Sir William Temple's Essays on Ancient and Modern Learning and on Poetry |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 17
Page 3
... of Printing has not , perhaps , multiplied Books , but only the Copies of them ; and if we believe 35 there were Six Hundred Thousand in the Library of B Ptolomy , we shall hardly pretend to equal it by On Ancient and Modern Learning 3.
... of Printing has not , perhaps , multiplied Books , but only the Copies of them ; and if we believe 35 there were Six Hundred Thousand in the Library of B Ptolomy , we shall hardly pretend to equal it by On Ancient and Modern Learning 3.
Page 5
... Hundred Years old , nor any certainty remain of what passed in it before that time . 20 30 ' Tis true , in the Eastern Regions , there seems to have been a general Custom of the Priests in each Country having been either by their own ...
... Hundred Years old , nor any certainty remain of what passed in it before that time . 20 30 ' Tis true , in the Eastern Regions , there seems to have been a general Custom of the Priests in each Country having been either by their own ...
Page 7
... Hundred Years . Before that time I know none , besides some Poets , some Fables , and some few Epistles ; and since that time I know very few that can pretend to be Authors , rather 20 than Transcribers or Commentators of the Ancient ...
... Hundred Years . Before that time I know none , besides some Poets , some Fables , and some few Epistles ; and since that time I know very few that can pretend to be Authors , rather 20 than Transcribers or Commentators of the Ancient ...
Page 10
... Hundred and Fifty , and some Two Hundred Years . 25 Their Wisdom was so highly esteemed that some of them were always imployed to follow the Courts of their Kings , to advise them upon all Occasions , and instruct them in Justice and ...
... Hundred and Fifty , and some Two Hundred Years . 25 Their Wisdom was so highly esteemed that some of them were always imployed to follow the Courts of their Kings , to advise them upon all Occasions , and instruct them in Justice and ...
Page 21
... Hundred Years ago , that it was for some Ages following a very Desart , and since all over - grown with Wood ; And Ireland was so spoiled and wasted by the 20 Conquests of the Scutes and Danes , that there hardly remains any Story or ...
... Hundred Years ago , that it was for some Ages following a very Desart , and since all over - grown with Wood ; And Ireland was so spoiled and wasted by the 20 Conquests of the Scutes and Danes , that there hardly remains any Story or ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
admirable Ægypt Aelius Spartianus Allay allowed Ancient antient Poetry appear Aristotle Atchievements Authors barbarous began Books Cæsar Chaldæans Charms China Clymat common compass Conquests Countries Critical Diodorus Siculus Disputes Divine Don Quixot Egyptians Empire English Epicurus Essays esteemed Europe excellent Fables Favour Florus Force French Gaul Genius Gothick Goths greatest Grecians Greece Greek height Herodotus Homer Honour Horace Humour imployed Indian Invention kind Knowledge Language Latin Lives Love Lucretius Lycurgus Magick mighty Modern Learning Moral Musick Nations Nature Noble Numbers observed Olaus Wormius Opinions Passions perhaps Phalaris Philosophy Phoenicia Pilpay Plato Pleasure Poem Poetry Poets pretend Priapeia Princes Prose Pythagoras raise Regions Religion Rhyme Ridicule Roman Rome Runers Runes Runick Saint-Évremond's Science Scythian seems sort Spingarn Spirit Stesichorus Story Subject Temper Temple Temple's things thought Tongue translated true turned Vein Verse Virgil wholly wonder World Writ Writings
Popular passages
Page iii - Sir William Temple was the first writer who gave cadence to English prose. Before his time they were careless of arrangement, and did not mind whether a sentence ended with an important word or an insignificant word, or with what part of speech it was concluded.
Page 78 - I know very well that many, who pretend to be wise by the forms of being grave, are apt to despise both poetry and music as toys and trifles too light for the use or entertainment of serious men. But whoever find themselves wholly insensible to...
Page 34 - Fables and Phalaris's Epistles, both living near the same time, which was that of Cyrus and Pythagoras. As the first has been agreed by all ages since for the greatest master in his kind, and all others of that sort have been but imitations...
Page 25 - But whether either of these be modern discoveries, or derived 30 from old Fountains, is disputed : Nay, it is so, too, whether they are true or no ; for though reason may seem to favour them more than the contrary Opinion, yet sense can very hardly allow them ; and to satisfie Mankind, both these must concur.
Page 35 - Politian with some others have attributed them to Lucian: but I think he must have little skill in painting, that cannot find out this to be an original; such diversity of passions, upon such variety of actions and passages of life and government* such freedom of thought, such boldness of expression, such bounty to his friends, such scorn of his enemies, such honour of learned men, such esteem of good, such knowledge of life, such contempt of death, with such fierceness of nature and cruelty of revenge,...
Page 73 - ... vogue ; and the French wits have for this last age been in a manner wholly turned to the refinement of their language, and indeed with such success, that it can hardly be excelled, and runs equally through their verse and their prose.
Page 3 - could 'not end his learned treatise without a panegyric of modern learning in comparison of the ancient; and the other falls so grossly into the censure of the old poetry, and preference of the new, that I could not read either of these strains without some indignation;. which no quality among men is so apt to raise in me, as self-sufficiency.
Page 35 - I think he must have little skill in painting, that cannot find out this to be an original; such diversity of passions, upon such variety of actions and passages of life and government, such freedom of thought, such boldness of expression, such bounty to his friends, such scorn of his enemies, such honour of learned men, such esteem of good, such knowledge of life, such contempt of death, with such fierceness of nature and cruelty of revenge, could never be represented but by him that possessed them;...
Page 74 - Thus we come to have more originals, and more that appear what they are ; we have more humour, because every man follows his own, and takes a pleasure, perhaps a pride, to shew it.
Page 53 - Poets must be 10 allowed to have so much excelled in their kinds as to have exceeded all Comparison, to have even extinguished Emulation, and in a Manner confined true Poetry not only to their two Languages, but to their very Persons.