The Streets of London: Anecdotes of Their More Celebrated Residents, by John Thomas Smith ... Ed. by Charles Mackay

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R. Bentley, 1861 - Literary landmarks - 443 pages

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Page 280 - To where Fleet-ditch with disemboguing streams Rolls the large tribute of dead dogs to Thames, The king of dykes ! than whom no sluice of mud With deeper sable blots the silver flood.
Page 107 - I can never forget the inexpressible luxury and profaneness, gaming, and all dissoluteness, and as it were total forgetfulness of God, (it being Sunday evening,) which this day se'nnight I was witness of, the King sitting and toying with his concubines, Portsmouth, Cleveland...
Page 261 - The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction.
Page 163 - ... approach to me, somewhat in the manner of an actor in the part of Horatio, when he addresses Hamlet on the appearance of his father's ghost, 'Look, my lord, it comes.
Page 178 - I had no sooner spoken these words, but a loud, though yet gentle noise came from the heavens, (for it was like nothing on earth,) which did so comfort and cheer me, that I took my petition as granted, and that I had the sign demanded, whereupon also I resolved to print my book.
Page 175 - Who does not wish that Dryden could have known the value of the homage that was paid him, and foreseen the greatness of his young admirer ? The earliest of Pope's productions is his Ode on Solitude...
Page 113 - I have not leisure to write much. But I could chide thee that in many of thy Letters thou writest to me, That I should not be unmindful of thee and thy little ones. Truly, if I love you not too well, I think I en- not on the other hand much. Thou art dearer to me than any creature ; let that suffice.
Page 163 - Mr. Davies mentioned my name, and respectfully introduced me to him. I was much agitated; and recollecting his prejudice against the Scotch, of which I had heard much, I said to Davies, "Don't tell where I come from." —"From Scotland," cried Davies, roguishly. "Mr. Johnson," said I, "I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it.
Page 295 - Our apocryphal heathen god* is also represented by this figure; which, in conjunction with the dragon, makes a very handsome picture in several of our streets. As for the bell-savage, which is the sign of a savage man standing by a bell, I was formerly very much puzzled upon the conceit of it, till I accidentally fell into the reading of an old romance translated out of the French ; which gives an account of a very beautiful woman who was found in a wilderness, and is called in the French la Belle...
Page 40 - This is a strange country!" said his majesty: " the first morning after my arrival at St. James's, I looked out of the window, and saw a park with walks, a canal, &c. which they told me were mine. The next day lord Chetwynd, the ranger of my park, sent me a fine brace of carp out of my canal ; and I was told I must give five guineas to lord Chetwynd's servant for bringing me my own carp out of my own canal in my own park...

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