A History of Eighteenth Century Literature (1600-1780). |
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Page 39
... comedy , as Ben Jonson had instituted it . The first dramatist of talent after the Restoration was John Wilson ( 1622 ? - 1696 ? ) . Of this writer's career very little is known . He was a lawyer of independent means , most of whose ...
... comedy , as Ben Jonson had instituted it . The first dramatist of talent after the Restoration was John Wilson ( 1622 ? - 1696 ? ) . Of this writer's career very little is known . He was a lawyer of independent means , most of whose ...
Page 40
... comedy of character , The Projectors , which was performed in 1664 . Wilson then retired from authorship , only to appear once more as a dramatist , with a tragi - comedy in 1690. His work was swept aside by the theatrical wave from ...
... comedy of character , The Projectors , which was performed in 1664 . Wilson then retired from authorship , only to appear once more as a dramatist , with a tragi - comedy in 1690. His work was swept aside by the theatrical wave from ...
Page 41
... comedy of The Wild Gallant , a vulgar and unfortunate composition . This was followed in 1664 by The Rival - Ladies , a dull tragi - comedy in blank verse , solely remarkable for the preface , in which , among other things , Dryden ...
... comedy of The Wild Gallant , a vulgar and unfortunate composition . This was followed in 1664 by The Rival - Ladies , a dull tragi - comedy in blank verse , solely remarkable for the preface , in which , among other things , Dryden ...
Page 42
... comedy , called An Evening's Love , travestied from the French in 1668 . 66 The poet was arrested by the complete failure of this piece , which even contemporary critics allowed had a foolish plot , and was very profane . " Eager to ...
... comedy , called An Evening's Love , travestied from the French in 1668 . 66 The poet was arrested by the complete failure of this piece , which even contemporary critics allowed had a foolish plot , and was very profane . " Eager to ...
Page 45
... comedy of The Spanish Friar ( 1681 ) , an amusing story of popular prejudice . This merry attack on the Papists continued to be overrated for at least a century . can now scarcely be admitted that it ranks as the best of Dryden's ...
... comedy of The Spanish Friar ( 1681 ) , an amusing story of popular prejudice . This merry attack on the Papists continued to be overrated for at least a century . can now scarcely be admitted that it ranks as the best of Dryden's ...
Common terms and phrases
Absalom and Achitophel Addison admirable appeared beauty became Berkeley blank verse brilliant Burke called career cents character charm close Colley Cibber comedy complete Congreve criticism death Defoe drama dramatist Dryden Dunciad edition eighteenth century England English literature English poetry essays extraordinary famous French friends genius Gibbon Goldsmith grace Gray heroic couplet Horace Walpole Hume humour imitated intellectual Johnson Lady language less letters literary live London Lord lyric manner merit Molière nature never novel odes Oroonoko pamphlet passages passion perhaps period philosophical pieces Pindaric play poem poet poetic poetry political Pope Pope's prose published reader rhyme Richardson romantic satire scarcely Shaftesbury Shakespeare Smollett Steele style success Swift taste Tatler thee Thomson thou thought tion Tom Jones tragedy Tristram Shandy volume W. W. SKEAT Whig writings written wrote Wycherley
Popular passages
Page 233 - How sleep the Brave who sink to rest By all their country's wishes blest! When Spring, with dewy fingers cold, Returns to deck their hallowed mould, She there shall dress a sweeter sod Than Fancy's feet have ever trod. By fairy hands their knell is rung; By forms unseen their dirge is sung; There Honor comes, a pilgrim gray, To bless the turf that wraps their clay; And Freedom shall awhile repair, To dwell a weeping hermit there!
Page 107 - And taught the doubtful battle how to rage. So when an angel by divine command With rising tempests shakes a guilty land, Such as of late o'er pale Britannia past, Calm and serene he drives the furious blast ; And pleased th' Almighty's orders to perform, Rides in the whirlwind and directs the storm.
Page 340 - Sae true his heart, sae smooth his speech, His breath like caller air ; His very foot has music in't • As he comes up the stair, — And will I see his face again? And will I hear him speak ? I'm downright dizzy wi...
Page 290 - Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less: for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation...
Page 230 - O thou Traveller unknown, Whom still I hold, but cannot see ; My company before is gone, And I am left alone with Thee ; With Thee all night I mean to stay, And wrestle till the break of day. I need not tell Thee who I am, My misery...
Page 60 - A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts and nothing long; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page 17 - In thy felonious heart tho' venom lies, It does but touch thy Irish pen, and dies. Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen iambics, but mild anagram. Leave writing plays, and choose for thy command Some peaceful province in acrostic land. There thou may'st wings display and altars raise, And torture one poor word ten thousand ways. Or, if thou wouldst thy diff'rent talents suit, Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Page 125 - See Mystery to Mathematics fly! In vain ! they gaze, turn giddy, rave and die. Religion, blushing, veils her sacred fires, And unawares Morality expires. Nor public flame, nor private, dares to shine; Nor human spark is left, nor glimpse Divine; Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restor'd; Light dies before thy uncreating word: Thy hand, great Anarch ! lets the curtain fall ; And universal Darkness buries All.
Page 134 - The god of us verse-men (you know, child), the sun, How after his journeys he sets up his rest; If at morning o'er earth 'tis his fancy to run, At night he reclines on his Thetis's breast.
Page 229 - Live while you live, the Epicure would say, And seize the pleasures of the present day. Live while you live, the sacred Preacher cries, And give to God each moment as it flies.