' "When all is done human life is at its greatest and best but a little froward [sic] child to be played with, and humoured a little, to keep it quiet until it falls asleep, and then the care is over" (Temple)
That's the sort of strain - not for what it says and means, but for the "lilt" of it - that sets me writing.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Katherine Mansfield Print: Book
Harriet Martineau, on research for a story on Bills of Exchange to be set either in Holland or South America: 'I thought Holland on the whole the more convenient of the two; so I dipped into some book about that country (Sir William Temple, I believe it was), picked out the two ugliest Dutch names I could find, made them into a firm, and boldly advertised them.'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Harriet Martineau Print: Book
'As long as your last [letter] was, I read it over thrice in less then an hower, though to say truth I skipt some on't the last time, I could not read my owne confession soe offten. Love is a Terrible word, and I should blush to death if any thing but a letter accused mee on't . . .'
Century: 1600-1699 Reader/Listener/Group: Dorothy Osborne Manuscript: Letter
'Read, in the evening, "Temple on the Origin of Government:" in which the source of political power is successfully traced....' [Green usually gives extensive summary comments about books, interspersed with his reactions.]
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Green Print: Book
'JOHNSON. "Sir William Temple was the first writer who gave cadence to English prose. Before his time they were careless of arrangement, and did not mind whether a sentence ended with an important word or an insignificant word, or with what part of speech it was concluded". Mr. Langton, who now had joined us, commended Clarendon. JOHNSON. "He is objected to for his parentheses, his involved clauses, and his want of harmony. But he is supported by his matter. It is, indeed, owing to a plethory of matter that his style is so faulty. Every [italics] substance [end italics], (smiling to Mr. Harris,) has so many [italics] accidents [end italics].--To be distinct, we must talk analytically. If we analyse language, we must speak of it grammatically; if we analyse argument, we must speak of it logically". GARRICK. "Of all the translations that ever were attempted, I think Elphinston's 'Martial' the most extraordinary. He consulted me upon it, who am a little of an epigrammatist myself, you know. I told him freely, 'You don't seem to have that turn.' I asked him if he was serious; and finding he was, I advised him against publishing. Why, his translation is more difficult to understand than the original. I thought him a man of some talents; but he seems crazy in this".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'The subject of the evening "Gardens" was then taken. Geo Burrow reminded us that the world began in the garden of Eden. Miss Bowman-Smith played Debussy's "Garden Under the Rain" Miss D. Brain gave us an essay on Hampton Court gardens & their history.
F.E. Pollard a song Summer Afternoon
Rosamund Wallis read from Sir Wm Temple on Gardens
Mrs F. E. Pollard read Michael Drayton's Daffodil
Alfred Rawlings charmed us by showing a series of his Water Colour drawings "Gardens I have Known"
Mrs Robson sang two songs June Rapture & Unfolding
After supper Mrs Stansfield read a paper by Mr Stansfield who was prevented by a severe cold from being present on Gardening in which he showed how Gardening is one of the fine Arts in fact the noblest of the plastic Arts
F. E. Pollard sang Andrew Marvell's "Thoughts in a Garden"
Mrs Burrow read Walter de la Mare's Sunken Garden
Mrs Stansfield read from The Story of my Ruin
and in a concluding reading Geo Burrow brought our minds back to the Garden of Eden'.
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Rosamund Wallis Print: Book