The Biographical Magazine: Containing Portraits of Eminent and Ingenious Persons of Every Age and Nation, with Their Lives and Characters, Volume 1

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E. Wilson., 1819 - Biography

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Page 8 - In my infant and boyish days, too, I owed much to an old woman who resided in the family, remarkable for her ignorance, credulity, and superstition. She had, I suppose, the largest collection in the country of tales and songs concerning devils, ghosts, fairies, brownies, witches, warlocks, spunkies, kelpies, elf-candles, dead-lights, wraiths, apparitions, cantraips, giants, enchanted towers, dragons, and other trumpery.
Page 6 - ... tooth: and though I wantonly exposed myself to the rage of both civil and religious factions, they seemed to be disarmed in my behalf of their wonted fury. My friends never had occasion to vindicate any one circumstance of my character and conduct: not but that the zealots, we may well suppose, would have been glad to invent and propagate any story to my disadvantage, but they could never find any which they thought would wear the face of probability.
Page 5 - ... his talents, as appeared by his having composed but six months before one of his most capital works, the satire on the Methodists. In revenge for this epistle, Hogarth caricatured Churchill under the form of a canonical bear, with a club and a pot of porter — Et vitulA tu dignus et hie. Never did two angry men of their abilities throw mud with less dexterity.
Page 9 - The Churchyard abounds with images which find a mirror in every mind, and with sentiments to which every bosom returns an echo.
Page 6 - This piece was received with greater applause than was ever known. Besides being acted in London sixtythree days without interruption, and renewed the next season with equal applause, it spread into all the great towns of England; was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time ; at Bath and Bristol fifty, &c.
Page 3 - February, 1797; in three actions with frigates ; in six engagements against batteries ; in ten actions in boats employed in cutting out of harbours; in destroying vessels, and in taking three towns. Your Memorialist has also served on shore with the army four months, and commanded the batteries at the sieges of Bastia and Calvi.
Page 10 - A Parallel between the English " Constitution and the former Government of Sweden ; " containing some Observations on the late Revolution *' in that Kingdom, and an Examination of the Causes " that secure us against both Aristocracy and absolute
Page 12 - ... till 1636, when he became universally known, by a solemn trial at the king's bench, on his refusing to pay the ship-money. He carried himself, as Clarendon tells us, through this whole suit with such singular temper and modesty, that he obtained more credit and advantage by losing it, than the king did service by gaining it. From this time he soon grew to be one of the most popular men in the nation, and a leading member in the long parliament.
Page 2 - He possessed at once all those extraordinary talents which were divided amongst the greatest authors of antiquity. He had the sound, distinct, comprehensive knowledge of Aristotle, with all the beautiful lights, graces and embellishments of Cicero.

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