The British Essayists;: RamblerJ. Johnson, J. Nichols and son, R. Baldwin, F. and C. Rivington, W. Otridge and son, W.J. and J. Richardson, A. Strahan, R. Faulder, ... [and 40 others], 1808 - English essays |
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance Ajax amusements Aristotle attention Aureng-Zebe beauty celebrated censure Charybdis common considered contempt cowardice curiosity Dagon danger delight desire dignity diligence discovered easily elegance eminence emollients endeavour envy equally excellence expected expence eyes fame father favour fear felicity folly force fortune frequently fuge gained genius gratify happiness heart honour hope hour human ignorance Iliad imagination imitation inclination indulgence inquiry JUNE 15 justly knight-errant knowledge labour ladies learning less lest live mankind marriage medicated gloves ment mind miscarriage misery nature necessary neglect negligence ness never observed once opinion ourselves OVID Oxus passed passions perhaps perpetual pleasure praise procure produce prudence publick Pylades Pythagoras racters RAMBLER reason regard reproach Samson Samson Agonistes SATURDAY scarcely seldom sentiments shew solicited sometimes soon suffer surely thing thought tion TUESDAY tural tyranny of beauty VIRG virtue writer
Popular passages
Page 187 - Commands are no constraints. If I obey them, I do it freely, venturing to displease GOD for the fear of man, and man prefer, Set GOD behind: which in His jealousy Shall never, unrepented, find forgiveness.
Page 180 - I begin to feel Some rousing motions in me, which dispose To something extraordinary my thoughts. I with this messenger will go along, Nothing to do, be sure, that may dishonour Our law, or stain my vow of Nazarite. If there be aught of presage in the mind, This day will be remarkable in my life By some great act, or of my days the last.
Page 188 - Whoever shall review his life will generally find, that the whole tenor of his conduct has been determined by some accident of no apparent moment...
Page 188 - The Sun to me is dark And silent as the Moon, When she deserts the night, Hid in her vacant interlunar cave. Since light so necessary is to life, And almost life itself, if it be true That light is in the soul, She all in every part, why was the sight To such a tender ball as...
Page 169 - ... find mankind ready to. pay homage to their knowledge, and to crowd about them for instruction. They therefore step out from their cells into the open world with all the confidence of authority and dignity of importance ; they look round about them at once with ignorance and scorn, on a race of beings to whom they are equally unknown and equally contemptible, but whose manners they must imitate, and with whose opinions they must comply, if they desire to pass their time happily among them.
Page 161 - Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity. It becomes cheap as it becomes vulgar, and will no longer raise expectation or animate enterprise.
Page 180 - He must allege some cause, and offer'd fight Will not dare mention, lest a question rise Whether he durst accept the offer or not ; And, that he durst not, plain enough appear'd.
Page 205 - And, when I die, be sure you let me know Great Homer died three thousand years ago. Why did I write? what sin to me unknown Dipp'd me in ink, my parents', or my own? As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame, I lisp'd in numbers, for the numbers came.
Page 186 - So much I feel my genial spirits droop, My hopes all flat, nature within me seems In all her functions weary of herself ; My race of glory run, and race of shame, And I shall shortly be with them that rest.
Page 157 - But almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble. Those who thus testified their weariness of tumult and hurry, and hasted with so much...