The History of English Literature: With an Outline of the Origin and Growth of the English Language, Illustrated by Extracts for the Use of Schools and Private Students |
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Page 31
... pieces , now exhibited as the groundwork of the poems , have a just claim to so remote an origin . All such productions seem to be merely attempts , some of them ex- ceedingly imaginative and spirited , to invest with poetical and ...
... pieces , now exhibited as the groundwork of the poems , have a just claim to so remote an origin . All such productions seem to be merely attempts , some of them ex- ceedingly imaginative and spirited , to invest with poetical and ...
Page 32
... pieces called the Triads . They are collections of historical facts , maxims ethical and legal , mythological doctrines and tra- ditions , and rules for the structure of verse : all of them are ex- pressed with extreme brevity , and ...
... pieces called the Triads . They are collections of historical facts , maxims ethical and legal , mythological doctrines and tra- ditions , and rules for the structure of verse : all of them are ex- pressed with extreme brevity , and ...
Page 39
... piece very valuable to the antiquary , proves its remote origin both by the character of its geographical traditions , and by its bare and prosaic rudeness . The poem on the Battle of Finsburgh relates , with great animation , a story ...
... piece very valuable to the antiquary , proves its remote origin both by the character of its geographical traditions , and by its bare and prosaic rudeness . The poem on the Battle of Finsburgh relates , with great animation , a story ...
Page 41
... pieces com- memorating the coronation and death of Edgar ; and the finest of all is the spirited and picturesque poem which relates the fall of the brave chief Byrthnoth at Maldon , in battle against a powerful army of Danes and ...
... pieces com- memorating the coronation and death of Edgar ; and the finest of all is the spirited and picturesque poem which relates the fall of the brave chief Byrthnoth at Maldon , in battle against a powerful army of Danes and ...
Page 43
... pieces . Instead of it , they have what is called alliteration , which consists in the introduction , into the same stanza , of several syl- lables beginning with the same letter . It seems to be a univer- sal law of the system , that ...
... pieces . Instead of it , they have what is called alliteration , which consists in the introduction , into the same stanza , of several syl- lables beginning with the same letter . It seems to be a univer- sal law of the system , that ...
Common terms and phrases
admirable Æneid allegory ancient Anglo-Saxon beautiful belong Ben Jonson Bishop blank verse Cædmon called celebrated Celts century character Chaucer chiefly chivalrous Chronicle church classical close Comedy composition critical declension dialect diction drama earliest early ecclesiastical Edinburgh Review eloquence eminent England English language Essays fancy feeling French genius Geoffrey of Monmouth German Henry HENRY REED honour imagination kind king Knight's Tale knowledge Latin Layamon learning less likewise literary literature living lyrical merit metrical middle ages Milton mind modern moral narrative nation native nature never novel Old English original passages perhaps period philosophy pieces poems poet poetical poetry possessed prose readers reign religious romances satire Saxon scenes scholars Scotland Scottish sentiment Shakspeare specimens Spenser spirit story style taste thing thou thought tion tone tongue translation treatise truth verb verse vigorous words writers written
Popular passages
Page 342 - The tear forgot as soon as shed, The sunshine of the breast: Theirs buxom health, of rosy hue, Wild wit, invention ever new, And lively cheer, of vigour born, The thoughtless day, the easy night, The spirits pure, the slumbers light That fly th
Page 301 - He makes the figs our mouths to meet And throws the melons at our feet; But apples, plants of such a price, No tree could ever bear them twice. With cedars chosen by His hand From Lebanon He stores the land; And makes the hollow seas that roar Proclaim the ambergris on shore.
Page 342 - Ambition this shall tempt to rise, Then whirl the wretch from high, To bitter Scorn a sacrifice, And grinning Infamy. The stings of Falsehood those shall try And hard Unkindness...
Page 356 - In all my wanderings round this world of care, In all my griefs — and God has given my share — I still had hopes, my latest hours to crown, Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down; To husband out life's taper at the close, And keep the flame from wasting by repose...
Page 282 - In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou seest the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire, Consum'd with that which it was nourish'd by.
Page 242 - I deny not but that it is of greatest concernment in the church and commonwealth to have a vigilant eye how books demean " themselves, as well as men, and thereafter to confine, imprison, and do sharpest justice on them as malefactors. For books are not absolutely dead things, but do contain a potency of life in them to be as active as that soul was whose progeny they are...
Page 243 - ... sitting by their studious lamps, musing, searching, revolving new notions and ideas, wherewith to present, as with their homage and their fealty, the approaching reformation; others as fast reading, trying all things, assenting to the force of reason and convincement.
Page 220 - ... rest himself; if the moon should wander from her beaten way, the times and seasons of the year blend themselves by disordered and confused mixture, the winds breathe out their last gasp, the clouds yield no rain, the earth be defeated of heavenly influence, the fruits of the earth pine away as children at the withered breasts of their mother no longer able to yield them relief; what would become of man himself, whom these things now do all serve ? See we not plainly that obedience of creatures...
Page 247 - God, or melior natura: which courage is manifestly such as that creature, without that confidence of a better nature than his own, could never attain. So Man, when he resteth and assureth himself upon divine protection and favour, gathereth a force and faith which human nature in itself could not obtain...
Page 247 - I HAD rather believe all the fables in the Legend, and the Talmud, and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind.