English Writers: An Attempt Towards a History of English Literature, Volume 1Cassell, limited, 1887 |
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Common terms and phrases
Addison afterwards ancient Angles Anglo-Saxon ascribed bard battle Bede Beowulf Boileau Breca Britain Cæsar called Cattraeth Celtic Celts century chief Christian coast Court critical Cymry Cyndyllan Danes Danish death dragon Earle edition England English literature Erin Euphuism father fierce fight Finnesburg Fionn French Frisians Gaelic Gaels Gaul gave German Gododin Goths Gregory of Tours Grein Grendel Grendel's mother hall Healfdene Hengest Heorot Heremod hero heroic Hnæf honour Hrothgar Hygd Hygelac Iceland influence Irish island Italian Italy Jutes King land language Latin lived Llywarch lord mind neighbours night Offa Oisin poem of Beowulf poet poetry praise prince Professor published Queen race reign Roman Saxons says Scandinavian Scyldings shield shore slain song spear stones story sword tale Taliesin Teutonic thane thee Thorkelin thou translation tribes Tuatha dé Danann Ulfilas Urien verse warriors words writing young
Popular passages
Page 125 - And he said, BLESSED be the Lord God of Shem ; And Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, And he shall dwell in the tents of Shem ; And Canaan shall be his servant.
Page 114 - Of indignation; and with shouts that drowned The crash it made in falling ! From the wreck A golden palace rose, or seemed to rise, The appointed seat of equitable law And mild paternal sway. The potent shock I felt; the transformation I perceived, As marvellously seized as in that moment When, from the blind mist issuing, I beheld Glory — beyond all glory ever seen, 720 Confusion infinite of heaven and earth, Dazzling the soul.
Page 83 - If one severe law were made and punctually executed, that whoever was found at a conventicle should be banished th'e nation and the preacher be hanged, we should soon see an end of the tale. They would all come to church, and one age would make us all one again.
Page 51 - Her voice was good, and the ditty fitted for it; it was that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlow, now at least fifty years ago; and the milkmaid's mother sung an answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh, in his younger days.
Page 105 - As I am not at all disposed to be either so indulgent, or so correspondent, as they desire, I have but one bad way left to escape the honour they would inflict upon me ; and therefore am obliged to desire you would make Dodsley print it immediately (which may be done in less than a week's time) from your copy, but without my name...
Page 68 - Macbeth', which, though I saw it lately, yet appears a most excellent play in all respects, but especially in divertisement, though it be a deep tragedy; which is a strange perfection in a tragedy, it being most proper here, and suitable.
Page 68 - Dream, which I had never seen before, nor shall ever again, for it is the most insipid ridiculous play that ever I saw in my life.
Page 65 - I drink, I huff, I strut, look big and stare; And all this I can do, because I dare.
Page 230 - Or the grape's ecstatic juice. Flush'd with mirth and hope they burn: But none from Cattraeth's vale return, Save Aeron brave, and Conan strong (Bursting through the bloody throng), And I, the meanest of them...
Page 74 - I am often put to a stand, in considering whether what I write be the idiom of the tongue, or false grammar, and nonsense couched beneath that specious nameof Anglicism; and have no other way to clear my doubts, but by translating my English into Latin, and thereby trying what sense the words will bear in a more stable language.