The English Novel: Being a Short Sketch of Its History from the Earliest Times to the Appearance of WaverleyJ. Murray, 1894 - 298 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
adventures alliteration Arcadia Artabanes artistic better borrowed called Caxton character Charlemagne Chaucer Clarissa court criticism death Defoe delight drama Elizabethan England English prose Euphues Euphuism expression fashion Fielding Fielding's French Gabriel Harvey Gesta Romanorum Grandison heart hero heroic romance honour human humour Huon of Bordeaux imagination imitation influence interest Italian King Arthur lady later literary literature living London lovers Lucilla Lyly Lyly's Malory medieval Miss moral narration narrative Nash nature never novel novelists original Pamela pamphlets passion Philautus play plot poem poet poetry political praise preface prose fiction reader realistic reign Richardson romances of chivalry satire says scenes sentence sentiment Shakespeare Shandy Sidney's Sir Charles Sir Philip Sidney Smollett speak Spectator spirit story style success tale taste theme tion Tom Jones translation Tristram Shandy verse virtue William Copland writers written Wynkyn de Worde
Popular passages
Page 225 - ; in which it was agreed that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic ; yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth...
Page 119 - Resolution, to reject all the amplifications, digressions, and swellings of style: to return back to the primitive purity, and shortness, when men deliver'd so many things, almost in an equal number of words. They have exacted from all their members, a close, naked, natural way of speaking; positive expressions, clear senses; a native easiness: bringing all things as near the Mathematical plainness, as they can: and preferring the language of Artizans, Countrymen, and Merchants, before that, of Wits,...
Page 55 - Leave me, O love which reachest but to dust, And thou, my mind, aspire to higher things. Grow rich in that which never taketh rust: Whatever fades but fading pleasure brings. Draw in thy beams, and humble all thy might To that sweet yoke where lasting freedoms be; Which breaks the clouds and opens forth the light That doth both shine and give us sight to see.
Page 222 - It was an attempt to blend the two kinds of romance, the ancient and the modern. In the former, all was imagination and improbability ; in the latter, nature is always intended to be, and sometimes has been, copied with success. Invention has not been wanting ; but the great resources of fancy have been dammed up, by a strict adherence to common life.
Page 59 - But besides these gross absurdities, how all their plays be neither right tragedies nor right comedies, mingling kings and clowns, not because the matter so carrieth it, but thrust in the clown by head and shoulders to play a part in majestical matters, with neither decency nor discretion, so as neither the admiration and commiseration nor the right sportfulness is by their mongrel tragicomedy obtained.
Page 14 - For herein may be seen noble chivalry, courtesy, humanity, friendliness, hardiness, love, friendship, cowardice, murder, hate, virtue, and sin. Do after the good and leave the evil, and it shall bring you to good fame and renown. And for to pass the time this book shall be pleasant to read in, but for to give faith and belief that all is true that is contained herein, ye be at your liberty...
Page 62 - There were hills, which garnished their proud heights with stately trees ; humble valleys, whose base estate seemed comforted with the refreshing of silver rivers: .meadows, enamelled with all sorts of eye-pleasing' .flowers ; thickets, which being lined with most pleasant shade were witnessed so...
Page 55 - And others' feet still seemed but strangers in my way. Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes, Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite, "Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart and write.
Page 133 - The sunrise broken into scarlet shafts Among the palms and ferns and precipices ; The blaze upon the waters to the east; The blaze upon his island overhead; The blaze upon the waters to the west; Then the great stars that globed themselves in heaven, The hollower-bellowing ocean, and again The scarlet shafts of sunrise — but no sail.
Page 268 - Without being so presumptuous as to hope to emulate the rich humour, pathetic tenderness, and admirable tact which pervade the works of my accomplished friend, I felt that something might be attempted for my own country, of the same kind with that which Miss Edgeworth so fortunately achieved for Ireland...