Govinda Sámanta: Or the History of a Bengal Ráiyat, Volume 1

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Macmillan, 1874 - 383 pages
 

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Page 202 - How often have I blest the coming day, When toil remitting lent its turn to play, And all the village train, from labour free, Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree...
Page 69 - Yet he was kind, or, if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault ; The village all declared how much he knew ; 'Twas certain he could write and cypher too ; Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, And even the story ran — that he could gauge...
Page 317 - Why did all-creating Nature Make the plant, for which we toil? Sighs must fan it, tears must water, Sweat of ours must dress the soil. Think, ye masters iron-hearted. Lolling at your jovial boards; Think how many backs have smarted For the sweets, your cane affords.
Page 13 - The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, But such as, at this day, to Indians known, In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms, Branching so broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade, High overarch'd, and echoing walks between...
Page 121 - I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combined locks to part And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fretful porcupine : But this eternal blazon must not be To ears of flesh and blood.
Page 140 - Rural confusion! on the grassy bank Some ruminating lie; while others stand Half in the flood, and often bending sip The circling surface.
Page 147 - Laertes' head. And these few precepts in thy memory See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel ; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade.
Page 181 - Why, Sir, if you were to read Richardson for the story, your impatience would be so much fretted that you would hang yourself. But you must read him for the sentiment, and consider the story as only giving occasion to the sentiment.
Page 299 - Make enemies of nations who had else Like kindred drops been mingled into one. Thus man devotes his brother, and destroys...
Page 46 - Quoth Ralph, Not far from hence doth dwell A cunning man, hight Sidrophel, That deals in Destiny's dark counsels, And sage opinions of the Moon sells ; To whom all people, far and near, On deep importances repair : no When brass and pewter hap to stray, And linen slinks out o...

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