Vulgar words in The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume V. (Page 1)

This book at a glance

bastard x 5
blockhead x 1
damn x 1
make love x 1
            

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~   ~   ~   Sentence 450   ~   ~   ~

He now thought himself again at full liberty to expose the cruelty of his mother, and therefore about this time published THE BASTARD, a Poem remarkable for the vivacity in the beginning, where he makes a pompous enumeration of the imaginary advantages of base birth, and the pathetic sentiments at the close; where he recounts the real calamities which he suffered by the crime of his parents.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 453   ~   ~   ~

Bless'd be the Bastard's birth!

~   ~   ~   Sentence 459   ~   ~   ~

He, kindling from within requires no flame, He glories in a bastard's glowing name.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 467   ~   ~   ~

His mother, to whom the poem with due reverence was inscribed, happened then to be at Bath, where she could not conveniently retire from censure, or conceal herself from observation; and no sooner did the reputation of the poem begin to spread, than she heard it repeated in all places of concourse; nor could she enter the assembly rooms, or cross the walks, without being saluted with some lines from the Bastard.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,667   ~   ~   ~

In vain his drugs, as well as birch he tried; His boys grew blockheads, and his patients died.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,161   ~   ~   ~

But were there one whose fires True genius kindles, and fair fame inspires, Blest with each talent, and each art to please, And born to write, converse, and live with ease; Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no rival near the throne, View him with scornful, yet with jealous eyes, And hate for arts, that caus'd himself to rise; Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And, without sneering, others teach to sneer; Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike, Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike; Alike reserv'd to blame or to commend, A tim'rous foe, and a suspicious friend; Dreading even fools; by flatt'rers besieg'd; And so obliging, that he ne'er oblig'd.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,546   ~   ~   ~

The arguments which Mr. Theobald uses to prove the play to be Shakespear's are indeed far from satisfactory;--First, that the MS. was above sixty years old;--Secondly, that once Mr. Betterton had it, or he hath heard so;--Thirdly, that some body told him the author gave it to a bastard daughter of his;--But fourthly, and above all, that he has a great mind that every thing that is good in our tongue should be Shakespear's.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,948   ~   ~   ~

When she was on board the yacht, a gentleman of figure in the gay world took an opportunity of making love to her, which she rejected with some indignation.

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