Boswell's correspondence with ... Andrew Erskine, and his Journal of a tour to Corsica, ed. with intr. and notes by G.B. Hill1879 |
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Page iii
... written to beg him to read the book . " What * " Mrs . Barbauld's Poems , " vol . i . , p . 2. It is certainly strange that Boswell , so far as I know , nowhere quotes these lines . He was not wont to let the world remain in ignorance ...
... written to beg him to read the book . " What * " Mrs . Barbauld's Poems , " vol . i . , p . 2. It is certainly strange that Boswell , so far as I know , nowhere quotes these lines . He was not wont to let the world remain in ignorance ...
Page iv
... written me noble letters about it . " With his Lordship's letter he was so much delighted that in the third edition he obtained leave to use it to " enrich " his book . Johnson pro- nounced his Journal in a very high degree curious and ...
... written me noble letters about it . " With his Lordship's letter he was so much delighted that in the third edition he obtained leave to use it to " enrich " his book . Johnson pro- nounced his Journal in a very high degree curious and ...
Page v
... written a book " that is likely to be read as long as the English exists , either as a living or as a dead language . " The explanation of this , I take it , is to be found in the distinction that Johnson draws between Boswell's Account ...
... written a book " that is likely to be read as long as the English exists , either as a living or as a dead language . " The explanation of this , I take it , is to be found in the distinction that Johnson draws between Boswell's Account ...
Page ix
... written when Boswell was but twenty . Their justification only increases their offence . " Curiosity , " they say , " is the most prevalent of all our passions ; and the curiosity for reading letters , is the most prevalent of all kinds ...
... written when Boswell was but twenty . Their justification only increases their offence . " Curiosity , " they say , " is the most prevalent of all our passions ; and the curiosity for reading letters , is the most prevalent of all kinds ...
Page xi
... writing to the great Earl of Chatham , he said " I can labour hard ; I feel myself coming forward , and I hope to be useful to my country . Could your Lord- ship find time to honour me now and then with a letter ? I have been told how ...
... writing to the great Earl of Chatham , he said " I can labour hard ; I feel myself coming forward , and I hope to be useful to my country . Could your Lord- ship find time to honour me now and then with a letter ? I have been told how ...
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Common terms and phrases
able acquaintance admirable allow ancient ANDREW ERSKINE appear asked believe Boswell's called Captain character correspondence Corsicans criticism Date deal Dear death desire Edinburgh English excellent father fire France French gave genius Genoese give given greatest guards hand happy hear heart Hill honour hope ideas imagine interest island Italy JAMES BOSWELL Johnson Journal King Lady leave less letter lived London look Lord manner mind natural never noble obliged observed officer once opinion Paoli passed play pleased pleasure present published received remark respect Romans seemed seen sent shew short Signor society spirit taken talk tell thing thought told took TOUR town turn volume whole wish write written wrote young
Popular passages
Page 23 - I HAVE observed, that a reader seldom peruses a book with pleasure, till he knows whether the writer of it be a black or a fair man, of a mild or choleric disposition, married or a bachelor, with other particulars of the like nature, that conduce very much to the right understanding of an author.
Page 157 - Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate : let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken.
Page 59 - Johnson, for sport perhaps, or from the spirit of contradiction, eagerly maintained that Derrick had merit as a writer. Mr. Morgann argued with him directly, in vain. At length he had recourse to this device. " Pray, sir (said he), whether do you reckon Derrick or Smart the best poet ?" Johnson at once felt himself roused; and answered, " Sir, there is no settling the point of precedency between a louse and a flea.
Page 177 - My good friends insisted also to have an English song from me. I endeavoured to please them in this too, and was very lucky in that which occurred to me. I sung them 'Hearts of oak are our ships,
Page 67 - Passion, which are always the same, the first writers took possession of the most striking objects for description, and the most probable occurrences for fiction, and left nothing to those that followed them, but transcription of the same events, and new combinations of the same images.
Page 189 - Why, sir, if the fellow does not think as he speaks, he is lying : and I see not what honour he can propose to himself from having the character of a liar. But if he does really think that there is no distinction between virtue and vice, why, sir, when he leaves our houses let us count our spoons.
Page 202 - I took leave of Paoli with regret and agitation, not without some hopes of seeing him again. From having known intimately so exalted a character, my sentiments of human nature were raised, while, by a sort of contagion, I felt an honest ardour to distinguish myself, and be useful, as far as my situation and abilities would allow; and I was, for the rest of my life, set free from a slavish timidity in the presence of great men, for where shall I find a man greater than Paoli ? When I set out from...
Page 123 - But, Sir, how can you do this in three years ? JOHNSON. Sir, I have no doubt that I can do it in three years. ADAMS. But the French Academy, which consists of forty members, took forty years to compile their Dictionary.
Page 185 - ... occurrences. Thus Sallust, the great master of nature, has not forgot, in his account of Catiline, to remark that his walk was now quick, and again slow, as an indication of a mind revolving something with violent commotion.
Page 184 - I had often enough formed the idea of a man continually such as I could conceive in my best moments. But this idea appeared like the ideas we are taught in the schools to form of things which may exist, but do not ; of seas of milk, and ships of amber. But I saw my highest idea realised in Paoli. It was impossible for me, speculate as I pleased, to have a little opinion of human nature in him.