Boswell's Life of Johnson: LifeClarendon Press, 1887 - Authors, English |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 54
Page 16
... praising Corneille one day in opposition to Shakespeare . " Corneille is to Shakespeare , ” replied Mr. Johnson , " as a clipped hedge is to a forest . " Piozzi's Anec . p . 59 . 2 Johnson , it is clear , discusses here Mrs. Montagu's ...
... praising Corneille one day in opposition to Shakespeare . " Corneille is to Shakespeare , ” replied Mr. Johnson , " as a clipped hedge is to a forest . " Piozzi's Anec . p . 59 . 2 Johnson , it is clear , discusses here Mrs. Montagu's ...
Page 17
... praise and popularity , and a politeness carried to a ridiculous excess , he was likely , after asserting a thing in general , to give it up again in ' See ante , ii . 178 . ' A Wizard - Dame , the Lover's ancient friend , With magic ...
... praise and popularity , and a politeness carried to a ridiculous excess , he was likely , after asserting a thing in general , to give it up again in ' See ante , ii . 178 . ' A Wizard - Dame , the Lover's ancient friend , With magic ...
Page 23
... praise to Dr. Bentley's verses3 in text . To prepare the way , he drew up that ingenious essay on this sub- ject which was first printed in the Ledger , and afterwards in his Citizen of the World [ No. 107 ] . ' Ib . p . 65 . Percy adds ...
... praise to Dr. Bentley's verses3 in text . To prepare the way , he drew up that ingenious essay on this sub- ject which was first printed in the Ledger , and afterwards in his Citizen of the World [ No. 107 ] . ' Ib . p . 65 . Percy adds ...
Page 25
... praise , And make it halt behind her 3. " Johnson said nothing . Garrick then ventured to observe , " I do not think that the happiest line in the praise of Shakspeare . ” Johnson exclaimed ( smiling , ) " Prosaical rogues ! next time I ...
... praise , And make it halt behind her 3. " Johnson said nothing . Garrick then ventured to observe , " I do not think that the happiest line in the praise of Shakspeare . ” Johnson exclaimed ( smiling , ) " Prosaical rogues ! next time I ...
Page 31
... praise to Dr..Bentley's verses3 in text . ' To prepare the way , he drew up that ingenious essay on this sub- ject which was first printed in the Ledger , and afterwards in his Citizen of the World [ No. 107 ] . ' Ib . p . 65 . Percy ...
... praise to Dr..Bentley's verses3 in text . ' To prepare the way , he drew up that ingenious essay on this sub- ject which was first printed in the Ledger , and afterwards in his Citizen of the World [ No. 107 ] . ' Ib . p . 65 . Percy ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance admirable Aetat Anec anecdote answer ante appeared Ashbourne asked asthma authour Bishop BOSWELL Boswell's Hebrides Brocklesby Burke called character Charles Burney Club conversation Croker D'Arblay's Diary dear Sir death dined edition eminent epitaph Essays favour Garrick Gent gentleman give Hawkins hear honour hope Horace Walpole humble servant JAMES BOSWELL Johnson kind lady Langton language learning Lichfield literary live London Lord Lordship LUCY PORTER Madam Malone manner Memoirs ment mentioned mind Miss Burney monument never night observed occasion once opinion Parr perhaps Piozzi Letters pleased pleasure praise publick published recollect Reverend SAMUEL JOHNSON says Scotland Sept shew Sir Joshua Reynolds Streatham suppose talked tell thing thought Thrale tion told verses Whig Wilkes William Gerard Hamilton Windham wish words write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 340 - Canst thou not minister to a mind diseas'd ; Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow; Raze out the written troubles of the brain ; And with some sweet oblivious antidote Cleanse the stuffd bosom of that perilous stuff Which weighs upon the heart?
Page 116 - In misery's darkest caverns known, His useful care was ever nigh, Where hopeless anguish pour'd his groan, And lonely want retir'd to die. No summons mock'd by chill delay, No petty gain disdain'd by pride, The modest wants of every day The toil of every day supplied.
Page 155 - Tis night, and the landscape is lovely no more ; I mourn, but, ye woodlands, I mourn not for you; For morn is approaching, your charms to restore, Perfumed with fresh fragrance, and glittering with dew: Nor yet for the ravage of Winter I mourn ; Kind Nature the embryo blossom will save. But when shall Spring visit the mouldering urn? O, when shall it dawn on the night of the grave?
Page 253 - tis all a cheat, Yet fool'd with hope, men favour the deceit ; Trust on and think to-morrow will repay ; To-morrow's falser than the former day ; Lies worse ; and while it says we shall be blest With some new joys, cuts off what we possest.
Page 97 - Why," said Johnson, smiling and rolling himself about, " that is because, dearest, you're a dunce." When she some time afterwards mentioned this to him, he said, with equal truth and...
Page 205 - Johnson, indeed, had thought more upon the subject of acting than might be generally supposed. Talking of it one day to Mr. Kemble, he said, 'Are you, Sir, one of those enthusiasts who believe yourself transformed into the very character you represent ?' Upon Mr. Kemble's answering that he had never felt so strong a persuasion himself ; 'To be sure not, Sir, (said Johnson ; ) the thing is impossible. And if Garrick really believed himself to be that monster, Richard the Third, he deserved to be hanged...
Page 94 - ... seasonable application of a trivial saying, or in forging an apposite tale ; sometimes it playeth in words and phrases, taking advantage from the ambiguity of their...
Page 116 - Of every friendless name the friend. Yet still he fills affection's eye, Obscurely wise, and coarsely kind; Nor, letter'd arrogance, deny Thy praise to merit unrefin'd.
Page 94 - ... in one knows not what, and springeth up one can hardly tell how. Its ways are unaccountable and inexplicable, being answerable to the numberless rovings of fancy and windings of language. It is, in short, a manner of speaking out of the simple and plain way — such as reason teacheth and proveth things by — which by a pretty surprising uncouthness in conceit or expression doth affect and amuse the fancy, stirring in it some wonder, and breeding some delight thereto.
Page 15 - An eminent foreigner, when he was shown the British Museum, was very troublesome with many absurd inquiries. ' Now there, Sir,' said he, ' is the difference between an Englishman and a Frenchman. A Frenchman must be always talking, whether he knows any thing of the matter or not; an Englishman is content to say nothing, when he has nothing to say.