Alfred: An Epic PoemSuttaby Evance & Fox, 1815 - 159 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
address'd Ægyptus Albion's Alfred Alfred's arms Asser avenging avenging band band banners bard beam bleeding bless'd blood blow bosom brave breast breath brow Caledonia's Cambria's Camden camp Ceolph chief conquest country's courser cried crown'd Dane Danish death deep Donald dread Druid Elsitha's England's ensigns of command Erin's exiled bands falchion fame fate fear field fight fire flame Fræna freedom gainst gallant glorious glory Glory's glows grief Guthrum hand heart Heaven hero hope host Ierne's King Leofric lord lyre manly martial monarch ne'er numbers o'er patriot plain press'd pride race rage reign rise river Ern round royal ruin'd sacred Saxon scatter'd scenes seeds of death Selwood forest shade shield shine shore skies smiles sons soul spread squadrons stand storm swells sword tear thee throne tide toil train valiant Valour vanquish'd vengeance victory Virtue's voice vols War's warlike warriors wave wild wretched youth
Popular passages
Page 39 - ... be imagined that the laureat would not fail to introduce an eulogy on the reigning monarch. ' And see, best glory of that patriot race, Her monarch, Briton-born, Britannia grace ; Loved, honour'd, and revered by all, save those Who, foes to Freedom, to her friends are foes. But foes in vain — for Anarchy's wild roar Shall never shake this heaven^defended shore, While Freedom's sons gird Freedom's sacred throne. With loyal Faith's impenetrable zone. O'er laurels Rome's sweet poet cull'd to grace...
Page 20 - While, as the swain his sylvan toil pursued, Sad o'er the hearth the pensive hero hung, Fix'd his unweening eye, and mute his tongue, Deeply intent on scenes of present woe, Or planning future vengeance on the foe, The objects round him, like the viewless air, Pass o'er his mind...
Page 123 - Pantalogia; comprehending a complete Series of Essays, Treatises, and Systems, alphabetically arranged; with a general Dictionary of Arts, Scien«es, and Words ; and presenting a distinct Survey of Human Genius, Learning, and Industry.
Page 11 - Each voice for War's avenging thunder calls, And shouts of battle echo round the walls.' We must object, however, to the word « lift' in the second line: this heavy action is ill attributed to Zephyr : skimt, or stirs, would have been preferable.
Page 42 - Wafting, thro' many a league of Albion's reign, The golden produce of her happy plain, Or, bearing on his refluent tide, the fail Of Commerce, fwell'd by fortune's favouring gale. To pile her marts contending nations meet, The world's productions offering at her feer.
Page 31 - The radiant fillets that his temples bind, Burft :— loofer float his trèfles to the wind ; His form expands, he moves with firmer tread. And lambent glories play around his head: With rapid hand he (hikes the facred lyre, To ftrains of raprure wakes the thrilling wire, And, to the found refponfive pours along The fervid energy of myític long.
Page 21 - High majesty and higher worth possess 'd, Or that her voice presumptuous dared to chide Alfred, her country's sovereign and its pride. From this it appears that the King made a habit of burning cakes, and didn't merely err on an isolated occasion. Cottle, as befits a poet having twenty-four books to his poem, takes time to turn round and tells the same story in much greater detail, with dialogue, too : (Acca, a neatherd's wife, has...