The Complaint, Or, Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and ImmortalitySage & Thompson, no. 149 Pearl-street, L. Nichols, print., 1805 - 258 pages |
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Page 6
... sphere of usefulness : This , however , ought not perhaps to be regretted , since there is a great sufficiency of good books for common readers , and the style of that work will always introduce it where plainer compositions would not ...
... sphere of usefulness : This , however , ought not perhaps to be regretted , since there is a great sufficiency of good books for common readers , and the style of that work will always introduce it where plainer compositions would not ...
Page 17
... spheres ; The baneful influence of whose giddy dance Sheds sad vicissitude on all beneath . Here teems with revolutions ev'ry hour ; And rarely for the better ; or the best , B 2 ON LIFE , DEATH , AND IMMORTALITY . 17 A soul immortal ...
... spheres ; The baneful influence of whose giddy dance Sheds sad vicissitude on all beneath . Here teems with revolutions ev'ry hour ; And rarely for the better ; or the best , B 2 ON LIFE , DEATH , AND IMMORTALITY . 17 A soul immortal ...
Page 18
... sphere Of sweet domestic comfort , and cuts down The fairest bloom of sublunary bliss . Bliss ! sublunary bliss ! -Proud words , and vain ! Implicit treason to divine decree ! A bold invasion of the rights of heav'n ! I clasp'd the ...
... sphere Of sweet domestic comfort , and cuts down The fairest bloom of sublunary bliss . Bliss ! sublunary bliss ! -Proud words , and vain ! Implicit treason to divine decree ! A bold invasion of the rights of heav'n ! I clasp'd the ...
Page 30
... spheres ; That horologe machinery divine . Hours , days , and months , and years , his children play , Like num'rous wings , around him , as he flies : Or , rather , as unequal plumes they shape His ample pinions , swift as darted flame ...
... spheres ; That horologe machinery divine . Hours , days , and months , and years , his children play , Like num'rous wings , around him , as he flies : Or , rather , as unequal plumes they shape His ample pinions , swift as darted flame ...
Page 44
... sphere , In silent hour address your ardent call For aid immortal ; less her brother's right . She , with the spheres harmonious , nightly leads The mazy dance , and hears their matchless strain ; A strain for gods , denied to mortal ...
... sphere , In silent hour address your ardent call For aid immortal ; less her brother's right . She , with the spheres harmonious , nightly leads The mazy dance , and hears their matchless strain ; A strain for gods , denied to mortal ...
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Common terms and phrases
æther ambition angels archangels art thou awful beam beneath bids blest bliss blood divine boast boundless call'd charms creation dæmons dark death Deity delight deny'd divine dost dread dust EARL OF LITCHFIELD earth endless eternal ev'n ev'ry fair fate flame fond fool give glorious glory gods grave grief groan guilt happiness heart heaven hope hour human illustrious infidels life's light live Lorenzo man's mankind midnight mighty mind mortal Narcissa nature nature's ne'er night Night Thoughts nought numbers o'er Omnipotence orbs pain passion peace Philander pleasure praise pride proud reason reason sleeps rise sacred scene sense shew shines sigh sight skies smile song soul immortal sphere stars stings strange thee theme thine thought thro throne thy disease tomb triumph truth virtue virtue's Winchester College wing wisdom wise wish wonder wretched ye stars
Popular passages
Page 22 - tis madness to defer: Next day the fatal precedent will plead ; Thus on, till wisdom is push'd out of life. Procrastination is the thief of time ; Year after year it steals, till all are fled, And to the mercies of a moment leaves The vast concerns of an eternal scene.
Page 14 - Fate! drop the curtain; I can lose no more. Silence and Darkness! solemn sisters! twins From ancient Night, who nurse the tender thought To reason, and on reason build resolve— That column of true majesty in man...
Page 13 - Nature's sweet restorer, balmy Sleep ! He, like the world, his ready visit pays Where Fortune smiles ; the wretched he forsakes ; Swift on his downy pinion flies from woe, And lights on lids unsullied with a tear. From short (as usual) and disturb'd repose I wake : how happy they who wake no more ! Yet that were vain, if dreams infest the grave.
Page 23 - Of man's miraculous mistakes this bears The palm, ' That all men are about to live, For ever on the brink of being born.' All pay themselves the compliment to think They one day shall not drivel : and their pride On this reversion takes up ready praise ; At least, their own ; their future selves applaud How excellent that life they ne'er will lead.
Page 23 - At thirty man suspects himself a fool ; Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan ; At fifty chides his infamous delay, Pushes his prudent purpose to resolve; In all the magnanimity of thought Resolves and re-resolves; then dies the same.
Page 59 - Why all this toil for triumphs of an hour ? What though we wade in wealth, or soar in fame ? Earth's highest station ends in, " Here he lies :" And " Dust to dust
Page 232 - What am I ? and from whence ? — I nothing know, But that I am; and, since I am, conclude Something eternal : had there e'er been nought, Nought still had been : eternal there must be.
Page 59 - The world's a stately bark, on dang'rous seas, With pleasure seen, but boarded at our peril; Here, on a single plank, thrown safe ashore, I hear the tumult of the distant throng, As that of seas remote, or dying storms : And meditate on scenes, more silent still ; Pursue my theme, and fight the Fear of Death.
Page 113 - J on Alps ; And pyramids are pyramids in vales. Each man makes his own stature, builds himself: Virtue alone outbuilds the pyramids: Her monuments shall last, when Egypt's fall.
Page 55 - tis our harvest, rich And ripe : what though the sickle, sometimes keen, Just scars us as we reap the golden grain; More than thy balm, O Gilead, heals the wound.