...Johnson has been terribly mauled by posterity for some of his rash criticisms. When he says of Lyeidas, " Nothing can less display knowledge, or less exercise...in piping ; and how one god asks another god what has become of Lyeidas, and how neither god can tell," — modern critics, for the most part, can only...

...flocks alone, without any judge of his skill in piping ; and how one god asks another god what has become of Lycidas, and how neither god can tell. He who thus grieves will excite no sympathy ; he who thus praises will confer no honour. This poem has yet a grosser fault. With these trifling...

...Subordinate poets exercise no invention, when they tell how a shepherd has lost his companion, and must feed his flocks alone, without any judge of his skill in piping : but Milton dignifies and adorns these common artificial incidents with unexpected touches of picturesque...

...Subordinate poets exercise no invention when they tell how a shepherd has lost a companion, and must feed his flocks alone, without any judge of his skill in piping; but Milton dignifies and adorns these common artificial incidents with unexpected touches of picturesque...

...combinations.' — JOHNSON. ' Dr. Johnson observes, that Lycidas is filled with the heathen deities, and a long train of mythological imagery such as a college easily supplies. But it is such also as 'even the court itself could now have easily supplied. The public diversions,...

...Subordinate poets exercise no invention, when they tell how a shepherd has lost his companion, and must feed his flocks alone, without any judge of his skill in piping: imt MiUnn dignififiA,and adorns ihese. common -artificial incidents with unexpected ^^ toa^^J^mct^e84ULft.,b£auty,...

...the flocks and copses and flowers appear the heathen deities ; Jove and Phœbns, Neptune and /Moins, with a long train of mythological imagery, such as...his companion, and must now feed his flocks alone ; how one god asks another god what has become of Lycidas, and how neither god can tell. He who thus...

...flocks and copses and flowers appear the heathen deities ; Jove and Phoebus, Neptune and .¿Eolus, with a long train of mythological imagery, such as...his companion, and must now feed his flocks alone; how one god asks another god what has become of Lycidas, and how neither god can tell. He who thus...

...the flocks and copses and flowers appear the heathen deities ; Jove and Phoebus, Neptune and jEolus, with a long train of mythological imagery, such as...invention, than to tell how a shepherd has lost his compan-. ion, and must now feed his flocks alone ; how one god asks another god what has become of...

...flocks, and copses, and flowers, appear the heathen deities ; Jove and Phoebus, Neptune and yEolus, with a long train of mythological imagery, such as...tell. He who thus grieves will excite no sympathy, he who thus praises will confer no honour. ' This poem has yet a grosser fault. With these trifling...