The Spectator, Volume 8George Gregory Smith J.M. Dent & Company, 1898 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Account acquainted the World ADDISON appeared Assembly of Ladies Bantam Brutus Burthens Calamities Cato Cholick Compliment Conceit Conversation Countenance Countrymen deal of Pleasure Discourse dumb Egotism Egotists Eighth and Last Essay Expressions of Kindness FANCY Fellow Female forbear former Volumes Fortune-teller Friday June 25 Friend Gentleman GEORGE NICHOLS give Head hear Heart HONEYCOMB Honour humble Servant Humour Ides of March June 18 June 30 Jupiter Laugh Liberty to exchange loaden look Lover Marriage Misfortune Monday Montagne Mortal Multitude Occasion Paper particular Person perswade Phrase in fashion Prætor Publick Quid Reader recorded in History Relict says Scaliger short Face Sir Sampson Society sooner saw Sorrows speak SPECTATOR Speech stand fair surprized Taciturnity talking thee Thou wouldest thought throwing told Tongue Truth undutiful VIII Virtue Wednes day Wednesday well-turned Periods Whig whole Club whole Heap whole Species Widow Widow-hunters Worthy Sir young Templar
Popular passages
Page 16 - The female world were very busy among themselves in bartering for features ; one was trucking a lock of grey hairs for a carbuncle, another was making over a short waist for a pair of round shoulders, and a third cheapening a bad face for a lost reputation : but on all these occasions, there was not one of them who did not think the new blemish, as soon as she had got it into her possession, much more disagreeable than the old one.
Page 13 - ... wild and distracted in her Looks, Her Name was FANCY. She led up every Mortal to the appointed Place, after having very officiously assisted him in making up his Pack...
Page 24 - it grates his own heart to say any thing of disparagement, and the reader's ears to hear any thing of praise from him.' Let the tenour of his discourse be what it will upon this subject, it generally proceeds from vanity. An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred of talking of his own dear person.
Page 12 - Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities and throw them together in a heap. There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it, and saw with a great deal of pleasure the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.
Page 17 - The heap was at last distributed among the two sexes, who made a most piteous sight, as they wandered up and down under the pressure of their several burdens. The whole plain was filled with murmurs and complaints, groans, and lamentations. Jupiter at length taking compassion on the poor mortals, ordered them a second time to lay down their loads, with a design to give every one his own again. They discharged themselves with a great deal of pleasure : after which, the phantom who had led them into...
Page 16 - ... from the choice they had made. A poor galley slave, who had thrown down his chains, took up the gout in their stead, but made such wry faces, that one might easily perceive he was no great gainer by the bargain. It was pleasant enough to see the several exchanges that were made, for sickness against poverty, hunger against want of appetite, and care against pain.
Page 13 - There was a certain lady of a thin airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe, embroidered with several figures of fiends and spectres, that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes as her garment hovered in the wind.
Page 5 - UPON laying down the office of SPECTATOR, I acquainted the world with my design of electing a new club, and of opening my mouth in it after a most solemn manner. Both the election and the ceremony are now past ; but not finding it so easy as I at first imagined, to break through a fifty years...
Page 12 - IT is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy would prefer the share they are already possessed of before that which would fall to them by such a division.
Page 14 - ... me. I grew uneasy at her presence, when of a sudden she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes. I no sooner saw my face in it, but was startled at the shortness of it,, which now appeared to me in its utmost aggravation.