The Idler: In Two Volumes. ...J. Newbery, 1761 |
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Common terms and phrases
Advertiſement againſt almoſt amuſement becauſe bufy buſineſs cauſe cenfure confidered courſe curiofity cuſtom defire diftinction diſcovered Ditto eafily eaſy endeavour exerciſe eyes fafe faid fame fecure feen feldom felves fent fhall fhew fhop fhould filk fince fingle firft firſt fleep fome fomething fometimes foon friends ftill fubject fuch fuffer fufficient fuperior fupply fure happineſs himſelf hope horſe houfe houſe idle Idleneſs Idler increaſe intereft itſelf labour Lady laft laſt leaſt lefs leſs live loft loſs Louisbourg mifery Mifs mind Miſtreſs moft morning moſt muft muſt myſelf nature neceffary nefs never obferved ourſelves paffed paffions perfuade pleaſed pleaſure praiſe preſent priſon promiſes publick raiſe reaſon refolution refolved reft Saturday ſee ſhall ſhe ſhop ſome ſpeaks ſtate ſuch ſuppoſed tell thefe themſelves ther theſe thing thofe thoſe thought thouſand tion underſtanding uſe uſeleſs whofe whoſe Wife wiſh
Popular passages
Page 95 - ... dogs to tables and open them alive; to try how long life may be continued in various degrees of mutilation, or with the excision or laceration of the vital parts; to examine whether burning irons are felt more acutely by the bone or tendon; and whether the more lasting agonies are produced by poison forced into the mouth, or injected into the veins.
Page 80 - ... to the loiterer, who makes appointments which he never keeps; to the consulter, who asks advice which he never takes; to the boaster, who blusters only to be praised; to the complainer, who whines only to be pitied; to the projector, whose happiness is to entertain his friends with expectations which all but himself know to be vain; to the...
Page 251 - ... little need of his own resemblance, nor can desire it, but for the sake of those whom he loves, and by whom he hopes to be remembered. This use of the art is a natural and reasonable consequence of affection; and though, like other human actions, it is often complicated with pride, yet even such pride is more laudable than that by which palaces are covered with pictures, that, however excellent, neither imply the owner's virtue nor excite it.
Page 192 - The spirit, volatile and fiery, is the proper emblem of vivacity and wit ; the acidity of the lemon. will very aptly figure pungency of raillery, and acrimony of censure; sugar is the natural representative of luscious adulation and gentle complaisance ; and water is the proper hieroglyphic of easy prattle, innocent and tasteless.
Page 234 - Surely there is no man who, thus afflicted, does not seek succour in the gospel, which has brought life and immortality to light. The precepts of Epicurus, who teaches us to endure what the laws of the universe make necessary, may silence, but not content us.
Page 233 - These are the great occasions which force the mind to take refuge in religion : when we have no help in ourselves, what can remain but that we look up to a higher and a greater Power ? and to what hope may we not raise our eyes and hearts, when we consider that the greatest POWER is the BEST?' Surely there is no man who, thus afflicted, does not seek succour in the gospel, which has brought life and immortality to light.
Page 216 - The misery of gaols is not half their evil : they are filled with every corruption which poverty and wickedness can generate between them ; with all the shameless and profligate enormities that can be produced by the impudence of ignominy, the rage of want, and the malignity of despair.
Page 125 - We have now imprisoned one generation of debtors after another, but we do not find that their numbers lessen. We have now learned, that rashness and imprudence will not be deterred from taking credit ; let us try whether fraud and avarice may be more easily restrained from giving it. I am, Sir, &c.
Page 96 - ... attained. The experiments that have been tried, are tried again ; he that burned an animal with irons yesterday, will be willing to amuse himself with burning another to-morrow.
Page 35 - All foreigners remark, that the knowledge of the common people of England is greater than that of any other vulgar. This superiority we undoubtedly owe to the rivulets of intelligence, which are continually trickling among us, which every one may catch, and of which every one partakes.