Isaac Bickerstaff, Physician and Astrologer: Papers from Steele's 'Tatler'.

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Cassell, 1887 - English essays - 192 pages

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Page 96 - When first on this delightful land he spreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower, Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth After soft showers; and sweet the coming on Of grateful evening
Page 162 - Awake, My fairest, my espoused, my latest found, Heaven's last best gift, my ever new delight ! Awake : the morning shines, and the fresh field Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove, What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, How nature paints her colours, how the bee Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.
Page 97 - Others apart sat on a hill retired, In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high Of Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate— Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute — And found no end, in wandering mazes lost.
Page 30 - The first sense of sorrow I ever knew was upon the death of my father, at which time I was not quite five years of age; but was rather amazed at what all the house meant, than possessed with a real understanding why nobody was willing to play with me.
Page 30 - ... before I was sensible of what it was to grieve, seized my very soul, and has made pity the weakness of my heart ever since. The mind in infancy is, methinks, like the body in embryo ; and receives impressions so forcible, that they are as hard to be removed by reason, as any mark, with which a child is born, is to be taken away by any future application.
Page 162 - Now morn, her rosy steps in th' eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl, When Adam waked, so custom'd, for his sleep Was aery light, from pure digestion bred, And temperate vapours bland, which the only sound Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song Of birds on every bough : so much the more His wonder was to find...
Page 96 - But neither breath of morn, when she ascends With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun On this delightful land ; nor herb, fruit, flower, Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers, Nor grateful evening mild; nor silent night, With this her solemn bird ; nor walk by moon, Or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet.
Page 84 - ... his son; and that these diversions might turn to some profit, I found the boy had made remarks which might be of service to him during the course of his whole life. He would tell you the mismanagements of John...
Page 79 - ... think it is I that am knocking at the door; and that child which loses the race to me runs back again to tell the father it is Mr Bickerstaff. This day I was led in by a pretty girl, that we all thought must have forgot me; for the family has been out of town these two years. Her knowing me again was a mighty subject with us and took up our discourse at the first entrance.
Page 96 - Morn, her rising sweet, With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the Sun When first on this delightful land...

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