The Romance of Biography: Or, Memoirs of Women Loved and Celebrated by Poets, from the Days of the Troubadours to the Present Age; a Series of Anecdotes Intended to Illustrate the Influence which Female Beauty and Virtue Have Exercised Over the Characters and Writings of Men of Genius, Volume 2Saunders and Otley, 1837 |
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addressed admiration affection afterwards Allan Cunningham alludes amiable attachment Barry Cornwall battle of Pavia beauty Bonnie Jean Burns Castara celebrated character charms Clotilde CONJUGAL POETRY CONTINUED Countess daughter death died Donne Duchess Earl elegant elegy Epistle expressed eyes fair fame fancy feeling female French genius gentle grace grief Habington happiness heart heaven heroines honour husband inspired interest Ischia Klopstock Lady Mary Lady Sunderland letters lines lived Lord Byron Lord Lyttelton lover Lucy Madame d'Epinay Madame d'Houdetot Madame du Châtelet marriage married Martha Meta mind Monti mother muse never passion person Pescara Petrarch poem poet poetess poetical Pope post 8vo praise racter Sacharissa Saint-Lambert satire says sentiment song Sonnet soul spirit Stella sweet Swift talents taste tears tenderness thee thou thought tion truth Vanessa VERONICA GAMBARA verse virtue Vittoria Colonna vols Voltaire Waller wife woman women wrote young youth
Popular passages
Page 344 - A countenance in which did meet Sweet records, promises as sweet; A creature not too bright or good For human nature's daily food, For transient sorrows, simple wiles, Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles.
Page 185 - There was a strong expression of sense and shrewdness in all his lineaments ; the eye alone, I think, indicated the poetical character and temperament. It was large, and of a dark cast, which glowed (I say literally glowed) when he spoke with feeling or interest.
Page 12 - When love with unconfined wings Hovers within my gates, And my divine Althea brings To whisper at my grates; When I lie tangled in her hair, And fettur'd with her eye, The birds that wanton in the air, Know no such liberty.
Page 108 - Her pure and eloquent blood Spoke in her cheeks, and so distinctly wrought, That one might almost say her body thought.
Page 12 - Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage; Minds innocent and quiet take That for an hermitage; If I have freedom in my love And in my soul am free, Angels alone, that soar above, Enjoy such liberty.
Page 239 - tis his fancy to run ; At night he reclines on his Thetis's breast. So when I am wearied with wandering all day ; To thee, my delight, in the evening I come : No matter what beauties I saw in my way : They were but my visits, but thou art my home.
Page 278 - Why bade ye else, ye powers! her soul aspire Above the vulgar flight of low desire? Ambition first sprung from your blest abodes, The glorious fault of angels and of gods: Thence to their images on earth it flows, And in the breasts of kings and heroes glows.
Page 121 - O'er that darkness, whence is thrust Prayer and sleep, oft governs lust. She her throne makes reason climb, While wild passions captive lie ; And each article of time Her pure thoughts to Heaven fly : All her vows religious be, And her love she vows to me.
Page 34 - I meant to make her fair, and free, and wise, Of greatest blood, and yet more good than great; I meant the day-star should not brighter rise, Nor lend like influence from his lucent seat. I meant she should be courteous, facile, sweet. Hating that solemn vice of greatness, pride; I meant each softest virtue there should meet, Fit in that softer bosom to reside. Only a learned and a manly soul I purposed her, that should, with even powers, The rock, the spindle, and the shears control Of destiny,...
Page 202 - On being again and again requested to do so, he promised compliance — but still remained where he was, striding up and down slowly and contemplating the sky, which was singularly clear and starry. At last Mrs Burns found him stretched on a mass of straw, with his eyes fixed on a beautiful planet ' that shone like another moon,' and prevailed on him to come in.