The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 1Bell and Daldy, 1850 |
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Absalom and Achitophel acted Æneid Annus Mirabilis appear arts beautiful Belgian bold brother character Charles Charles II courage court cousin crown death dedication design'd Dorset Duchess Duke of Guise Duke of York Dutch Earl Elkanah Settle enemies English Erasmus eyes fame fate father favour fight fire flames fleet foes forc'd fortune friends genius Georgic Gilbert Pickering grace haste heaven Holland honour Jebusites JOHN DRYDEN Johnson king king's labour Lady laureate letter lines live Lord Malone mighty Mitford monarch Monmouth Mulgrave muse nature never noble Northamptonshire o'er Orig Ovid party play plot poem poet poet's poetry praise preface prince printed probably prologue published Queen reign religion rhyme rise Rochester royal satire says Scott seems Shaftesbury Sir Robert Howard soul success thou thought throne tion Tonson translation verse Virgil wind write written
Popular passages
Page 133 - He sought the storms ; but, for a calm unfit, Would steer too nigh the sands to boast his wit. Great wits are sure to madness near allied And thin partitions do their bounds divide...
Page 147 - He laughed himself from Court ; then sought relief By forming parties, but could ne'er be chief : For spite of him, the weight of business fell On Absalom and wise Achitophel ; Thus wicked but in will, of means bereft, He left not faction, but of that was left.
Page 146 - A man so various that he seemed to be Not one, but all mankind's epitome : Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong, Was everything by starts and nothing long; But in the course of one revolving moon Was chymist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon ; Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.
Page civ - I shall say the less of Mr Collier, because in many things he has taxed me justly; and I have pleaded guilty to all thoughts and expressions of mine which can be truly argued of obscenity, profaneness, or immorality, and retract them.
Page 150 - His neck was loaded with a chain of gold ; During his office treason was no crime ! The sons of Belial had a glorious time ; For Shimei, though not prodigal of pelf, Yet lov'd his wicked neighbour as himself. When two or three were gather'd to declaim Against the monarch of Jerusalem, Shimei was always in the midst of them...
Page 147 - Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking, Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking. Blest madman, who could every hour employ With something new to wish or to enjoy ! Railing and praising were his usual themes, And both to show his judgment, in extremes : So over violent or over civil, That every man with him was God or devil. In squandering wealth was his peculiar art ; Nothing went unrewarded but desert, Beggared by fools whom still he found too late, He had his jest, and they had...
Page 133 - Refuse his age the needful hours of rest? Punish a body which he could not please; Bankrupt of life, yet prodigal of ease? And all to leave what with his toil he won, To that unfeather'd two-legg'd thing, a son; Got while his soul did huddled notions try; And born a shapeless lump, like anarchy.
Page ix - Oxford to him a dearer name shall be, Than his own mother-university. Thebes did his green, unknowing youth engage ; He chooses Athens in his riper age.
Page 135 - And lent the crowd his arm to shake the tree. Now, manifest of crimes contrived long since, He stood at bold defiance with his prince ; Held up the buckler of the people's cause Against the crown, and skulk'd behind the laws.
Page 157 - In midst of health imagine a disease, Take pains contingent mischiefs to foresee, Make heirs for monarchs, and for God decree ? What shall we think ? Can people give away, Both for themselves and sons, their native sway ? 760 Then they are left defenceless to the sword Of each unbounded, arbitrary lord ; And laws are vain, by which we right enjoy, If kings unquestion'd can those laws destroy.