I would beg the critics to remember, that Horace owed his favour and his fortune to the character given of him by Virgil and Varus; that Fundamus and Pollio are still valued by what Horace says of them; and that, in their golden age, there was a good understanding among the ingenious; and those who were the most esteemed, were the best natured. a. b. WENTWORTH DILLON (Earl of The press, the pulpit, and the stage, DISRAELI (Earl of Beaconsfield)— The most noble criticism is that in which the critic is not the antagonist so much as the rival of the author. d. ISAAC DISRAELI-Curiosities of Literature. Literary Journals. The talent of judging may exist separately from the power of execution. e. ISAAC DISRAELI-- Curiosities of Literature. Literary Dutch. Those who do not read criticism will rarely merit to be criticised. f. ISAAC DISRAELI-Literary Character of You'd scarce expect one of my age Demosthenes or Cicero, Don't view me with a critic's eye, Reviewers are forever telling authors, they can't understand them. The author might often reply: Is that my fault? J. C. and A. W. HARE-Guesses at Truth. The readers and the hearers like my books, But yet some writers cannot them digest; But what care I? for when I make a feast, I would my guests should praise it, not the cooks. i. Sir JOHN HARRINGTON-Against Writers that Carp at other Men's Books. Critics are sentinels in the grand army of letters, stationed at the corners of newspapers and reviews, to challenge every new author. J. LONGFELLOW-Kavanagh. Ch. XIII. The strength of criticism lies only in the weakness of the thing criticised, k. LONGFELLOW-Kavanagh. Ch. XXX. 0. Ah ne'er so dire a thirst of glory boast, p. POPE-Dunciad. Bk. IV. Line 125. A perfect Judge will read each work of Wit With the same spirit that its author writ: Survey the Whole, nor seek slight faults to find Where nature moves, and rapture warms the mind. POPE-Essay on Criticism. Line 235. Be not the first by whom the new are tryd, Nor yet the last to lay the old aside. POPE-Essay on Criticism. Line 336. I lose my patience, and I own it too, 8. POPE-Second Book of Horace. Ep. I. Line 115. HOOD-Song of the Shirt. The Puritans hated bearbaiting, not beit gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators. i. MACAULAY-- History of England. Vol. I. Ch. III. I have seen A curious child, who dwelt upon a tract v. WORDSWORTH-The Excursion. Bk. 6. A lump of death-a chaos of hard clay. Ships sailorless lay rotting on the sea, And their masts fell down piecemeal; as they dropp'd They slept on the abyss without a surgeThe waves were dead; the tides were in their grave, The Moon, their mistress, had expired before; The winds were wither'd in the stagnant air, And the clouds perish'd! Darkness had no need Of aid from them-She was the Universe! The prayer of Ajax was for light; g. LONGFELLOW-The Goblet of Life. Brief as the lightning in the collied night, That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, And ere a man had power to say,-Behold! h. Midsummer Night's Dream. Act I. Sc. 1. DAY. Day is a snow-white Dove of heaven, Wrapt to the eyes in his black wings. Slow fly the hours, fast the hours flee, The air I breathe, the world wherein I dwell, n. Sweet day, so cool, so calm so bright, 0. HERBERT-The Temple. Virtue. O sweet, delusive noon, Which the morning climbs to find; O moment sped too soon, And morning left behind. p. HELEN HUNT-Verses. Noon. 0. BACON--Essay. Of Death. Death is the universal salt of states; The death-change comes, On the cold cheek of Death smiles and roses Thy journey's end, thou hast the gulf in view! That awful gulf no mortal e'er repass'd For part they must: body and soul must part; Fond couple! link'd more close than wedded pair. This wings its way to its Almighty Source, The witness of its actions, now its judge; That drops into the dark and noisome grave, Like a disabled pitcher of no use. u. BLAIR-The Grave. Line 334. All that tread The globe are but a handful to the tribes That slumber in its bosom. V. BRYANT--Thanatopsis. |