The Works of John Dryden,: Religio laici, or a Layman's Faith, an epistle. Threnodia Augustalis, a funeral pindaric poem, sacred to the happy memory of King Charles II. The hind and the panter, apoem, in three parts. Britannia rediviva, a poem on the birth of the prince. Mack-Flecknoe, a satire against Thomas ShadwellWilliam Miller, Albemarle Street, 1808 |
Common terms and phrases
Absalom and Achitophel Alluding appears Arius Bayes beast betwixt Bishop Burnet called Catholic character Charles Charles II Christian church of England church of Rome clergy comedy conscience controversy court crown Declaration of Indulgence declared divine doctrine Dryden Duke Duke of Guise Duke of York EPILOGUE fable faith fame fanatics fate father favour fear foes friends grace heaven Hind and Panther holy honour hope Hudibras humour indulgence infallibility James kind king king's late laws learned living Lord muse ne'er never Note o'er Papists Parliament party penal laws person plain play plot poem poet poetry Pope Popish Plot pretend priests prince PROLOGUE Protestant Queen reason reformed reign Religio Laici religion Roman royal sacred satire scripture sects seems sense Shadwell Shadwell's shew soul Stillingfleet supposed thing thou thought tion true truth verse Whigs word
Popular passages
Page 434 - Shadwell alone my perfect image bears, Mature in dulness from his tender years : Shadwell alone, of all my sons, is he. Who stands confirm'd in full stupidity. The rest to some faint meaning make pretence, But Shadwell never deviates into sense. Some beams of wit on other souls may fall, Strike through, and make a lucid interval ; But Shadwell's genuine night admits no ray, His rising fogs prevail upon the day.
Page 440 - In thy felonious heart tho' venom lies, It does but touch thy Irish pen, and dies. Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen iambics, but mild anagram. Leave writing plays, and choose for thy command Some peaceful province in acrostic land. There thou may'st wings display and altars raise, And torture one poor word ten thousand ways. Or, if thou wouldst thy diff'rent talents suit, Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Page 15 - WHOSOEVER will be saved : before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled : without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
Page 153 - Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy Writ ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions.
Page 154 - Christ was the word that spake it; He took the bread and brake it ; And what the word did make it, That I believe and take it.
Page 37 - To lonely, weary, wandering travellers, Is reason to the soul : and as on high Those rolling fires discover but the sky, Not light us here ; so Reason's glimmering ray Was lent, not to assure our doubtful way, But guide us upward to a better day. And as those nightly tapers disappear When day's bright lord ascends our hemisphere ; So pale grows Reason at Religion's sight ; So dies, and so dissolves in supernatural light.
Page 50 - tis the safest way To learn what unsuspected ancients say : For 'tis not likely we should higher soar In search of heaven, than all the Church before : Nor can we be deceived, unless we see The Scripture and the Fathers disagree.
Page 433 - All human things are subject to decay, And, when Fate summons, monarchs must obey: This Flecknoe found, who, like Augustus, young Was call'd to empire, and had govern'd long: In prose and verse, was own'd, without dispute Through all the realms of Non-sense, absolute. This aged prince now flourishing in peace, And blest with issue of a large increase, Worn out with business, did at length...
Page 37 - Dim as the borrowed beams of moon and stars To lonely, weary, wandering travellers, Is reason to the soul; and, as on high Those rolling fires discover but the sky, Not light us here, so reason's glimmering ray Was lent, not to assure our doubtful way, But guide us upward to a better day. And as those nightly tapers disappear, When day's bright lord ascends our hemisphere; So pale grows reason at religion's sight; So dies, and so dissolves in supernatural light.
Page 434 - Even I, a dunce of more renown than they, Was sent before but to prepare thy way And, coarsely clad in Norwich drugget, came To teach the nations in thy greater name.