The works of the English poets. With prefaces, biographical and critical, by S. Johnson, Volume 57

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Page 130 - The figur'd games of Greece the column grace, Neptune and Jove survey the rapid race. The youths hang o'er their chariots as they run ; The fiery steeds seem starting from the stone ; The champions in distorted postures threat ; 220 And all appear'd irregularly great. Here happy Horace tun'd th...
Page 324 - Not wrapt in smoky London's sulphurous clouds, And not far distant stands my rural cot: Neither obnoxious to intruding crowds, Nor for the good and friendly too remote. And when too much repose brings on the spleen, Or the gay city's idle pleasures cloy: Swift as my changing wish I change the scene, And now the country, now the town enjoy.
Page 158 - Muse, thy sounding bow; Say through what paths of liquid air . Our arrows shall we throw? On Agrigentum fix thine eye, Thither let all thy quiver fly. And thou, O Agrigentum, hear, While with religious dread, And taught the laws of...
Page 274 - And as he lift th" imperial puppet play'd, By fecret fprings and wheels right wifely made, That he the fubtle wires mote not * avize, But deem in footh that all he did or faid, From his own motion and free grace did rife, And that he juftly hight immortal, great, and wife. XXXI. And eke to each of that fame gilded train, That meekly round that lordly throne did...
Page 215 - ... any more than the fields and trees are every year equally fruitful ; that the gods had not given mortals any certain tokens, by which they might foreknow when the rich years of virtue...
Page 310 - And as they mount, enlighten every age With the bright influence of fair Virtue's rays ; Which from the awful heights of Grandeur brighter blaze.
Page 311 - And wherefore fhould they take or care or thought, Whom Nature prompts, and Fortune -calls to play ? " Lords of the earth, be happy as ye may ! So learn'd, fo taught the leaders of mankind ; Th' unreafoning vulgar willingly obey, And leaving toil and poverty behind, Ran forth by different ways the blifsful boon to find. LXIII. Nor tedious was the fearch ; for every where, As nigh great CUSTOM'S royal tow'rs the KNIGHT Pafs'd through th...
Page 322 - Let me ne more myself deceive ; Ne more regret the toys I leave : The world I quit, the proud, the vain, Corruption's and Ambition's train ; But not the good, perdie, nor fair...
Page 186 - Crete; bnt being driven from thence by the fury of a prevailing faction, he retired to Himera, a town of Sicily, where he was honourably received, and admitted to the freedom of the city ; after which he had the happiness to obtain, what the Greeks esteemed the highest pitch of glory, the Olympic crown.
Page 287 - I labour to diffuse the' important good, Till this great truth by all be understood, ' That all the pious duties which we owe Our parents, friends, our .country, and our God; The seeds of every virtue here below, From discipline alone, and early culture, grow/ * Nurture, education*.

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