... Boswell often speaks of his work as a painting, a portrait, and of single incidents as pictures or scenes in a drama. His eye is keen for contrasts, ... ...re. Boswell’s Johnson is consistently and prima- rily the life of one man. Incidentally it is more, for through it one is carried from his own present... ...me to time obligingly satis- fied my inquiries, by communicating to me the incidents of his early years; as I acquired a fa- cility in recollecting, a... ...y, I shall love him.’ He told me he had now written only three acts of his Irene, and that he retired for some time to lodgings at Greenwich, where he... ...d men of warm passions from a too free indulgence of them; and the various incidents are related in so clear and animated a manner, and illumi- nated ... ...not enough. Dr. Adams was present the first night of the representation of Irene, and gave me the fol- lowing account: ‘Before the curtain drew up, th... ...rs. Pritchard, and every advantage of dress and decoration, the tragedy of Irene did not please the publick. Mr. Garrick’s zeal carried it through 69... ...least foun- dation for it. He told me, that there never was any particular incident which produced a quar- rel between Lord Chesterfield and him; but ... ...nswered, “too wordy.” At another time, when one was reading his tragedy of Irene to a company at a house in the country, he left the room; and somebod...

...k in vain for anything like the terrible in- tensity of the night-scene in Irene, or for any such passages of massive and memorable writing as appeare... ...cy to escape from the purpose of their creators; and as the characters and incidents become more and more interesting in themselves, the moral, which ... ...on tenderness of the pathos, the startling vigour and strange- ness of the incidents, the natural strain of the conversations, and the humanity and ch... ...felt, excelled her dreams, and this cold night walk was the first romantic incident in her experience. It was the rule in these days to see gentlemen ... ...ll the small hours with eyes wide open: Jonathan applauding the unexpected incidents with many a slap of his big hand; Nance, perhaps, more pleased wi... ...me Francie was a good deal occupied with the recollection of this untoward incident. The challenge had been fairly offered and basely refused: the tal...

... that soon after my arrival at the cottage there had occurred to myself an incident so entirely inexplicable, and which had in it so much of the porte... ...t, and deposited them in his pocket. If Bon-Bon had been astonished at the incident of the book, 75 V olume Five his amazement was now much increased... ... Intellect or with the Conscience it has only collateral relations. Unless incidentally, it has no concern whatever either with Duty or with Truth. A ... ...not be introduced into a poem, and with advan- tage; for they may subserve incidentally, in various ways, the general purposes of the work: but the tr... ...ke. All Beauty sleeps!—and lo! where lies (Her easement open to the skies) Irene, with her Destinies! 151 V olume Five Oh, lady bright! can it be rig...