Curiosities of Literature, Volume 1W. Veazie, 1861 |
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acrostics afterwards alchymy amusement ancient anecdote appears Aristotle astrologer beautiful bishop blunder Bouts-rimés Cæsar called Cardinal Cardinal Richelieu celebrated century character chronograms church Cicero collection composed contrived controversy critics curious discovered Duke Elias Ashmole eyes fashion father favour favourite folly fortunate France French genius give gloves Gregorio Leti hand Henry honour illustrious imagined imitate ingenious invention Jesuits Journal des Sçavans king labours lady Latin learned length Leo Allatius letters literary literature lived Livy Lord lover majesty manuscripts mind modern monks nature never Nonsense Verses observes origin passion Perizonius person Petrarch philosopher Plato poem poet poetical Pope Port-Royal portraits present prince printed published Queen rabbins reader reign ridiculous Roman Saint satire says scholars Scioppius Scribleriad singular Tacitus Talmud taste thing tion translated treatise verses volumes word writer written wrote
Popular passages
Page 140 - It was at Rome, on the 15th of October 1764, as I sat musing amidst the ruins of the Capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the temple of Jupiter,* that the idea of writing the decline and fall of the city first started to my mind.
Page 379 - I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
Page 379 - at the Mount of St Mary's, in the stony stage where I now stand, I have brought you some fine biscuits, baked in the oven of charity, carefully conserved for the chickens of the church, the sparrows of the spirit, and the sweet swallows of salvation.
Page 141 - ... forgotten, produce that particular designation of mind, and propensity for some certain science or employment, which is commonly called genius. The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the great painter of the present age, had the first fondness for his art excited by the perusal of Richardson's treatise.
Page 384 - I could be content that we might procreate like trees, without conjunction, or that there were any way to perpetuate the world without this trivial and vulgar way of coition ; it is the foolishest act a wise man commits in all his life, nor is there any thing that will more deject his cooled imagination, when he shall consider what an odd and unworthy piece of folly he hath committed.
Page 123 - I'm resolv'd to search for thee: The search itself rewards the pains. So, though the chymic his great secret miss (For neither it in art or nature is,) Yet things well worth his toil he gains; And does his charge and labour pay With good unsought experiments by the way.
Page 107 - Tower, and to settle the nation on a new foundation; so he took this province to himself, to show the madness of this proposition, the injustice of it, and the mischiefs that would follow on it, and did it with such clearness and strength of reason as not only satisfied all sober persons, for it may be supposed that was soon done, but...
Page 375 - ... Congenial to the avarice of the human heart, it was studied in China as in Europe, with equal eagerness and with equal success. The darkness of the middle ages ensured a favourable reception to every tale of wonder, and the revival of learning gave new vigour to hope, and suggested more specious arts of deception.
Page 217 - A conjecture at dispositions from the modulations of the voice. " Sitting in some company, and having been but a little before musical, I chanced to take notice that, in ordinary discourse, words were spoken in perfect notes ; and that some of the company used eighths, some fifths, some thirds; and that his discourse which was...
Page 86 - Full little knowest thou, that hast not tried, What hell it is in suing long to bide: To lose good days, that might be better spent; To waste long nights in pensive discontent; To speed today, to be put back tomorrow; To feed on hope, to pine with fear and sorrow; To have thy prince's grace, yet want her peers...