The British essayists; to which are prefixed prefaces by J. Ferguson, Volumes 14-26 |
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Page 4
The captain was so little out of humour , and our company was so far from being
soured by this little ruffle , that Ephraim and he took a particular delight in being
agreeable to each other for the future ; and assumed their different provinces in ...
The captain was so little out of humour , and our company was so far from being
soured by this little ruffle , that Ephraim and he took a particular delight in being
agreeable to each other for the future ; and assumed their different provinces in ...
Page 14
As I have frequently reflected on my good fortune in this particular , I shall
communicate to the public my speculations upon the English tongue , not
doubting but they will be acceptable to all my curious readers . The English
delight in silence ...
As I have frequently reflected on my good fortune in this particular , I shall
communicate to the public my speculations upon the English tongue , not
doubting but they will be acceptable to all my curious readers . The English
delight in silence ...
Page 16
As in the instances I have given we have epitomized many of our particular words
to the detriment of our tongue , so on other occasions we have drawn two words
into one , which has likewise very much untuned our language , and clogged it ...
As in the instances I have given we have epitomized many of our particular words
to the detriment of our tongue , so on other occasions we have drawn two words
into one , which has likewise very much untuned our language , and clogged it ...
Page 17
Nay , this humour of shortening our language had once run so far , that some of
our celebrated authors , among whom we may reckon Sir Roger L ' Estrange in
particular , began to prune their words of all superfluous letters , as they termed ...
Nay , this humour of shortening our language had once run so far , that some of
our celebrated authors , among whom we may reckon Sir Roger L ' Estrange in
particular , began to prune their words of all superfluous letters , as they termed ...
Page 18
... the French has not a little infected their tongue , which might be shewn by
many instances ; as the genius of the Italians , which is so much addicted to
music and ceremony , has moulded all their words and phrases to those
particular uses .
... the French has not a little infected their tongue , which might be shewn by
many instances ; as the genius of the Italians , which is so much addicted to
music and ceremony , has moulded all their words and phrases to those
particular uses .
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according acquaint actions admired affection answered appear AUGUST beauty behaviour believe body carry character common consider conversation creature death desire expect express eyes fall father fortune genius give given greater greatest hands happy head hear heard heart honour hope human humble servant humour imagination keep kind lady learning leave letter live look mankind manner matter mean meet mentioned mind nature never obliged observe occasion once opinion pain particular pass passion person pleased pleasure possible present raised reason received rest seems sense shew short speak SPECTATOR suffer taken tell thing thou thought tion told town turn virtue whole wish woman women write young youth
Popular passages
Page 145 - A man so various, that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts, and nothing long; But, in the course of one revolving moon, Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page 221 - The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me : and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me : my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor : and the cause which I knew not I searched out.
Page 130 - ... that were covered with fruits and flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining seas that ran among them. I could see persons dressed in glorious habits with garlands upon their heads, passing among the trees, lying down by the sides of fountains, or resting on beds of flowers; and could hear a confused harmony of singing birds, falling waters, human voices, and musical instruments.
Page 221 - OH THAT I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness...
Page 128 - As I looked more attentively, I saw several of the passengers dropping through the bridge into the great tide that flowed underneath it ; and upon further examination perceived there were innumerable trap-doors that lay concealed in the bridge, which the passengers no sooner trod upon but they fell through them into the tide and immediately disappeared. These hidden pit-falls were set very thick at the entrance of the bridge, so that throngs of people no sooner broke through the cloud hut many of...
Page 222 - ... if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering : if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep : if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate; then let mine arm fall from my shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.
Page 129 - Look no more, said he, on man in the first stage of his existence, in his setting out for eternity; but cast thine eye on that thick mist into which the tide bears the several generations of mortals that fall into it.
Page 130 - I gazed with inexpressible pleasure on these happy islands. "At length," said I, "show me now, I beseech thee, the secrets that lie hid under those dark clouds which cover the ocean on the other side of the rock of adamant.
Page 134 - There is another kind of great geniuses which I shall place in a second class, not as I think them inferior to the first, but only for distinction's sake as they are of a different kind. This second class of great geniuses are those that have formed themselves by rules and submitted the greatness of their natural talents to the corrections and restraints of art.
Page 158 - ... as superintendents of our language, to hinder any words of a foreign coin from passing among us; and in particular to prohibit any French phrases from becoming current in this kingdom when those of our own stamp are altogether as valuable.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The British essayists; to which are prefixed prefaces by J. Ferguson, Volumes 14-26 The British essayists; to which are prefixed prefaces by J. Ferguson, James Ferguson (advocate) |
| Author | British essayists |
| Editor | James Ferguson (advocate) |
| Published | 1819 |
| Original from | Oxford University |
| Digitized | 12 Jun 2007 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |