| Sir William Forbes - 1807 - 410 pages
...thought in different language will disgust or delight us. So just is the axiom of Pope, — " True wit,* is nature to advantage dressed ; " What oft was thought,...Bryant on the ' Rowleyan Controversy,' and that Dean Milles had published a pompous quarto edition of the author. Both these gentlemen have been completely... | |
| Sir William Forbes - Authors, Scottish - 1807 - 414 pages
...language will disgust or delight us. So just is the axiom of Pope, — " True wit,* is nature to adrantage dressed ; " What oft was thought, but ne'er so well...in a former letter, that I had seen Bryant on the ' Rowley an Controversy,' and that Dean Milles had published a pompous quarto edition of the author.... | |
| English literature - 1829 - 430 pages
...the vulgar opinion, with respect to style and the very nature of language. The poet says, " True wit is nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed." The critic cavils at this, and says, it is to degrade wit thus to define it, making... | |
| Charlotte Fiske Bates - American poetry - 1832 - 1022 pages
...critic lays, For not to know some trifles is a praise. [From An Essay on Criticism.] WIT. TKUE wit is nature to advantage dressed ; What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed : Something, whose truth, convinced at sight we find, That gives us back the image of... | |
| sir James Mackintosh - 1835 - 534 pages
...modern sense of ludicrous fancy, I cannot tell. It must have been after Pope's definition — ' True wit is nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.' By the way, was there ever a stronger instance than this of the second verse of a... | |
| Robert Walsh - American literature - 1835 - 568 pages
...akin—one whose originality of style is constantly reminding us of that fine saying of Pope— " True wit is Nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed;" one, in short, who thinks with the common sense of mankind, and writes with a power... | |
| Henry Fielding - 1836 - 454 pages
...the same metaphor, consists in the cookery of the author ; for, as Mr. Pope tells us, — " True wit is Nature to advantage dressed : What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed." The same animal which hath the honour to have some Eart of his ftesh eaten at the... | |
| Sir James Mackintosh - 1836 - 546 pages
...modern sense of ludicrous fancy, I cannot tell. It must have been after Pope's definition — True wit is nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed. " llth. — Read a curious old life of Sir T. More, just published from a MS. at Lambeth,... | |
| Andrew Steinmetz - 1838 - 360 pages
...sometimes behind a cloud retired Breaks out again, and is by all admired. 53. Buckingham on Poet. True wit is nature to advantage dressed What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed; Something whose truth, convinced, at sight we find That gives us back the image of... | |
| Rembrandt Peale - American literature - 1839 - 276 pages
...living grace, With gold and jewels cover every part, And hide with ornaments their want of art. True wit is nature to advantage dressed, What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed ; Something, whose truth convinced at sight we find, That gives us back the image of... | |
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