The Works, in Verse and Prose, of William Shenstone (Volume 2); With Decorations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1777. Excerpt: ... B O OVK S, Sec. SIMILES, drawn from odd circumftances and effefts ftrangely accidental, bear a near relation to falfe wit. The beft iiiftance of the kind is that celebrated line of Waller: "He grafp'd at love, and fill'd his hand with "bays." Virgil difcovers lefs wit, and more tafte, than any writer in the world--Some inftances: "--longumque bibebat amorem." What Lucretius fays of the " edita doftrinas fa "pientum templa" "the temples of philofo "phers"--appears in no fenfe more applicable than to a fnug and eafy chariot: "Difpicere unde queas alios, paffimque videre "Errare, atque viam palantes quasrere vitae." i. e. From whence you may look down upon footpaflengers, fee them wandering on each fide you, and pick their way through the dirt: "--ferioufly "From learning's tow'ring height to gaze around, "And fee plebeian fpirits range below." Therb Imitation, --And drank large draughtt of love. There is a fort of mafonry in poetry, wherein, y the paufe reprefents the joints of building; which ought in every line and courfe to have their difpofition varied. The difference betwixt a witty writer and a writer of tafte is chiefly this. The former is negligent what ideas he introduces, fo he joins them furprifingly--The latter is principally careful what images he introduces, and ftudies fimplicity rather than furprize in his manner of introduftion. It may in fome meafure account for the difference of tafte in the reading of books, to confider the difference of our ears for mufic. One is not pleafed without a perfeft melody of ftyle, be the fenfe what it will: another, of no ear for mufic, gives to fenfe it's full weight without any deduftion on account of harfhnefs. Harmony of period and melody of ftyle have / greater weight than is generally imagined in the ju...