Elegant Extracts: Or, Useful and Entertaining Passages in Prose: Selected for the Improvement of Young Persons: Being Similar in Design to Elegant Extracts in Poetry, Volume 1B. Law, J. Johnson, C. Dilly, G. G. & J. Robinson, T. Cadell [and 31 others in London], 1797 - English literature - 1120 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
alſo appear bad company becauſe beſt bleſſed buſineſs cafe cauſe chearfulness Chrift Chriftianity confider confideration conſequence converſation courſe defire deſign diſeaſes diſpoſed divine duty earth eaſe endeavour evil faid falſe fame feem firſt fome foon foul fuch fuffer fure give happiness hath heart holy honour human increaſe inſtance inſtruction intereſt itſelf Jeſus juſt laſt leſs mankind manner ment mind moſt muſt nature neceſſary neſs never obſerved occafion ourſelves paffions paſs paſſed paſſions pauſe perſons pleaſing pleaſure poſſible preſent preſerve purpoſe raiſe reaſon religion reſpect reſt ſame ſay ſecurity ſeem ſelves ſenſe ſenſible ſentiments ſerve ſervice ſet ſeveral ſhall ſhe ſhew ſhort ſhould ſmall ſociety ſome ſpeak ſpecies ſpirit ſpring ſtand ſtate ſtation ſtill ſtrength ſtudy ſubject ſuch ſufficient ſupport ſuppoſe temper thee theſe thing thoſe thou thought tion truth univerſal unto uſe virtue whoſe wife wisdom youth
Popular passages
Page 12 - Behold, I go forward, but he is not there ; and backward, but I cannot perceive him : on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him : he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him : but he knoweth the way that I take : when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Page 527 - Nothing can please many, and please long, but just representations of general nature. Particular manners can be known to few, and therefore few only can judge how nearly they are copied. The irregular combinations of fanciful invention may delight awhile, by that novelty of which the common satiety of life sends us all in quest; but the pleasures of sudden wonder are soon exhausted, and the mind can only repose on the stability of truth.
Page 32 - It is hard to personate and act a part long ; for where truth is not at the bottom, Nature will always be endeavouring to return, and will peep out and betray herself one time or other.
Page 190 - But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea ; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
Page 259 - For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened : not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Page 22 - I think it is very wonderful to see persons of the best sense passing away a dozen hours together in shuffling and dividing a pack of cards, with no other conversation but what is made up of a few game phrases, and no other ideas but those of black or red spots ranged together in different figures. Would not a man laugh to hear any one of this species complaining that life is short?
Page 28 - ... it does not give the mind such an exquisite gladness, prevents us from falling into any depths of sorrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.
Page 2 - What mean, said I, those great flights of birds that are perpetually hovering about the bridge, and settling upon it from time to time? I see vultures, harpies, ravens, cormorants, and among many other feathered creatures several little winged boys, that perch in great numbers upon the middle arches. These, said the Genius, are Envy, Avarice, Superstition, Despair, Love, with the like cares and passions that infest human life.
Page 21 - Several hours of the day hang upon our hands, nay we wish away whole years; and travel through time as through a country filled with many wild and empty wastes, which we would fain hurry over, that we may arrive at those several little settlements or imaginary points of rest which are dispersed up and down in it. If we divide the life...
Page 549 - That the Earl of Halifax was one of the first to favour me ; of whom it is hard to say whether the advancement of the polite arts is more owing to his generosity or his example...