The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1825 - English literature |
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acquainted amusements appear Aristophanes Athenians Athens beauty censure character comedy common considered contempt conversation Cratinus danger delight desire discover easily endeavour enjoy envy equally Eupolis Euripides evil excellence expected eyes favour fear felicity folly fortune frequently friends gain genius give gratify Greek comedy happiness happy valley heart honour hope human imagination Imlac inclined indulge innu inquire kind knowledge labour lady learned less live look mankind manner marriage Menander ment mind miscarriage misery Moliere nature neglect ness never observed once opinion ourselves OVID pain passed passions Pekuah perhaps perpetual Plautus pleased pleasure Plutarch poet portunities Posidippus praise precepts present prince princess racter RAMBLER Rasselas reason regard reputation rest riches scarcely seldom sentiments Socrates solitude sometimes soon Sophocles sorrow suffer thing thought tion truth vanity virtue wish writing
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Page 176 - YE who listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, and pursue with eagerness the phantoms of hope;-who expect that age will perform the promises of youth, and that the deficiencies of the present day will he supplied by the morrow; attend to the history of Rasselas, Prince of
Page 163 - 0 Death! how bitter is the remembrance of thee, to a man that lives at ease in his possessions!" If our present state were one continued succession of delights, or one uniform flow of calmness and tranquillity, we should never willingly think upon its end ; death would then surely surprise us as
Page 218 - conformity of opinions, similarity of manners, rectitude of judgment, or purity of sentiment ? " Such is the common process of marriage. A youth or maiden meeting by chance, or brought together by artifice, exchange glances, reciprocate civilities, go home and dream of one another. Having little to divert attention, or diversify thought. they find themselves uneasy
Page 488 - of a volatile and evanescent kind, such as soon escape the memory, and arc rarely transmitted by tradition. We know how few can portray a living acquaintance, except by his most prominent and observable particularities, and the grosser features of his mind; and it may be easily imagined how much of
Page 245 - upon the wing, is often the sport of those who delight too much in silent speculation. When we are alone we are not always busy; the labour of excogitation is too violent to last long; the ardour of inquiry will sometimes give way to idleness or satiety. He who has nothing external that can divert him must
Page 203 - can truth and reason afford me ? of what effect are they now, but to tell me, that my daughter will not be restored ?" The prince, whose humanity would not suffer him to insult misery with reproof, went away convinced of the emptiness o! rhetorical sound, and the
Page 244 - attain this man's knowledge, and few practise his virtues; but all may suffer his calamity. Of the uncertainties of our present state, the most dreadful and alarming is the uncertain continuance of reason." The princess was recollected, and the favourite was abashed, Rasselas. more deeply affected, inquired of
Page 195 - advanced, and you will find that our toil will some time have an end. Great works are performed, not by strength, but perseverance: yonder palace was raised by single stones, yet YOU see its height and spaciousness. He that shall walk with vigour three hours a day, will pass in seven years a space
Page 209 - to concur with the great and unchangeable scheme of universal felicity; to co-operate with the general disposition and tendency of the present system of things." The prince soon found that this was one of the sages whom he should understand less as he heard him longer. He
Page 176 - wrote it in order to defray the expenses of his mother's funeral, and pay some little debts which she had left. He told Sir Joshua Reynolds that he composed it in the evenings of one week, sent it to the press in portions as it was written, and had never since read it over. Mr. Strahan, Mr. Johnston, and Mr.