Society and Solitude: Twelve Chapters

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S. Low, Son & Marston, 1870 - American essays - 284 pages

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Page 249 - Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower ; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind...
Page 26 - These are traits and measures and modes; and the true test ' of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops, — no, but the kind of man the country turns out.
Page 232 - The boy turned round with screams, And ran with terror wild ; One of the pair of savage beasts Pursued the shrieking child. The hunter raised his gun, — He knew one charge was all, — And through the boy's pursuing foe He sent his only ball. The other on George Nidiver Came on with dreadful pace?
Page 162 - The mathematics and the metaphysics, Fall to them as you find your stomach serves you ; No profit grows where is no pleasure ta'en : In brief, sir, study what you most affect.
Page 206 - Ah Ben ! Say how or .when Shall we, thy guests, Meet at those lyric feasts, Made at the Sun, The Dog, the Triple Tun ; Where we such clusters had, As made us nobly wild, not mad? And yet each verse of thine Out-did the meat, out-did the frolic wine.
Page 32 - The man in an ecstasy of fear or anger is an unconscious actor. A large part of our habitual actions are unconsciously done, and most of our necessary words are unconsciously said. . The conscious utterance of thought, by speech or action, to any end, is Art.
Page 242 - Meanwhile the Cardinal Ippolito, in whom all my best hopes were placed, being dead, I began to understand that the promises of this world are for the most part vain phantoms, and that to confide in one's self, and become something of ,worth and value, is the best and safest course.
Page 135 - He is now in great spirits; thinks he shall reach it yet; thinks he shall bottle the wave. It is however getting a little doubtful. Things have an ugly look still. No matter how many centuries of culture have preceded, the new man always finds himself standing on the brink of chaos, always in a crisis. Can anybody remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce?
Page 162 - Never read any book that is not a year old. 2. Never read any but famed books. 3. Never read any but what you like ; or, in Shakespeare's phrase, " No profit goes where is no pleasure ta'en : •' In brief, sir, study what you most affect.
Page 25 - Still roll ; where all the aspects of misery Predominate; whose strong effects are such As he must bear, being powerless to redress; And that unless above himself he can Erect himself, how poor a thing is man...

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