The British essayists; to which are prefixed prefaces by J. Ferguson, Volume 37 |
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able acquaint acrostics Addison admiration affectation appear audience beauty body called character club consider conversation desire discourse dress endeavour English express eyes face fall figure frequently give given greater greatest half hand head heard heart honour hope humble humour keep kind King lady language learned letter lion live look manner MARCH means meet mentioned merit mind nature never night observed occasion opera opinion particular pass passion person piece play pleased poet polite present proper reader reason received represented says scenes seems seen sense servant shew short speak Spectator stage taken talk tell thing thought tion told town tragedy turn verses whole woman women writers written young
Popular passages
Page 8 - ... town and country ; a great lover of mankind ; but there is such a mirthful cast in his behaviour, that he is rather beloved than esteemed. His tenants grow rich, his servants look satisfied, all the young women profess love to him, and the young men are glad of his company.
Page 221 - Men of all sorts take a pride to gird at me : the brain of this foolish-compounded clay, man, is not able to invent any thing that tends to laughter*, more than I invent, or is invented on me : I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men.
Page 4 - I have made myself a speculative statesman, soldier, merchant, and artisan, without ever meddling with any practical part in life. I am very well versed in the theory of a husband, or a father, and can discern the errors in the eeconomy, 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 192 - Her pure and eloquent blood Spoke in her cheeks, and so distinctly wrought, That one might almost say her body thought.
Page 6 - The first of our society is a gentleman of Worcestershire, of ancient descent, a baronet, his name Sir Roger de Coverley". His great-grandfather was inventor of that famous country-dance" which is called after him. All who know ' that shire are very well acquainted with the parts and merits of Sir Roger. He is a gentleman that is very singular in his behaviour, but his singularities proceed from his good sense, and are contradictions to the manners of the world only as he thinks the world is in the...
Page 202 - Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, Thou com'st in such a questionable shape, That I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane, O, answer me!
Page xxxiii - Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison...
Page 9 - A general Trader of good Sense is pleasanter Company than a general Scholar ;' and Sir ANDREW having a natural unaffected Eloquence, the Perspicuity of his Discourse gives the same Pleasure that Wit would in another Man. He has made his...
Page 8 - ... all which questions he agrees with an attorney to answer and take care of in the lump. He is studying the passions themselves, when he should be inquiring into the debates among men which arise from them. He knows the argument of each of the orations of Demosthenes and Tully, but not one case in the reports of our own courts.
Page 120 - ... human body. Upon this I began to consider with myself, what innumerable multitudes of people lay confused together under the pavement of that ancient cathedral ; how men and women, friends and enemies, priests and soldiers, monks and prebendaries, were crumbled...