The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.Macmillan, 1922 |
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Page 30
... imagination , and force of language , would probably have produced something sublime upon the gunpowder- plot . To apologise for his neglect , he gave in a short copy of verses entitled Somnium , containing a common thought ; " That the ...
... imagination , and force of language , would probably have produced something sublime upon the gunpowder- plot . To apologise for his neglect , he gave in a short copy of verses entitled Somnium , containing a common thought ; " That the ...
Page 34
... imagination and spirits , while the judgment is sound , and a disorder by which the judgment itself is impaired . This distinction was made to me by the late Professor Gaubius of Leyden , physician to the Prince of Orange , in a ...
... imagination and spirits , while the judgment is sound , and a disorder by which the judgment itself is impaired . This distinction was made to me by the late Professor Gaubius of Leyden , physician to the Prince of Orange , in a ...
Page 35
... imagination by his mother , who continued her pious cares with assiduity , but , in his opinion , not with judgment . " Sunday , " said he , " was a heavy day with me when I was a boy . My mother confined me on that day , and made me ...
... imagination by his mother , who continued her pious cares with assiduity , but , in his opinion , not with judgment . " Sunday , " said he , " was a heavy day with me when I was a boy . My mother confined me on that day , and made me ...
Page 50
... imagination . He meets with no basilisks that destroy with their eyes ; his crocodiles devour their prey without tears , and his cataracts fall from the rocks without deafening the neighbouring inhabitants . " The reader will here find ...
... imagination . He meets with no basilisks that destroy with their eyes ; his crocodiles devour their prey without tears , and his cataracts fall from the rocks without deafening the neighbouring inhabitants . " The reader will here find ...
Page 92
... imagining they stood still , that I conceived them to have a good deal beforehand , and therefore was less anxious in providing them more . But if ever they stand still on my account , it must doubtless be charged to me ; and whatever ...
... imagining they stood still , that I conceived them to have a good deal beforehand , and therefore was less anxious in providing them more . But if ever they stand still on my account , it must doubtless be charged to me ; and whatever ...
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acquaintance admiration afterwards appeared asked Baretti believe BENNET LANGTON Bishop bookseller BOSWELL character Colley Cibber consider conversation Croker DEAR SIR death Dictionary Dodsley edition eminent endeavour English Essay favour Francis Barber Garrick genius gentleman Gentleman's Magazine give Goldsmith happy Hebrides honour hope House of Stuart human humble servant JAMES BOSWELL Johnson kind King labour lady Langton language Latin learning letter Lichfield literary lived London Lord Chesterfield Lucy Porter mankind manner mentioned merit mind never obliged observed occasion opinion Oxford Pembroke College pleased pleasure poem poet praise published Rambler received recollect remarkable Reverend Samuel Johnson Savage Scotland Shakespeare shew Sir John Hawkins Sir Joshua Reynolds spirit suppose talk tell thing THOMAS WARTON thought Thrale tion told translation truth verses Warton wish write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 186 - Is not a Patron, my Lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it,3 till I am known, and do not want it.
Page 187 - Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less ; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation. My Lord, your lordship's most humble, most obedient servant,
Page 186 - When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment...
Page 371 - Where Angels tremble while they gaze, He saw ; but blasted with excess of light. Closed his eyes in endless night. Behold, where Dryden's less presumptuous car, Wide o'er the fields of glory bear Two coursers of ethereal race, With necks in thunder clothed, and long-resounding pace.
Page 142 - Somebody talked of happy moments for composition, and how a man can write at one time and not at another. "Nay," said Dr Johnson, "a man may write at any time if he will set himself doggedly to it.
Page 186 - ... Seven years, my Lord,' have now passed, since I waited in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it at last to the verge of publication, without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron before. " The Shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love, and found him a...
Page 191 - Sir, he was a scoundrel, and a coward : a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality ; a coward, because he had not resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotchman to draw the trigger after his death...
Page 348 - Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it, or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind.
Page 401 - Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he is the finest gentleman I have ever seen.
Page 505 - Richardson used to say, that had he not known who Fielding was, he should have believed he was an ostler. Sir, there is more knowledge of the heart in one letter of Richardson's, than in all