The British essayists; to which are prefixed prefaces by J. Ferguson, Volumes 14-26 |
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Page 8
Why does my heart so little obey my reason as to lament thee , thou excellent
man ? - Heaven receive him or restore him Thy beloved mother , thy obliged
friends , thy helpless servants , stand around thee without distinction . How much
...
Why does my heart so little obey my reason as to lament thee , thou excellent
man ? - Heaven receive him or restore him Thy beloved mother , thy obliged
friends , thy helpless servants , stand around thee without distinction . How much
...
Page 14
Among many other reasons , I think myself very happy in my country , as the
language of it is wonderfully adapted to a man who is sparing of his words , and
an enemy to loquacity . As I have frequently reflected on my good fortune in this ...
Among many other reasons , I think myself very happy in my country , as the
language of it is wonderfully adapted to a man who is sparing of his words , and
an enemy to loquacity . As I have frequently reflected on my good fortune in this ...
Page 26
My lady herself is of no mind in the world , and for that reason her woman is of
twenty minds in a moment . My lady is one that never knows what to do with
herself ; she pulls on and puts off every thing she wears , twenty times , before
she ...
My lady herself is of no mind in the world , and for that reason her woman is of
twenty minds in a moment . My lady is one that never knows what to do with
herself ; she pulls on and puts off every thing she wears , twenty times , before
she ...
Page 28
If there be any occasion , wherein they may in themselves be supposed to be
unfit to attend their master ' s concerns by reason of any attention to their own , he
is so good as to place himself in their condition . I thought it very becoming in him
...
If there be any occasion , wherein they may in themselves be supposed to be
unfit to attend their master ' s concerns by reason of any attention to their own , he
is so good as to place himself in their condition . I thought it very becoming in him
...
Page 40
Let people reason themselves into good humour , before they impose
themselves upon their friends . Pray , sir , be as eloquent as you can upon this
subject , and do human life so much good , as to argue powerfully , that it is not
every one that ...
Let people reason themselves into good humour , before they impose
themselves upon their friends . Pray , sir , be as eloquent as you can upon this
subject , and do human life so much good , as to argue powerfully , that it is not
every one that ...
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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.