Essays, Critical and Miscellaneous |
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Page 2
... readers blame us if , on an occasion like the present , we turn for a short time from the topics of the day to commemorate , in all love and reve- rence , the genius and virtues of John Milton , the poet , the statesman , the ...
... readers blame us if , on an occasion like the present , we turn for a short time from the topics of the day to commemorate , in all love and reve- rence , the genius and virtues of John Milton , the poet , the statesman , the ...
Page 3
... readers almost miraculous . Such feelings are very rare in a civilized community , and most rare among those who participate most in its improve- ments . They linger longest among the pea- santry . Poetry produces an illusion on the eye ...
... readers almost miraculous . Such feelings are very rare in a civilized community , and most rare among those who participate most in its improve- ments . They linger longest among the pea- santry . Poetry produces an illusion on the eye ...
Page 9
... readers . They have nothing in common with those modern beggars for fame , who extort a pittance from the compassion of the inexperienced , by ex- posing the nakedness and sores of their minds . Yet it would be difficult to name two ...
... readers . They have nothing in common with those modern beggars for fame , who extort a pittance from the compassion of the inexperienced , by ex- posing the nakedness and sores of their minds . Yet it would be difficult to name two ...
Page 20
... reader of our age and country this incon- sistency is , at first , perfectly bewildering . The whole man seems to be an ... readers should regard the author of such a book as the most depraved and shameless of human beings . Wise men ...
... reader of our age and country this incon- sistency is , at first , perfectly bewildering . The whole man seems to be an ... readers should regard the author of such a book as the most depraved and shameless of human beings . Wise men ...
Page 26
... readers were foremost in the battle or the breach , were most willing to learn . But they are not there- far his inferiors . Even the dangers which he fore useless . How Philip disposed his troops avoided , with a caution almost ...
... readers were foremost in the battle or the breach , were most willing to learn . But they are not there- far his inferiors . Even the dangers which he fore useless . How Philip disposed his troops avoided , with a caution almost ...
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Common terms and phrases
absurd admiration ancient appeared army Bacon better Catholic century character Charles Church Church of England Church of Rome civil Clive court defend Demosthenes doctrines Dupleix effect eminent enemies England English Europe evil favour feelings France French Gladstone Hampden honour house of Bourbon House of Commons human hundred interest James judge king less liberty lived Long Parliament Lord Lord Byron manner means ment Milton mind minister moral nation nature never Novum Organum Omichund opinion Parliament party passed persecution person philosophy Pitt poet poetry political prince principles produced Protestant Protestantism racter readers reason reform reign religion religious respect Revolution Rome scarcely seems Sir James Mackintosh Southey sovereign Spain spirit statesmen strong talents temper Temple thing thought thousand Thucydides tion took Tories truth Walpole Whigs whole writer
Popular passages
Page 13 - ... faces. But the remedy is not to remand him into his dungeon, but to accustom him to the rays of the sun. The blaze of truth and liberty may at first dazzle and bewilder nations which have become half blind in the house of bondage. But let them gaze on, and they will soon be able to bear it. In a few years men learn to reason. The extreme violence of opinion subsides.
Page 16 - Thus the Puritan was made up of two different men, the one all self-abasement, penitence, gratitude, passion ; the other proud, calm, inflexible, sagacious. He prostrated himself in the dust before his Maker ; but he set his foot on the neck of his king. In his devotional retirement, he prayed with convulsions, and groans, and tears. He was halfmaddened by glorious or terrible illusions. He heard the lyres of angels or the tempting whispers of fiends. He caught a gleam of the Beatific Vision, or...
Page 287 - We see in needle-works and embroideries, it is more pleasing to have a lively work upon a sad and solemn ground, than to have a dark and melancholy work upon a lightsome ground : judge therefore of the pleasure of the heart by the pleasure of the eye. Certainly virtue is like precious odours, most fragrant when they are incensed or crushed: for Prosperity doth best discover vice, but Adversity doth best discover virtue.
Page 133 - There is no book in our literature, on which we would so readily stake the fame of the old, unpolluted English language ; no book which shows so well, how rich that language is, in its own proper wealth, and how little it has been improved by all that it has borrowed.
Page 401 - She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca.
Page 133 - The style of Bunyan is delightful to every reader, and invaluable as a study to every person who wishes to obtain a wide command over the English language. The vocabulary is the vocabulary of the common people. There is not an expression, if we except a few technical terms of theology, which would puzzle the rudest peasant. We have observed several pages which do not contain a single word of more than two syllables. Yet no writer has said more exactly what he meant to say. For magnificence, for pathos,...
Page 65 - If a man, such as we are supposing, should write the history of England, he would assuredly not omit the battles, the sieges, the negotiations, the seditions, the ministerial changes. But with these he would intersperse the details which are the charm of historical romances. At Lincoln Cathedral there is a beautiful painted window, which was made by an apprentice out of the pieces of glass which had been rejected by his master. It is so far superior to every other in the church, that, according to...
Page 401 - Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her long dominion is approaching. She saw the commencement of all the governments, and of all the ecclesiastical establishments, that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all.
Page 163 - He was of an industry and vigilance not to be tired out, or wearied by the most laborious; and of parts not to be imposed upon by the most subtle or sharp; and of a personal courage equal to his best parts...
Page 4 - We often hear of the magical influence of poetry. The expression in general means nothing : but, applied to the writings of Milton, it is most appropriate. His poetry acts like an incantation. Its merit lies less in its obvious meaning than in its occult power. There would seem, at first sight, to be no more in his words than in other words. But they are words of enchantment.