Village Memoirs: In a Series of Letters Between a Clergyman and His Family in the Country, and His Son in Town

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T. Davies, 1775 - 184 pages
 

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Page 120 - To build, to plant, whatever you intend, To rear the column, or the arch to bend, To swell the terrace, or to sink the grot; In all, let Nature never be forgot.
Page 89 - If we fay that we have no fin, we deceive ourfelves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confefs our fins, he is faithful and juft to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufnefs.
Page 120 - Bossu has well observed, was ambitious of trying his strength with his master Virgil, as Virgil had before tried his with Homer. The Grecian gave the two Romans an example, in the games which were celebrated at the funerals of Patroclus.
Page 34 - Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head : And this our life, exempt from publick haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in ftones, and good in every thing.
Page 107 - With purple clusters blushing through the green. Four limpid fountains from the clefts distil, And every fountain pours a several rill, In mazy windings wandering down the hill : Where bloomy meads with vivid greens were crown'd, And glowing violets threw odours round. A scene...
Page 90 - Tremble, thou earth, at the prefence of the Lord : at the prefence of the God of Jacob ; 8 Who turned the hard rock into a ftanding water: and the flintftone into a fpringing well.
Page 106 - Appear'd around, and groves of living green; Poplars and alders ever quiv'ring play'd, And nodding cypress form'da fragrant shade; On whose high branches, waving with the storm, The birds of broadest wing their mansion form, The chough, the sea-mew, the loquacious crow, And scream aloft, and skim the deeps below.
Page 46 - WHILE thefe principles preferved their due vigour and influence, Greece continued a really united body, happy in itfelf, and formidable to its enemies. Many circumftances contributed to form this union;' and many inftitutions were fuggefted, by the fagacity of ftatefmen and legiflators, to fecure and confirm it.
Page 43 - Sterne will be immortal when Rabelais and Cervantes are forgot — they drew their characters from the particular genius of the times — Sterne confined himself to nature only. Till my uncle Toby appeared I had used to assert, that no character was ever better drawn than that of Sir Roger de Coverly.
Page 48 - The man who bids fairest for success, as candidate for any office where the public is principally concerned, is not he who has most friends, but he who has fewest enemies—not he whose talents raise an idea of superiority, but he whose mediocrity gives no offence.

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