Some Account of the English Stage: From the Restoration in 1660 to 1830. In Ten Volumes, Volume 1H.E. Carrington, 1832 - Theater |
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Common terms and phrases
1st act 3d act 4th act actor altered Antonio appears Barry Behn Bessus Betterton borrowed Cæsar called Cardinal character Charles the 2d Cibber Comedy comic Court Crown daughter Davenant disguised Downes says Dryden Duke of Guise Duke of York Duke's Company Dutchess Earl Edipus Emperour enters Epilogue falls in love father Fletcher French friends Gillow gives Griffin Gwyn Haines Harris Hart honour humour Jevon Julius Cæsar killed Killegrew King King's Company Kynaston Lacy Lady Langbaine says last scene Leigh licensed Lord Lord Shaftesbury Lovers Malone marry Medbourne Mohun Mountfort Nell Gwyn Nokes old plays original Pepys says Percival performers persons plot Poet pretends Prince printed probably Prologue Queen racter Revenge revived rhyme Sandford scene lies seems Shadwell Shakspeare Shakspeare's Smith spoken stage supposed tells terton Theatre Titus Titus Andronicus Tragedy Tyrannick Love Underhill Whigs whole wife Williams Wiltshire Wintershall woman written young
Popular passages
Page 6 - By and by we hear news of shipwreck in the same place, and then we are to blame if we accept it not for a rock. Upon the back of that comes out a hideous monster with fire and smoke, and then the miserable beholders are bound to take it for a cave. While in the mean time two armies fly in, represented with four swords and bucklers, and then what hard heart will not receive it for a pitched field?
Page 92 - ... a perpetual model of encomiastic criticism ; exact without minuteness, and lofty without exaggeration. The praise lavished by Longinus, on the attestation of the heroes of Marathon, by Demosthenes, fades away before it. In a few lines is exhibited a character so extensive in its comprehension, and so curious in its limitations, that nothing can be added, diminished, or reformed ; nor can the editors and admirers of...
Page 91 - He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul. All the images of nature were still present to him, and he drew them not laboriously, but luckily: when he describes anything, you more than see it, you feel it too.
Page 90 - Jonson derived from particular persons, they made it not their business to describe; they represented all the passions very lively, but above all, love. I am apt to believe the...
Page 92 - I cannot say he is every where alike ; were he so, I should do him injury to compare him with the greatest of mankind. He is many times flat, insipid ; his comic wit degenerating into clenches, his serious swelling into bombast. But he is always great, when some great occasion is presented to him...
Page 91 - He is many times flat and insipid; his comic wit degenerating into clenches, his serious swelling into bombast. But he is always great, when some great occasion is presented to him: No man can say, he ever had a fit subject for his wit, and did not then raise himself as high above the rest of poets.
Page 91 - One cannot say he wanted wit, but rather that he was frugal of it In his works you find little to retrench or alter. Wit and language, and humour also in some measure, we had before him ; but something of art was wanting to the drama till he came.
Page 90 - Beaumont and Fletcher, of whom I am next to speak, had, with the advantage of Shakespeare's wit, which was their precedent, great natural gifts improved by study; Beaumont especially being so accurate a judge of plays that Ben Jonson, while he lived, submitted all his writings to his censure, and, 'tis thought, used his judgment in correcting, if not contriving all his plots.
Page 91 - All the images of nature were still present to him, and he drew them, not laboriously, but luckily; when he describes anything, you more than see it, you feel it too. Those who accuse him to have wanted learning give him the greater commendation: he was naturally learned; he needed not the spectacles of books to read nature; he looked inwards and found her there.
Page 336 - Tis not the king ! Evad. What did he make this match for, dull Amintor? Amin. Oh, thou hast named a word, that wipes away All thoughts revengeful ! In that sacred name, " The king,