Essays, Moral and Literary, Volume 1J. Richardson and Company, 1821 |
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acquire Addison admire afford agreeable amusement ancient appear attention beauty bestowed cause censure character Cicero clergy conduct Cornelius Nepos delight Demosthenes derived despise dignity disposition effect effeminacy elegant endeavour enjoyment entertain Epictetus Epicurus evil exalted excellence favourable feel folly fortune genius grace happiness heart honour human nature ideas improvement indulgence ingenuity innocent labour learning lence less liberal liberty literary Livy mankind manners means ment merit mind misery modern moral nation neral ness never object pain passions patriotism perhaps perusal philosopher philosophy pleasing pleasure PLINY the younger poetry political possess principles produce profession pursuit quired racter reason refined religion remarks render respect ridicule rience rusal Sallust sensible sentiments species spect spirit style taste Tatler temper tends thing tical tion true truth tural usually vanity vice Virgil virtue virtuous vulgar wisdom writers Xenophon young youth
Popular passages
Page 161 - I fared like a distressed Prince who calls in a powerful neighbour to his aid. I was undone by my auxiliary. When I had once called him in, I could not subsist without dependence on him.
Page 160 - The general purpose of this Paper is to expose the false arts of life, to pull off the disguises of cunning, vanity, and affectation, and to recommend a general simplicity in our dress, our discourse, and our behaviour.
Page 257 - Books printed in the black letter are sought for with the same avidity with which the English antiquary peruses a monumental inscription, or treasures up a Saxon piece of money. The popular ballad, composed by some illiterate minstrel, and which has been handed down by tradition for several centuries, is rescued from the hands of the vulgar, to obtain a place in the collection of the man of taste. Verses, which a few years past were thought worthy the attention of children only, or of the lowest...
Page 162 - A work which warms our passions, and hurries us on with the rapid vehemence of its style, may be read once or twice with pleasure; but it is the more tranquil style which is most frequently in unison with our minds, and which, therefore, on the tenth repetition, as Horace says, will afford fresh pleasure.
Page 149 - Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken ; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee : 22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
Page 40 - But, alas ! the owner is engaged in other scenes. He is rattling over the streets of the metropolis, and pursuing all the sophisticated joys which succeed to supply the place where Nature is relinquished. If he condescends to pay an annual visit to the retreat, he brings with him all his acquired inclinations ; and while he sits at the card-table or at the banquet, and thinks of little...
Page 226 - Natural stupidity, natural ill-temper, acquired ill habits, want of education, illiberal manners, and a neglect of the common rules of discretion, will render every species of intercourse disagreeable. When those are united by connubial ties, who were separated by natural and inherent diversity, no wonder if that degree of happiness which can only result from a proper union is unknown. In the forced alliance, which the poet of Venusium mentions, of the serpent with the dove, of the tiger with the...
Page 11 - Love truth, and dare to speak it at all events. The man of the world will tell you, you must dissemble ; and so you must, if your objects and pursuits are like his, mean and selfish. But your purposes are generous ; and your methods of obtaining them are therefore undisguised.
Page 260 - Notwithstanding the incontrovertible merit of many of our ancient relics of poetry, I believe it may be doubted, whether any one of them would be tolerated as the production of a modern poet. As a good imitation of the ancient manner it would find its admirers ; but,, considered independently as an original, it would be thought a careless, vulgar, inartificial composition. There are few who do not read Dr. Percy's own piece, and those of other late writers, with more pleasure...
Page 35 - Like the tiger, that seldom desists from pursuing man after having once preyed upon human flesh, tfhe reader, who has once gratified his appetite with calumny, makes ever after the most agreeable feast upon murdered reputation. Such readers generally admire some half-witted thing, who wants to be thought a bold man, having lost the character of a wise one. Him they dignify with...