English Writers: An Attempt Towards a History of English Literature, Volume 1Cassell, limited, 1891 |
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Common terms and phrases
Addison afterwards ancient Aneurin Angles Anglo-Saxon ascribed bard battle Bede Beowulf Breca Britain Britons Bryneich Cæsar called Cattraeth Celtic Celts century chief Christian coast court Cymry Danes Danish death dragon Earle edition England Erin father Fenians fierce fight Fionn fought French Frisians Gael Gaelic Gaul gave German Gododin gold Goll Goths Gregory of Tours Grein Grendel Grendel's mother hall of Cyndyllan hand Healfdene Heorot hero Hnæf honour Hrothgar Hygd Hygelac influence Ireland Irish island Italian Italy Jutes King land language Latin Leinster lived Llywarch lord mead mind night Offa Ogham Oisin Petrarch poem poet poetry praise prince Professor Queen race reign Roman Saxons says Scandinavian Scyldings shield shore slain song spear stone story strife sword tale Taliesin Teutonic thane thee thou translation tribes Tuatha dé Danann Ulfilas Urien verse warriors words writing young
Popular passages
Page 72 - The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, With loads of learned lumber in his head, With his own tongue still edifies his ears, And always list'ning to himself appears.
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 65 - I drink, I huff, I strut, look big and stare; And all this I can do, because I dare.
Page 74 - ... the art of distinguishing between words and things, and of ranging his thoughts and setting them in proper lights, whatever notions he may have, will lose himself in confusion and obscurity. I might further observe that there is not a Greek or Latin critic, who has not shown, even in the style of his criticisms, that he was a master of all the elegance and delicacy of his native tongue.
Page 83 - We hang men for trifles, and banish them for things not worth naming ; but an offence against God and the Church, against the welfare of the world and the dignity of religion, shall be bought off for five shillings ! This is such a shame to a Christian Government that it is with regret I transmit it to posterity.
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.