Selections from the SpectatorMacmillan, 1897 - 220 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Addison afterwards appeared Aristotle battle of Almanza beautiful behaviour body called cat-call coquette Dict discourse dream dress English Everlasting Club extravagant False Humour fancy fashion fellow figure formerly friend Sir Roger gentleman give hand head heart Hilpa honour Humorous Lieutenant Indian insomuch kind kings knight lady laugh letter literally live look lourche manner Marraton marriage matter mind mirth nature never observed paper particular party passed patches person piece play poets Pyrrhus reader reason Roger de Coverley says Scorpius sede vacante sense Shalum side sight Sir Andrew Sir Richard Baker Sir Roger Skeat soul speak Spectator syllogisms talk Tatler tell thou thought tion Tirzah Tmolus told Tory town Trunk-maker turn WESTMINSTER ABBEY Whig whilst whole Wimble woman women wood word
Popular passages
Page 54 - Bagdat, in order to pass the rest of the day in meditation and prayer. As I was here airing myself on the tops of the mountains, I fell into a profound contemplation on the vanity of human life; and passing from one thought to another, Surely, said I, man is but a shadow and life a dream.
Page 56 - ... hundred. As I was counting the arches, the genius told me that this bridge consisted at first of a thousand arches ; but that a great flood swept away the rest, and left the bridge in the ruinous condition I now beheld it. ' But tell me further,' said he, ' what thou discoverest on it.' ' I see multitudes of people passing over it,' said I, ' and a black cloud hanging on each end of it.
Page 6 - I am very well versed in the theory of a husband or a father, and can discern the errors in the economy, business, and diversion of others better than those who are engaged in them — as standers-by discover blots which are apt to escape those who are in the game.
Page 23 - When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me ; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion ; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow.
Page 9 - His notions of trade are noble and generous, and (as every rich man has usually some sly way of jesting which would make no great figure were he not a rich man) he calls the sea the British Common. He is acquainted with commerce in all its parts, and will tell you that it is a stupid and barbarous way to extend dominion by arms, for true power is to be got by arts and industry. He will often argue, that if this part of our trade were well cultivated, we should gain from one nation, — and if another,...
Page 55 - I had ever heard : they put me in mind of those heavenly airs that are played to the departed souls of good men upon their first arrival in paradise, to wear out the impressions of the last agonies, and qualify them for the pleasures of that happy place.
Page 36 - Accordingly he has digested them into such a series, that they follow one another naturally, and make a continued system of practical divinity. As Sir Roger was going on in his story, the gentleman we were talking of came up to us; and upon the Knight's asking him who preached to-morrow (for it was Saturday night) told us the Bishop of St. Asaph in the morning, and Dr. South in the afternoon.
Page 58 - I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might fly away to those happy seats \ but the Genius told me there was no passage to them, except through the gates of death that I saw opening every moment upon the bridge. The islands...
Page 57 - End, and spreading forth into an immense Ocean, that had a huge Rock of Adamant running through the Midst of it, and dividing it into two equal parts. The Clouds still rested on one Half of it, insomuch that I could discover nothing in it: But the other appeared to me a vast Ocean planted with innumerable Islands, that were covered with Fruits and Flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining Seas that ran among them.
Page 56 - As I looked more attentively, I saw several of the passengers dropping through the bridge into the great tide that flowed underneath it; and upon. further examination, perceived there were innumerable trapdoors that lay concealed in the bridge, which the passengers no sooner trod upon, but they fell through them into the tide, and immediately disappeared. These hidden pit-falls were set very thick at the entrance of the bridge, so that throngs of people no sooner broke through the cloud, but many...