The Book Without a Name, Volume 1Henry Colburn, publisher, Great Marlborough Street., 1841 - English essays |
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Abbey Alban's amusing ancient animal archdeacon beautiful bell bird Botherum called charity church civilization coal cookery culinary curious dæmon delight dinner dish England English fashion favourite Fitzforward flamingo French genius give head heart honour human ill-humoured imagination indulgence intel intellectual Irish Jeremy Bentham Julius Cæsar king kitchen lady lady's laugh LE CORDON BLEU learned less liberality live London Lord Louis the Fourteenth luxury macaw Madame de Maintenon master ment merit Midge Milton mind monument moral nation nature neighbours never once parrot party passed Père la Chaise persons pleasure political Poll poor punning punster racter reader reason reform replied Roman royal Saxon scarcely social society species spirit taste things thirty-nine articles thought tion Titmouse truth Verjuice virtue Whig wisdom women word write
Popular passages
Page 195 - cheap defence," like the immortal Falstaff, who was not only witty himself, but the cause of wit in others...
Page 246 - To wish to better the condition of the poor, by enabling them to command a greater quantity of the necessaries and comforts of life, and then to complain of high wages, is the act of a silly boy, who gives away his cake, and then cries for it.
Page 329 - ... like a coffin, should occupy the centre even of the smallest given drawingroom, — " the court awards it, and the law doth give it," — but why multiply footstools, till there is no taking a single step in safety ? An Indian cabinet also, or a buhl armoire, are, either, or both of them, very fit and becoming ; but it cannot be right to make a broker's shop of your best apartment. An inkstand, as large as a show twelfth-cake, is just and lawful ; ditto, an ornamental escrutoire ; and a nécessaire...
Page 220 - The Carilloneur was literally at work, and hard work indeed it must be; he was in his shirt with the collar unbuttoned, and in a violent sweat. There are pedals communicating with the great bells, upon which, with his feet, he played the base to several sprightly and difficult airs, performed with the two hands upon the upper species of keys.
Page 319 - I were rich," said a poor farmer's boy, " I would eat fat pudding, and ride all day on a gate," which was evidently his highest idea of human luxury. But it is less with the quality of our indulgences, than their extent, that I have now to treat. Diogenes, who prided himself on cutting his coat according to his cloth, and thought himself a greater man, in proportion as he diminished his wants, placed his luxuries in idleness and sunshine, and seems to have relished these enjoyments with as much sensuality...
Page 210 - C'cst f amour ;" or of that other pious nuisance, the woman who lays siege to the halfpence of the saints, by drawling out a never-ending repetition of the hundred and fourth Psalm. To add, however, to the charm, these delectable strains are from time to time crossed by the competing vociferations of two rival mackerelvenders, screaming like emulous parrots from the opposite sides of the street. Then at night you are indulged by a trio of watchmen crying the hour concurrently in C natural, C sharp,...
Page 128 - Yes," answered the duke, " I have seen him." " Well," said the king, " in what condition did you find him?" "Condition! why he is old and very poor.
Page 322 - ... I have the authority of my nurse for declaring, that the French invented ruffles, and the English the shirt ; that the English improved on the feather by adding to it the hat ; and many old ladies, of higher literary pretension than the honest woman from whom I derived these facts, assign this as a reason why the artists of Paris are expert in gilding and gewgaws, without being able to construct a lock for their doors, or a fastening for their windows, fit to be seen in a Christian country (vide...
Page 207 - ... and knows nothing of the pleasures of war beyond taxation and a gazette, were dearly bought by the headsplitting tantararara of the gentlemen of the tin tube. Another " simple sin," which no less requires legislative interference, is the big drum. Tambourines and triangles are bad enough, heaven knows, — mere noise for the sake of noise, — monotonous, and subversive of all...
Page 323 - Books, likewise, which were a luxury scarcely known to the wisdom of our ancestors, are a luxury now so indispensable, that there is hardly a mechanic who has not his little library : while a piano forte also has become as necessary to a farm-house as a mangle or a frying-pan ; and there are actually more copies printed of " Cherry ripe,