The Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume 06 - Reviews, Political Tracts, and Lives of Eminent Persons by Samuel Johnson
page 21 of 624 (03%)
page 21 of 624 (03%)
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into confusion.--The tutor embraced his pupil close in his arms.--Four
hundred women were taxed, who have, no doubt, been the wives of the best Roman citizens.--Men not born to action are inconsequential in government.--Collectitious troops.--The foot, by their violent attack, began the fatal break in the Pharsaliac field.--He and his brother, with a politic, common to other countries, had taken opposite sides. His epithets are of the gaudy or hyperbolical kind. The glorious news--eager hopes and dismal fears--bleeding Rome--divine laws and hallowed customs--merciless war--intense anxiety. Sometimes the reader is suddenly ravished with a sonorous sentence, of which, when the noise is past, the meaning does not long remain. When Brutus set his legions to fill a moat, instead of heavy dragging and slow toil, they set about it with huzzas and racing, as if they had been striving at the Olympic games. They hurled impetuous down the huge trees and stones, and, with shouts, forced them into the water; so that the work, expected to continue half the campaign, was, with rapid toil, completed in a few days. Brutus's soldiers fell to the gate with resistless fury; it gave way, at last, with hideous crash.--This great and good man, doing his duty to his country, received a mortal wound, and glorious fell in the cause of Rome; may his memory be ever dear to all lovers of liberty, learning, and humanity! This promise ought ever to embalm his memory.--The queen of nations was torn by no foreign invader.--Rome fell a sacrifice to her own sons, and was ravaged by her unnatural offspring: all the great men of the state, all the good, all the holy, were openly murdered by the wickedest and worst.--Little islands cover the harbour of Brindisi, and form the narrow outlet from the numerous creeks that compose its capacious port.--At the appearance of Brutus and Cassius, a shout of joy rent the heavens from the |
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