text,updated_at,metaphor,created_at,context,theme,reviewed_on,dictionary,comments,provenance,id,work_id
"The instructions of madame she caught with astonishing quickness and in a short time attained to a degree of excellence in her favourite study, which few persons have ever exceeded. Her manner was entirely her own. It was not in the rapid intricacies of execution, that she excelled so much as in that delicacy of taste, and in those enchanting powers of expression, which seem to breathe a soul through the sound, and which take captive the heart of the hearer. The lute was her favourite instrument, and its tender notes accorded well with the sweet and melting tones of her voice.
(I.i, p. 9; pp. 4-5 in OUP edition)",2013-05-31 21:48:49 UTC,"""It was not in the rapid intricacies of execution, that she excelled so much as in that delicacy of taste, and in those enchanting powers of expression, which seem to breathe a soul through the sound, and which take captive the heart of the hearer.""",2013-05-31 21:48:14 UTC,"Volume I, Chapter I","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,20253,5736
"One night that Emilia and Julia had been detained, by company, in ceremonial restraint, later than usual, they were induced by the easy conversation of Madame, and by the pleasure which a return to liberty naturally produces, to defer the hour of repose till the night was far advanced. They were engaged in interesting discourse, when Madame, who was then speaking, was interrupted by a low hollow sound, which arose from beneath the apartment, and seemed like the closing of a door. Chilled into a silence, they listened and distinctly heard it repeated. Deadly ideas crowded upon their imaginations, and inspired a terror which scarcely allowed them to breathe. The noise lasted only for a moment, and a profound silence soon ensued. Their feelings at length relaxed, and suffered them to move to Madame's apartment, when again they heard the same sounds. Almost distracted with fear, they rushed into Madame's apartment, where Emilia sunk upon the bed and fainted. It was a considerable time ere the efforts of Madame recalled her to sensation. When they were again tranquil, she employed all her endeavours to compose the spirits of the young ladies, and dissuade them from alarming the castle. Involved in dark and fearful doubts, she yet commanded her feelings, and endeavoured to assume an appearance of composure. The late behaviour of the marquis had convinced her that he was nearly connected with the mystery which hung over this part of the edifice; and she dreaded to excite his resentment by a further mention of alarms, which were perhaps only ideal, and whose reality she had certainly no means of proving.
(I.ii, pp. 80-1; pp. 34-5 in OUP edition)",2013-05-31 22:12:12 UTC,"""Deadly ideas crowded upon their imaginations, and inspired a terror which scarcely allowed them to breathe.""",2013-05-31 22:12:12 UTC,"Volume I, Chapter II","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,20267,5736
"The composure of Julia declined with the day, whose hours had crept heavily along. As the night drew on, her anxiety for the success of Ferdinand's negociation with Robert, increased to a painful degree. A variety of new emotions pressed at her heart, and subdued her spirits. When she bade Emilia good night, she thought she beheld her for the last time. The ideas of the distance which would separate them, of the dangers she was going to encounter, with a train of wild and fearful anticipations, crowded upon her mind, tears sprang in her eyes, and it was with difficulty she avoided betraying her emotions. Of Madame too, her heart took a tender farewell. At length she heard the marquis retire to his apartment, and the doors belonging to the several chambers of the guests successively close. She marked with trembling attention the gradual change from bustle to quiet, till all was still.
(I.iii, pp. 150-1; pp. 65-6)
",2013-05-31 22:26:33 UTC,"""The ideas of the distance which would separate them, of the dangers she was going to encounter, with a train of wild and fearful anticipations, crowded upon her mind, tears sprang in her eyes, and it was with difficulty she avoided betraying her emotions.""",2013-05-31 22:26:33 UTC,"Volume I, Chapter III","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,20279,5736
"The marchioness had long nourished secret dislike to Madame de Menon, whose virtues were a silent reproof to her vices. The contrariety of their dispositions, created in the marchioness an aversion which would have amounted to contempt, had not that dignity of virtue which strongly characterized the manners of Madame, compelled the former to fear what she wished to despise. Her conscience whispered her that the dislike was mutual; and she now rejoiced in the opportunity which seemed to offer itself, of lowering the proud integrity of Madame's character. Pretending, therefore, to believe that she had encouraged Ferdinand to disobey his father's commands, and had been accessary to the elopement, she accused her of these offences, and stimulated the marquis to reprehend her conduct. But the integrity of Madame de Menon was not to be questioned with impunity. Without deigning to answer the imputation, she desired to resign an office of which she was no longer considered worthy, and to quit the castle immediately. This the policy of the marquis would not suffer; and he was compelled to make such ample concessions to Madame, as induced her for the present to continue at the castle.
(I.iv, pp. 169-171; pp. 74-5)",2013-05-31 22:27:50 UTC,"""Her conscience whispered her that the dislike was mutual; and she now rejoiced in the opportunity which seemed to offer itself, of lowering the proud integrity of Madame's character.""",2013-05-31 22:27:26 UTC,"Volume I, Chapter IV","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,20280,5736
"The Marchesa mused; for her conscience also was eloquent. She tried to overcome its voice, but it would be heard; and sometimes such starts of horrible conviction came over her mind, that she felt as one who, awaking from a dream, opens his eyes only to measure the depth of the precipice on which he totters. In such moments she was astonished, that she had paused for an instant upon a subject so terrible as that of murder. The sophistry of the Confessor, together with the inconsistencies which he had betrayed, and which had not escaped the notice of the Marchesa, even at the time they were uttered, though she had been unconscious of her own, then became more strongly apparent, and she almost determined to suffer the poor Ellena to live. But returning passion, like a wave that has recoiled from the shore, afterwards came with recollected energy, and swept from her feeble mind the barriers which reason and conscience had begun to rear.
(II.iv, pp. 203-4)",2013-06-04 19:49:10 UTC,"""The Marchesa mused; for her conscience also was eloquent. She tried to overcome its voice, but it would be heard; and sometimes such starts of horrible conviction came over her mind, that she felt as one who, awaking from a dream, opens his eyes only to measure the depth of the precipice on which he totters.""",2013-06-04 19:49:10 UTC,"Vol. II, Chap. iv","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,20331,6506
"Schedoni was scarcely less disturbed, but his were emotions of apprehension and contempt. 'Behold, what is woman!' said he--'The slave of her passions, the dupe of her senses! When pride and revenge speak in her breast, she defies obstacles, and laughs at crimes! Assail but her senses; let music, for instance, touch some feeble chord of her heart, and echo to her fancy, and lo! all her perceptions change: - she shrinks from the act she had but an instant before believed meritorious, yields to some new emotion, and sinks - the victim of a sound! O, weak and contemptible being!'
(II.iv, p. 207)",2013-06-04 19:53:36 UTC,"""'Behold, what is woman!' said he--'The slave of her passions, the dupe of her senses! When pride and revenge speak in her breast, she defies obstacles, and laughs at crimes!'"" ""Assail but her senses; let music, for instance, touch some feeble chord of her heart, and echo to her fancy, and lo! all her perceptions change""",2013-06-04 19:53:36 UTC,"Vol. II, Chap. iv","",,Fetters,"",Reading,20333,6506
"At the palace he was told, that the Marchesa was at one of her villas on the bay; and he was too anxious not to follow her thither immediately. This delightful residence was situated on an airy promontory, that overhung the water, and was nearly embosomed among the woods, that spread far along the heights, and descended, with great pomp of foliage and colouring, to the very margin of the waves. It seemed scarcely possible that misery could inhabit so enchanting an abode; yet the Marchesa was wretched amidst all these luxuries of nature and art, which would have perfected the happiness of an innocent mind! Her heart was possessed by evil passions, and all her perceptions were distorted and discoloured by them, which, like a dark magician, had power to change the fairest scenes into those of gloom and desolation.
(III.iii, p. 337)",2013-06-04 20:26:42 UTC,"""Her heart was possessed by evil passions, and all her perceptions were distorted and discoloured by them, which, like a dark magician, had power to change the fairest scenes into those of gloom and desolation.""",2013-06-04 20:26:42 UTC,"Vol. III, Chap. iii","",,Inhabitants and Optics,"",Reading,20354,6506
"After dinner, St. Aubert stole from the room to view once more the old chesnut which Quesnel talked of cutting down. As he stood under its shade, and looked up among its branches, still luxuriant, and saw here and there the blue sky trembling between them; the pursuits and events of his early days crowded fast to his mind, with the figures and characters of friends--long since gone from the earth; and he now felt himself to be almost an insulated being, with nobody but his Emily for his heart to turn to.
(I.iii, p. 64; p. 29 in Penguin)",2014-03-06 02:18:05 UTC,"""As he stood under its shade, and looked up among its branches, still luxuriant, and saw here and there the blue sky trembling between them; the pursuits and events of his early days crowded fast to his mind, with the figures and characters of friends--long since gone from the earth; and he now felt himself to be almost an insulated being, with nobody but his Emily for his heart to turn to.""",2014-03-06 02:17:42 UTC,"","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,23451,5841
"The gaiety of the most splendid court in Europe, the magnificence of the palaces, entertainments, and equipages, that surrounded him - all conspired to dazzle his imagination, and re-animate his spirits, and the example and maxims of his military associates to delude his mind. Emily's image, indeed, still lived there; but it was no longer the friend, the monitor, that saved him from himself, and to which he retired to weep the sweet, yet melancholy, tears of tenderness. When he had recourse to it, it assumed a countenance of mild reproach, that wrung his soul, and called forth tears of unmixed misery; his only escape from which was to forget the object of it, and he endeavoured, therefore, to think of Emily as seldom as he could.
(II.viii, p. 278 in Penguin)",2014-03-06 03:05:33 UTC,"""Emily's image, indeed, still lived there; but it was no longer the friend, the monitor, that saved him from himself, and to which he retired to weep the sweet, yet melancholy, tears of tenderness.""",2014-03-06 03:05:33 UTC,"","",,Inhabitants,"",Reading,23501,5841