An Examination of Hogg's 'Life of Shelley'

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Privately printed by Richard Clay & Sons, 1889 - 23 pages
 

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Page 22 - I crossed a moor, with a name of its own And a certain use in the world, no doubt, Yet a hand's-breadth of it shines alone 'Mid the blank miles round about : For there I picked up on the heather And there I put inside my breast A moulted feather, an eagle-feather! Well, I forget the rest.
Page 7 - But these men attained literary eminence in spite of their weaknesses. Boswell attained it by reason of his weaknesses. If he had not been a great fool, he would never have been a great writer.
Page 12 - His reminiscences of good cheer, however ancient the date of the actual banquet, seemed to bring the savor of pig or turkey under one's very nostrils. There were flavors on his palate, that had lingered there not less than sixty or seventy years, and were still apparently as fresh as that of the mutton-chop which he had just devoured for his breakfast.
Page 10 - ... full of errors), and as other biographies had been issued, written by those who had no means of ascertaining the truth, we were anxious that the numerous misstatements which had gone forth should be corrected. "For this purpose, we placed the documents in our possession at the disposal of a gentleman whose literary habits and early knowledge of the poet seemed to point him out as the most fitting person for bringing them to the notice of the public.
Page 18 - Novel," substituting the name Charlotte for Harriet. "You deceive yourself terribly, my friend," says the supposed novelist, who is of course Shelley. " It convinces me more forcibly than ever how unfit it is that you should live near us ; it convinces me that I, by permitting it, should act a subservient part in the promotion of yours and Charlotte's misery. ... It appears to me that I am acting as your friend your disinterested friend— by objecting to your living near us at present.
Page 15 - followed exactly the canonical observances of the vegetable church of Nature ; and I found them far from disagreeable, in the country, and during the summer and autumn." "An epicure," he elsewhere remarks, "fond of variety, would do well to adopt vegetable diet, now and then, for a day or two, as a change, for the mere gratification.
Page 17 - Rarer than the phoenix is that virtuous man (a monster he is—nay, he is an impossible man) who will consent to lose a prosperous anecdote on the consideration that it happens to be a lie.
Page 12 - It is sometimes in my power," says Hogg, " to illustrate the life of Shelley by parallel passages drawn from my own...
Page 7 - That such a man should have written one of the best books in the world is strange enough. But this is not all. Many persons who have conducted themselves foolishly in active life, and whose conversation has indicated no superior powers of mind, have left us valuable works.
Page 15 - ... source of the strange scheme. He did not communicate his intentions to me at the time. I never heard of his exploits in Dublin until after their termination, and but little did I learn at any period from himself. He seldom spoke of them. If he ever referred to the subject at all it was briefly ; and in truth he appeared to be heartily ashamed of the whole proceeding. Whatever can be discovered concerning this Irish dream, the vision of want of judgment, must be made out from his correspondence...

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