Mr. Johnson's Preface to His Edition of Shakespear's Plays..J. and R. Tonson, H. Woodfall, J. Rivington, R. Baldwin, L. Hawes, Clark and Collins, T. Longman, W. Johnston, T. Caslon, C. Corbet, T. Lownds, and the executors of B. Dodd., 1765 - Počet stran: 72 |
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Strana xvii
... force him upon imitation , nor criticks of fuch autho- rity as might reftrain his extravagance : He therefore indulged his natural difpofition , and his difpofition , as Rhymer has remarked , led him to comedy . In tragedy he often ...
... force him upon imitation , nor criticks of fuch autho- rity as might reftrain his extravagance : He therefore indulged his natural difpofition , and his difpofition , as Rhymer has remarked , led him to comedy . In tragedy he often ...
Strana xx
... force upon him , and apparently rejects thofe exhibitions which would be more affecting , for the fake of those which are more eafy . It may be obferved , that in many of his plays the latter part is evidently neglected . When he found ...
... force upon him , and apparently rejects thofe exhibitions which would be more affecting , for the fake of those which are more eafy . It may be obferved , that in many of his plays the latter part is evidently neglected . When he found ...
Strana xxi
... forces out are for the moft part ftriking and energetick ; but whenever he folicits his invention , or strains his faculties , the offspring of his throes is tumour , meannefs , tedioufnefs , and ab- fcurity . lo In narration he affects ...
... forces out are for the moft part ftriking and energetick ; but whenever he folicits his invention , or strains his faculties , the offspring of his throes is tumour , meannefs , tedioufnefs , and ab- fcurity . lo In narration he affects ...
Strana xxv
... force when it departs from the refemblance of reality . From the narrow limitation of time neceffarily arifes the contraction of place . The fpectator , who knows that he saw the first act at Alexandria , cannot fuppofe fuppofe that he ...
... force when it departs from the refemblance of reality . From the narrow limitation of time neceffarily arifes the contraction of place . The fpectator , who knows that he saw the first act at Alexandria , cannot fuppofe fuppofe that he ...
Strana xxix
... force to the foli- loquy of Cato . * A play read , affects the mind like a play acted . It is therefore evident , that the action is not fup- posed to be real , and it follows that between the acts a longer or fhorter time may be ...
... force to the foli- loquy of Cato . * A play read , affects the mind like a play acted . It is therefore evident , that the action is not fup- posed to be real , and it follows that between the acts a longer or fhorter time may be ...
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abfurdities action againſt arife authour becauſe cafual cenfure comedy comick compofition confeffed confidered conjecture copies corrupted criticiſm criticks curiofity defign defire dialogue difcovered diftinct diligence drama dramatick eafily eafy edition editor emendations endeavoured errour excellence fable fafe faid fame fatisfied faults fcenes feems feldom felect fentiments fhall fhew fhewn fhould filent firft firſt folicitous fome fometimes forrow fpeeches ftage ftand ftate ftudies fubject fuch fuffered fufficient fupply fuppofe fure fyftem hiftories himſelf human imitation impoffible inferted inftruct juſt knowledge labour laft language learning lefs lence likewife mind modes moſt muſt nature neceffary neral numbers obfcure obfervations occafion paffages paffed paffions paſ perfonal perhaps perufal Plautus plays pleaſe pleaſure poet poffible Pope praife praiſed prefent preferved profe publick publiſhed purpoſe raiſed reader reaſon reft reprefented reſtoration ſcenes ſeems Shakespeare ſkill ſtate ſtudy themſelves theſe thofe thoſe thour tion tragedy truth underſtand uſe Voltaire writers
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Strana xxiii - A quibble is the golden apple for which he will always turn aside from his career, or stoop from his elevation. A quibble, poor and barren as it is, gave him such delight that he was content to purchase it by the sacrifice of reason, propriety and truth. A quibble was to him the fatal Cleopatra for which he lost the world, and was content to lose it.
Strana xxviii - It is credited, whenever it moves, as a just picture of a real original ; as representing to the auditor what he would himself feel, if he were to do or suffer what is there feigned to be suffered or to be done. The reflection that strikes the heart is not, that the evils before us are real evils, but that they are evils to which we ourselves may be exposed.
Strana xliv - He has scenes of undoubted and perpetual excellence ; but perhaps not one play, which, if it were now exhibited as the work of a contemporary writer, would be heard to the conclusion.
Strana xxiii - A quibble is to Shakespeare what luminous vapours are to the traveller : he follows it at all adventures ; it is sure to lead him out of his way, and sure to engulf him in the mire.
Strana v - THAT praises are without reason lavished on the dead, and that the honours due only to excellence are paid to antiquity, is a complaint likely to be always continued by those, who, being able to add nothing to truth, hope for eminence from the heresies of paradox ; or those, who, being forced by disappointment upon consolatory expedients, are willing to hope from posterity what the present age refuses, and flatter themselves that the regard which is yet denied by envy, will be at last bestowed by...
Strana lxx - He was the man who of all modern, and perhaps ancient poets, had the largest and most comprehensive soul. All the images of nature were still present to him, and he drew them not laboriously, but luckily : when he describes anything, you more than see it, you feel it too.
Strana xxvi - The objection arising from the impossibility of passing the first hour at Alexandria and the next at Rome supposes that, when the play opens, the spectator really imagines himself at Alexandria, and believes that his walk to the theatre has been a voyage to Egypt, and that he lives in the days of Antony and Cleopatra. Surely he that imagines this may imagine more.
Strana xvii - Shakespeare engaged in dramatick poetry with the world open before him ; the rules of the ancients were yet known to few; the publick judgment was unformed; he had no example of such fame as might force him upon imitation, nor criticks of such authority as might restrain his extravagance: he therefore indulged his natural disposition, and his disposition, as Rymer has remarked, led him to comedy.
Strana xx - ... in the virtuous a disapprobation of the wicked. He carries his persons indifferently through right and wrong, and at the close dismisses them without further care, and leaves their examples to operate by chance. This fault the barbarity of his age cannot extenuate, for it is always a writer's duty to make the world better, and justice is a virtue independent on time or place.
Strana viii - Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirrour of manners and of life. His characters are not modified by the customs of particular places, unpractised by the rest of the world; by the peculiarities of studies or professions, which can operate but upon small numbers; or by the accidents of transient fashions or temporary opinions: they...