The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., Volume 1Macmillan, 1922 |
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Page xiii
... praise , though a failure would have been to my discredit . And after all , perhaps , hard as it may be , I shall not be surprised if omissions or mistakes be pointed out with invidious severity . I have also been extremely careful as ...
... praise , though a failure would have been to my discredit . And after all , perhaps , hard as it may be , I shall not be surprised if omissions or mistakes be pointed out with invidious severity . I have also been extremely careful as ...
Page 5
... praise , but his Life ; which great and good as he was , must not be supposed to be entirely perfect . To be as he was , is in- deed subject of panegyric enough to any man in this state of being ; but in every picture there should be ...
... praise , but his Life ; which great and good as he was , must not be supposed to be entirely perfect . To be as he was , is in- deed subject of panegyric enough to any man in this state of being ; but in every picture there should be ...
Page 26
... praise from ages yet unborn . " This thought once form'd , all counsel comes too late , He flies to press , and hurries on his fate ; Swiftly he sees the imagin'd laurels spread , And feels the unfading wreath surround his head . Warn'd ...
... praise from ages yet unborn . " This thought once form'd , all counsel comes too late , He flies to press , and hurries on his fate ; Swiftly he sees the imagin'd laurels spread , And feels the unfading wreath surround his head . Warn'd ...
Page 45
... a scholar , and a wit and a Whig ; and she talked all in praise of liberty ; and so I made this epigram upon her - she was the loveliest creature I ever saw : - Aston , and daughter to a baronet ; she was LIFE AT LICHFIELD ...
... a scholar , and a wit and a Whig ; and she talked all in praise of liberty ; and so I made this epigram upon her - she was the loveliest creature I ever saw : - Aston , and daughter to a baronet ; she was LIFE AT LICHFIELD ...
Page 100
... praise . It has been ascribed to Mr. Garrick , from its appearing at first with the signature G ; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare , that it was written by Dr. Johnson , and give the following account of the manner in which it was ...
... praise . It has been ascribed to Mr. Garrick , from its appearing at first with the signature G ; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare , that it was written by Dr. Johnson , and give the following account of the manner in which it was ...
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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