The Plain Speaker: Opinions on Books, Men, and Things : in Two Volumes, Volume 2Henry Colburn, New Burlington-Street, 1826 - 912 pages |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 63
Page 7
... genius may be supposed to fling down his pen or pen- cil in despair , haunted with the idea of unattain- able excellence , and ends in being nothing , because he cannot be every thing at once . Those even who have done the greatest ...
... genius may be supposed to fling down his pen or pen- cil in despair , haunted with the idea of unattain- able excellence , and ends in being nothing , because he cannot be every thing at once . Those even who have done the greatest ...
Page 8
... genius was , I should say , greater than any thing he has done , because it still soared free and unconfined beyond whatever he under- took - ran over , and could not be " constrained by mastery " of his subject . Goldsmith , in his ...
... genius was , I should say , greater than any thing he has done , because it still soared free and unconfined beyond whatever he under- took - ran over , and could not be " constrained by mastery " of his subject . Goldsmith , in his ...
Page 9
... genius he reserves for his books , and he has need of them , otherwise there would be hiatus in manuscriptis . He says little , and that little were better left alone , being both dull and nonsensical ; his talk is as flat as a pancake ...
... genius he reserves for his books , and he has need of them , otherwise there would be hiatus in manuscriptis . He says little , and that little were better left alone , being both dull and nonsensical ; his talk is as flat as a pancake ...
Page 13
... genius he would be nothing . The original sin of being what he is , renders his good works and most meritorious efforts null and void . " You cannot gather grapes of thorns , nor figs of thistles . " Nature still prevails over art . You ...
... genius he would be nothing . The original sin of being what he is , renders his good works and most meritorious efforts null and void . " You cannot gather grapes of thorns , nor figs of thistles . " Nature still prevails over art . You ...
Page 16
... genius , than what might be called constitu- tional talent . A man without this , whatever may be his worth or real powers , will no more get on in the world than a leaden Mercury will 16 ON THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY.
... genius , than what might be called constitu- tional talent . A man without this , whatever may be his worth or real powers , will no more get on in the world than a leaden Mercury will 16 ON THE QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abstract admire appears artist beauty Black Dwarf Boccacio cause character circumstances colour common delight effect elegance Elgin marbles English ESSAY evanescent expression face fancy favourite feel French genius gentleman give grace habit hand head heart House House of Commons human ideas imagination imitation impression Job Orton lady laugh less living look Lord Byron Madame Pasta Mademoiselle Mars manner means ment merit mind nature neral ness never object opinion Othello painted pass passion person philosophy picture play pleasure poet poetry portrait prejudices pretensions principle racter Raphael reason respect Second Series seems sense sentiment Shakespear shew sion Sir Walter Sir Walter Scott smile sophism sort soul speak spirit style supposed sympathy taste thing thought tion Titian Tom Jones true truth turn understand vanity Whigs whole words writer
Popular passages
Page 43 - I'll tell you, friend! a wise man and a fool. You'll find, if once the monarch acts the monk Or, cobbler-like, the parson will be drunk, Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow, The rest is all but leather or prunella.
Page 341 - Merciful heaven! What, man! ne'er pull your hat upon your brows; Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak Whispers the o'erfraught heart, and bids it break.
Page 315 - Yet nature is made better by no mean But nature makes that mean; so over that art, Which you say adds to nature, is an art That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry A gentler scion to the wildest stock, And make conceive a bark of baser kind By bud of nobler race. This is an art Which does mend nature — change it rather; but The art itself is nature.
Page 270 - O'er a' the ills o' life victorious! But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white — then melts for ever; Or like the borealis race That flit ere you can point their place; Or like the rainbow's lovely form Evanishing amid the storm. Nae man can tether time or tide; The hour approaches Tam maun ride; That hour, o...
Page 293 - Piety displays Her mouldering roll, the piercing eye explores New manners, and the pomp of elder days, Whence culls the pensive bard his pictured stores. Nor rough nor barren are the winding ways Of hoar Antiquity, but strewn with flowers.
Page 157 - Time travels in divers paces with divers persons : I'll tell you who time ambles withal, who time trots withal, who time gallops withal, and who he stands still withal.
Page 174 - How charming is divine Philosophy! Not harsh and crabbed, as dull fools suppose, But musical as is Apollo's lute, And a perpetual feast of nectar'd sweets, Where no crude surfeit reigns.
Page 95 - Amid the groves, under the shadowy hills, The generations are prepared ; the pangs, . The internal pangs, are ready ; the dread strife Of poor humanity's afflicted will Struggling in vain with ruthless destiny.
Page 270 - DUKE'S PALACE. [Enter DUKE, CURIO, LORDS; MUSICIANS attending.] DUKE. If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken and so die.— That strain again;— it had a dying fall; O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet south, That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odour.— Enough; no more; 'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
Page 9 - Though equal to all things, for all things unfit, Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit : For a patriot, too cool ; for a drudge, disobedient ; And too fond of the right to pursue the expedient. In short, 'twas his fate, unemploy'd, or in place, Sir, To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor.