The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL. D.: The Adventurer. Philological tractsJ. Buckland [and 40 others], 1787 |
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Page 15
... performances by confederated ftrength . The fpeculatift , when he has carefully obferved how much may be performed by a fingle band , calculates by a very eafy operation the force of thousands , and goes on accumulating power till ...
... performances by confederated ftrength . The fpeculatift , when he has carefully obferved how much may be performed by a fingle band , calculates by a very eafy operation the force of thousands , and goes on accumulating power till ...
Page 23
... if a new fafhion be men- tioned , he was at court the first day of its appear- ance ; if a new performance of literature draws the C4 attention attention of the peblick , he has patronifed the au- N ° 50 . 23 THE ADVENTURER ,
... if a new fafhion be men- tioned , he was at court the first day of its appear- ance ; if a new performance of literature draws the C4 attention attention of the peblick , he has patronifed the au- N ° 50 . 23 THE ADVENTURER ,
Page 30
... performances , and heighten excellence to perfection . The reputation of his houfe now brings round him a daily confluence of vifitants , and every one tells him of fome ele- gance which he has hitherto overlooked , fome con venience ...
... performances , and heighten excellence to perfection . The reputation of his houfe now brings round him a daily confluence of vifitants , and every one tells him of fome ele- gance which he has hitherto overlooked , fome con venience ...
Page 34
... performances , may be conjectured from the light which a lucky commentator fometimes effufes , by the recovery of an incident that had been long forgotten : thus , in the third book of Horace , Juno's denunciations against thofe that ...
... performances , may be conjectured from the light which a lucky commentator fometimes effufes , by the recovery of an incident that had been long forgotten : thus , in the third book of Horace , Juno's denunciations against thofe that ...
Page 63
... performance ; for with what hopes of fuccefs can he attempt that in which greater abilities have hitherto mifcarried ? or with what pe- culiar force does he fuppofe himself invigorated , that difficulties hitherto invincible should give ...
... performance ; for with what hopes of fuccefs can he attempt that in which greater abilities have hitherto mifcarried ? or with what pe- culiar force does he fuppofe himself invigorated , that difficulties hitherto invincible should give ...
Common terms and phrases
affiftance againſt almoſt arife becauſe caufes cauſe cenfure character compofition confidered criticks curiofity defign defire difcovered diftinction diligence eafily eafy endeavoured fafe faid Falstaff fame fcarcely fcenes fcience fecure feems feldom fenfe fent fentiments fhall fhew fhewn fhould fince fingle firft firſt folicit fome fometimes foon fpeech ftand ftate ftill ftory ftudies fubject fuccefs fuch fuffered fufficient fupply fuppofe furely happineſs Harleian library Henry VI hiftory himſelf honour increaſe inferted inftruct intereft juft king knowledge labour laft language learned lefs likewife loft mankind mind moft moſt muft muſt myſelf nature neceffary neceffity obfcure obferved occafion ourſelves paffages paffed paffions perfon perhaps play pleafing pleaſe pleaſure poet praife praiſe prefent preferved publick purpoſe racter raife raiſed reader reafon reft ſcenes Shakespeare ſhall ſkill ſtate thefe themſelves theſe thofe thoſe thought tion truth underſtand univerfal uſe virtue whofe words writers
Popular passages
Page 232 - Nothing can please many, and please long, but just representations of general nature. Particular manners can be known to few, and therefore few only can judge how nearly they are copied. The irregular combinations of fanciful invention may delight awhile, by that novelty of which the common satiety of life sends us all in quest; but the pleasures of sudden wonder are soon exhausted, and the mind can only repose on the stability of truth.
Page 289 - I have indeed disappointed no opinion more than my own ; yet I have endeavoured to perform: my task with no slight solicitude.
Page 243 - He carries his persons indifferently through right and wrong, and at the close dismisses them without further care, and leaves their examples to operate by chance. This fault the barbarity of his age cannot extenuate, for it is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue independent on time or place.
Page 263 - ... whether from all his successors more maxims of theoretical knowledge, or more rules of practical prudence, can be collected, than he alone has given to his country.
Page 285 - In restoring the author's works to their integrity, I have considered the punctuation as wholly in my power; for what could be their care of colons and commas, who corrupted words and sentences?
Page 232 - Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of Nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life.
Page 245 - His declamations or set speeches are commonly cold and weak, for his power was the power of nature...
Page 251 - If there be any fallacy, it is not that we fancy the players, but that we fancy ourselves unhappy for a moment; but we rather lament the possibility, than suppose the presence of misery, as a mother weeps over her babe, when she remembers that death may take it from her. The delight of tragedy proceeds from our consciousness of fiction ; if we thought murders and treasons real, they would please no more.
Page 249 - There is no reason why a mind thus wandering in ecstasy should count the clock, or why an hour should not be a century in that calenture of the brains that can make the stage a field.
Page 246 - A quibble is the golden apple for which he will always turn aside from his career, or stoop from his elevation. A quibble, poor and barren as it is, gave him such delight that he was content to purchase it by the sacrifice of reason, propriety and truth. A quibble was to him the fatal Cleopatra for which he lost the world, and was content to lose it.