A History of English Literature in a Series of Biographical Sketches |
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Page 18
... poetic legends of his country ; and when , grown more skilful , he learned to string into rude verses the story of his ... poem ; the former being used for the ordinary narrative , and the latter adopted when the CAEDMON , THE MONK OF ...
... poetic legends of his country ; and when , grown more skilful , he learned to string into rude verses the story of his ... poem ; the former being used for the ordinary narrative , and the latter adopted when the CAEDMON , THE MONK OF ...
Page 19
... poems that have come down to us are the Romance of Beowulf , and Caedmon's Paraphrase . Beowulf is a nameless poem of more than 6000 lines , thought to be much older than the manuscript of it which we possess . Its hero , BEOWULF , is a ...
... poems that have come down to us are the Romance of Beowulf , and Caedmon's Paraphrase . Beowulf is a nameless poem of more than 6000 lines , thought to be much older than the manuscript of it which we possess . Its hero , BEOWULF , is a ...
Page 20
... poems , which still survive , are the Battle of Finsborough ; the Traveller's Song , which contains a good many geographical names ; and the fragment of Judith . In the Saxon Chronicle of 938 we find a poem called Athelstan's Song of ...
... poems , which still survive , are the Battle of Finsborough ; the Traveller's Song , which contains a good many geographical names ; and the fragment of Judith . In the Saxon Chronicle of 938 we find a poem called Athelstan's Song of ...
Page 32
... poets of English birth soon took up this foreign strain , and wrote lays in Norman - French . The deeds of Alexander ... poem , that is , the introduction of supernatural beings as actors in the drama , becomes wild and fanciful ...
... poets of English birth soon took up this foreign strain , and wrote lays in Norman - French . The deeds of Alexander ... poem , that is , the introduction of supernatural beings as actors in the drama , becomes wild and fanciful ...
Page 33
... poets is Master Wace , as he calls himself , who was born probably at Jersey about 1112. He was educated at Caen ... poem is the minute account of the battle of Has- tings . Wace , who became Canon of Bayeux on the recommendation of ...
... poets is Master Wace , as he calls himself , who was born probably at Jersey about 1112. He was educated at Caen ... poem is the minute account of the battle of Has- tings . Wace , who became Canon of Bayeux on the recommendation of ...
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Addison afterwards amid Anglo-Saxon Archbishop of Canterbury beauty became Bible born brilliant called Cambridge century CHAPTER character Charles chief chiefly Church College coloured court death died dramatic Dublin Earl early Edinburgh Edinburgh Review England English English poetry Essays Faerie Queene fame father finest genius gentle heart Henry History honour Illustrative extract James John John Milton King Lady land Latin letters literary literature lived London Lord Milton mind minstrel night noble novel novelist Oxford paper Paradise Lost picture play poem poet poet's poetic poetry political poor prose published Puritan Queen reign ROGER ASCHAM romance round royal scene Scotland Scottish Shakspere song SPECIMEN spent story style Supplementary List sweet Tatler Thomas Thomas Fuller thought took tragedy translation Trinity College University of Edinburgh verse wife WILLIAM wonderful words writer written wrote young
Popular passages
Page 149 - O, then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you. She is the fairies' midwife, and she comes In shape no bigger than an agate-stone On the fore-finger of an alderman, Drawn with a team of little atomies Athwart men's noses as they lie asleep ; Her waggon-spokes made of long spinners...
Page 209 - The other Shape — If shape it might be called that shape had none Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb ; Or substance might be called that shadow seemed, For each seemed either — black it stood as Night, 670 Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell, And shook a dreadful dart : what seemed his head The likeness of a kingly crown had on.
Page 378 - I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards to avenge even a look that threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators, has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished for ever.
Page 324 - How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke ! Let not ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure ; Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals of the poor. The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Await alike the inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave.
Page 391 - His steps are not upon thy paths — thy fields Are not a spoil for him — thou dost arise And shake him from thee ; the vile strength he wields For earth's destruction thou dost all despise, Spurning him from thy bosom to the skies, And send'st him, shivering in thy playful spray, And howling, to his gods, where haply lies His petty hope in some near port or bay, And dashest him again to earth : there let him lay.
Page 149 - Prick'd from the lazy finger of a maid : Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut, Made by the joiner squirrel, or old grub, Time out of mind the fairies' coach-makers. And in this state she gallops night by night Through lovers...
Page 378 - It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then the dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision.
Page 350 - I might boast myself le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre, that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending ; but I found my attendance so little encouraged, that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it.
Page 211 - No sooner had the Almighty ceased but — all The multitude of Angels, with a shout Loud as from numbers without number, sweet As from blest voices, uttering joy — Heaven rung With jubilee, and loud hosannas filled The eternal regions.
Page 459 - The picture of the mind revives again : While here I stand, not only with the sense Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food For future years.