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The Literary Class Book; Or Readings in English Literature
The Literary Class Book Or Readings in English Literature Author:Robert Sullivan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: give an earthly dominion than a throne in Olympus. I only wish that the gods may have heard, without Apprehen- offence, the arrogant proposal you have made, ofsi... more »on- adding one to their number; and that they may still be so propitious to us as to grant the continuance of that success to our affairs with which they have hitherto favoured us. For my part, I am not ashamed Uonest of my country; nor do I approve of our adopting the pride- rites of foreign nations, or learning from them how we ought to reverence our kings. To receive laws, or rules of conduct from them, what is it but to confess ourselves inferior to them? V REMONSTRANCE AND CONTEMPT OF PRIDE. Does greatness secure persons of rank from infirmi- Questioning. ties either of body or mind? Will the headache, the gout, or fever, spare a prince any more than a iai- ;ert ? When oW arg-e comes to lie heavy1 upon him will his engineers relieve him of the load? Can his guards and sentinels, by doubling and trebling their Fear. numbers and their watchfulness, prevent the approach of death ? Nay, if jealousy, or even ill-humour, dis- Contc.ipt. tari his happiness, will the cringes of his fawning attendants restore his tranquillity? What comfort has he in reflecting (if he can make the reflection) while the coKc, like Prometheus's vulture, tears his bowels, that he is under a canopy of crimson velvet fringed with gold ? When the parigs of the gout Anguish. extort from him groans of agony, do the titles of Highness or Majesty come sweetly into his ear If he is agitated with rage does the sound of Serene or Most Christian prevent his staring, reddening, and gnashing with his teeth like a madman ? Would not Contempt i The word !ieavy to be dragged out as expressing distres...« less