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 14
... be done ? My hopes and fears Start up alarm'd , and o'er life's narrow verge Look down on what ? a fathomless abyss ; A dread eternity ! How surely mine ! And can eternity belong to me , Poor pensioner on 14 NIGHT J. THE COMPLAINT .
... be done ? My hopes and fears Start up alarm'd , and o'er life's narrow verge Look down on what ? a fathomless abyss ; A dread eternity ! How surely mine ! And can eternity belong to me , Poor pensioner on 14 NIGHT J. THE COMPLAINT .
Page 15
... dread ! Alternately transported , and alarm'd ! What can preserve my life ? or what destroy ? An angel's arm , can't snatch me from the grave : Legions of angels can't confine me there . ' Tis past conjecture : all things rise in proof ...
... dread ! Alternately transported , and alarm'd ! What can preserve my life ? or what destroy ? An angel's arm , can't snatch me from the grave : Legions of angels can't confine me there . ' Tis past conjecture : all things rise in proof ...
Page 23
... dread ; But their hearts wounded , like the wounded air , Soon close ; where past the shaft , no trace is found . As from the wing no scar the sky retains , The parted wave no furrow from the keel ; So dies in human hearts the tho't of ...
... dread ; But their hearts wounded , like the wounded air , Soon close ; where past the shaft , no trace is found . As from the wing no scar the sky retains , The parted wave no furrow from the keel ; So dies in human hearts the tho't of ...
Page 28
... dread ; death thus more dreadful made ; O what a riddle of absurdity ! Leisure is pain ; takes off our chariot wheels ; How heavily we drag the load of life ! Blest leisure is our curse ; like that of Cain , It makes us wander ; wander ...
... dread ; death thus more dreadful made ; O what a riddle of absurdity ! Leisure is pain ; takes off our chariot wheels ; How heavily we drag the load of life ! Blest leisure is our curse ; like that of Cain , It makes us wander ; wander ...
Page 30
... Dread Sire , on emanation bent , And big with nature , rising in his might , Call'd forth creation ( for then Time was born ) By godhead streaming thro ' a thousand worlds ; Not on those terms , from the great days of Heav'n , From old ...
... Dread Sire , on emanation bent , And big with nature , rising in his might , Call'd forth creation ( for then Time was born ) By godhead streaming thro ' a thousand worlds ; Not on those terms , from the great days of Heav'n , From old ...
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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.