To give it too free rein means madness with no less devastation.

" At this, he allowed his mirth free rein.

What the hour demanded were poets who, discountenancing any mistrust of the natural emotions, should give them free rein.

And then he again allowed himself to give imagination free rein, and for a time even looked on Obed as the essence of truth, doubly distilled.

He followed Wace's poem in outline, but he succeeded in extending its 15,300 verses to 32,241, by giving a free rein to his fancy, which he often allowed to set the pace for his pen.

Dear me, how many women are too happy with what is lacking, since men give them a free rein to their lightness!

Padre Florentino, who was an accomplished musician, was improvising, and, as he was alone, gave free rein to the sadness in his heart.

Stevenson's cheerful optimism was constantly shadowed by the thought of Death, and in Aes Triplex he gives free rein to his fancies on this universal theme.

Consequently Nero now made himself conspicuous by giving free rein to all his desires without fear of retribution.

The sewing teacher drove the horses, giving them free rein.

" "Giving you free rein . . .

" In a long letter of August 10 and 26, 1813, after again giving free rein to his political feelings, he returns to the subject of his art: "Mr. West promised me a note to you, but he is an old man and very forgetful, and I suppose he has forgotten it.

We shall see how he hampered the rare gifts of the former by employing him on uncongenial labours; and it was no great merit to give a free rein to the inexhaustible energy of Raffaello.

She would be a contributing editor of the New Dawn, having as her special department the release of woman from her age-long slavery to certain restraints that now made her talked unpleasantly about if she dared give her soul free rein.

"Just you wait and see," retorted the younger of the comrades, and giving free rein to his pony, he let him nose along through the grass for some distance when the animal turned abruptly and entered the woods, stopping beside a brook.

Caligula was much taken up with Gaul, plundering it and giving free rein in it to his frenzies, by turns disgusting or ridiculous.

We shrink from describing in detail all the horrors committed against a population without any means of self-defence by troops giving free rein to their brutal passions and gratifying the hateful passions of their leaders.

Having stipulated that every letter should be returned upon demand, I wrote without reservemy imagination had free rein.

The king was, therefore, compelled to yield to necessity; but he did so with bitter mortification, and while his courtiers were giving free rein to their enthusiasm for the allies, he was heard to whisper, "Nos chers amis les ennemis!"

He saw it; and giving me a free rein, and leaning a little forward, we dashed after them.

She was afraid of him in his ardent moods, almost as much as when he allowed his unbridled temper free rein.

Jimmie had given his fancy free rein in ordering the dinner, but, to his amazement and indignation, the little game being played by the rest of us so surprised and baffled our guests that Jimmie's delicacies were removed with course after course untasted.

The libertine longings of nature, the free fecundities of mother-earth, imaged to the grosser people the Power working round about them and within their very bodies; and men and women gave free rein to their appetites and passions, in honor of divinities like Ashera, the Syrian Venus.

The blind old man raised himself high in his chariot, gave his horse free rein, and hewed his way.

The night was falling wild and black, The waters blotted out the track; She gave her flying horse free rein, For full a dreadful mile away The lonely wayside station lay, And hoarse above his startled neigh She heard the thunder of the train!

But if he thinks the respect and love of the other party is growing less he will give free reign to his own desires.

I believe that sports journalism helps a lot in the shaping of a good all-round writer, simply because it gives one a free reign to use descriptive language and a variety of verbiage, ordinarily not suited for general reporting.