New Biographies of Illustrious Men |
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Addison admirable afterwards Analogy appeared Atterbury Bacon became Bishop Bunyan Butler celebrated character Christ Church Christian Church court Crichton criticism death Descartes doubt Edinburgh Edinburgh Review edition eloquence Elstow eminent England English essays fame father favor favorite French Gassendi gave genius Gibbon grace Greek Homer honor Horace House Howard Hume Iliad James Crichton Johnson JOSEPH ADDISON Julius Cæsar language Latin lazaretto learned less letters literary literature lived London Lord Macaulay Mæcenas matter Memoirs ment mind moral nature never original parliament party person philosopher Pilgrim's Progress Pisistratus poems poet poetry political Pope popular prisons probably published reason received remarkable Satires says seems Sir James Mackintosh society soon spirit style success theism thing THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY thought tion took Tory truth volume Westminster Abbey Whig Whig party writings wrote
Popular passages
Page 264 - I took several turns in a berceau or covered walk of acacias which commands a prospect of the country, the lake and the mountains. The air was temperate, the sky was serene: the silver orb of the moon was reflected from the waters, and all Nature was silent. I will not dissemble the first emotions of joy on the recovery of my freedom, and perhaps the establishment of my fame.
Page 263 - I wrote the last lines of the last page, in a summer house in my garden. After laying down my pen, I took several turns in a berceau, or covered walk of acacias, which commands a prospect of the country, the lake, and the mountains.
Page 223 - Ireland too generally regarded the subject majority. So far indeed was he from sharing in the opinions and feelings of the caste to which he belonged that he conceived an aversion to the Glorious and Immortal Memory, and, even when George the Third was on the throne, maintained that nothing but the restoration of the banished dynasty could save the country. From the humble academy kept by the old soldier Goldsmith was removed in his ninth year. He went to several grammar-schools and acquired some...
Page 323 - I saved appearances tolerably well; but I took care that the Whig dogs should not have the best of it.
Page 226 - His narratives were always amusing, his descriptions always picturesque, his humour rich and joyous, yet not without an occasional tinge of amiable sadness. About everything that he wrote, serious or sportive, there was a certain natural grace and decorum...
Page 320 - He was a vicious man, but very kind to me. If you call a dog HERVEY, I shall love him.
Page 320 - It would be easy, on the other hand, to name several writers of the nineteenth century of whom the least successful has received forty thousand pounds from the booksellers. But Johnson entered on his vocation in the most dreary part of the dreary interval which separated two ages of prosperity. Literature had ceased to flourish under the patronage of the great, and had not begun to flourish under the patronage of the public.
Page 261 - After a fleeting illusive hope, prudence condemned me to acquiesce in the humble station of a mute. I was not armed by Nature and education with the intrepid energy of mind and voice, Vincentem strepitus, et natum rebus agendis. Timidity was fortified by pride, and even the success of my pen discouraged the trial of my voice.
Page 333 - The best lexicographer may well be content, if his productions are received by the world with cold esteem. But Johnson's Dictionary was hailed with an enthusiasm such as no similar work has -ever excited. It was indeed the first dictionary which could be read with pleasure.
Page 39 - I have taken all knowledge to be my province; and if I could purge it of two sorts of rovers, whereof the one with frivolous disputations, confutations, and verbosities; the other with blind experiments and auricular traditions and impostures, hath committed so many spoils; I hope I should bring in industrious observations, grounded conclusions, and profitable inventions and discoveries ; the best state of that province. This, whether it be curiosity, or vain glory, or nature, or, if one take it...