The Critical and Miscellaneous Prose Works of John Dryden: Now First Collected: with Notes and Illustrations; an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, Grounded on Original and Authentick Documents; and a Collection of His Letters, the Greater Part of which Has Never Before Been Published, Volumen 2H. Baldwin and Son, New-Bridge-Street, 1800 |
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Términos y frases comunes
ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL acted action afterwards ALBION AND ALBANIUS amongst answer appears betwixt Bishop called catholick cause character church of England Cleomenes commendation confess criticks crown death DEDICATION defend discourse dispute Dryden Duchess Duchess of York Duke of Guise Earl Elkanah Settle endeavour enemies English errours father favour fortune French friends give Henry the Third honour JOHN DRYDEN judge judgment King King of Navarre King's Lady lawful League learned least libel lived Lord Lord Rochester Lordship Majesty matter mean musick nature never observed opera opinion papists parallel parliament party person play Plutarch poem poet poetry Pope popish Popish Plot praise Preface pretended prince protestant publick reader reason rebellion religion Roman Rome royal satire says scripture Shaftesbury shew supposed tell theatre thing thought tion tragedy Trajan translated true verses virtue words write written
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Página 13 - The death of Antony and Cleopatra is a subject which has been treated by the greatest wits of our nation, after Shakespeare; and by all so variously, that their example has given me the confidence to try myself in this bow of Ulysses amongst the crowd of suitors; and, withal, to take my own measures, in aiming at the mark.
Página 22 - Tis true, they proclaimed themselves poets by sound of trumpet; and poets they were, upon pain of death to any man who durst call them otherwise. The audience had a fine time on't...
Página 14 - Play is regular enough, as to the inferior parts of it ; and the Unities of Time, Place and Action, more exactly observed, than, perhaps, the English Theater requires. Particularly, the Action is so much one, that it is the only of the kind without Episode, or Underplot ; every Scene in the Tragedy conducing to the main design, and every Act concluding with a turn of it.
Página 29 - I hope, I may affirm, and without vanity, that, by imitating him, I have excelled myself throughout the play ; and particularly, that I prefer the scene betwixt Antony and Ventidius in the first act, to anything which I have written in this kind.
Página 21 - ... because the poets will not admit them of their number. Thus the case is hard with writers : If they succeed not, they must starve ; and if they do, some malicious satire is prepared to level them, for daring to please without their leave. But while they are so eager to destroy the fame of others, their ambition is manifest in their concernment ; some poem of their own is to be produced, and the slaves are to be laid flat with their faces on the ground, that the monarch may appear in the greater...
Página 56 - D'Amboys upon the theatre; but when I had taken up what I supposed a fallen star, I found I had been cozened with a jelly; nothing but a cold, dull mass, which glittered no longer than it was shooting; a dwarfish thought, dressed up in gigantic words, repetition in abundance, looseness of expression, and gross hyperboles; the sense of one line expanded prodigiously into ten; and, to sum up all, uncorrect English, and a hideous mingle of false poetry and true nonsense; or, at best, a scantling of...
Página 20 - ... view ? not considering that they are not to expect the same approbation from sober men, which they have found from their flatterers after the third bottle. If a little glittering in discourse has passed them on us for witty men, where was the necessity of undeceiving the world ? Would a man...
Página 260 - The composition of all poems is or ought to be of wit; and wit in the poet, or wit writing, (if you will give me leave to use a school distinction,) is no other than the faculty of imagination in the writer, which, like a nimble spaniel, beats over and ranges through the field of memory, till it springs the quarry it hunted after...
Página 152 - I cannot conclude this head of mixed wit without owning that the admirable poet out of whom I have taken the examples of it had as much true wit as any author that ever writ, and indeed all other talents of an extraordinary genius. It may be expected, since I am upon this subject, that I should take notice of Mr.
Página 17 - ... tis but necessary, when they cannot please, that they should take care not to offend. But as the civilest man in the company is commonly the dullest, so these authors, while they are afraid to make you laugh or cry, out of pure good manners make you sleep.