of what can be told concerning his petty peculiarities was communicated by a female domestic of the Earl of Oxford, who knew him perhaps after the middle of life. He was then so weak as to stand in perpetual need of female attendance; extremely sensible of cold, so that he wore a kind of fur doublet under a shirt of a very coarse warm linen with fine sleeves.