So convinced was Jonson that the essence of poetry does not lie in verse but in fiction that Drummond reports, "he thought not Bartas a Poet, but a Verser, because he wrote not fiction."

In common with most of us, he got his general notions concerning the laws of life from reading fiction; and here was the material for a Renaissance tragedy wasted so far as any dénouement went.

Many writers use the generic term "novel" to include all prose fiction.

Thus it came about that Mr. Mattingford kept up the fiction that he had no savings and that each week's salary must see him through till the next week.

But Babson wished to preserve the fiction of impartiality.

I should grieve to see Reynolds transfer to heroes and to goddesses, to empty splendour and to airy fiction, that art which is now employed in diffusing friendship, in reviving tenderness, in quickening the affections of the absent, and continuing the presence of the dead.'

But if a man must learn by fiction that no external things which are independent of the will concern us, for my part I should like this fiction, by the aid of which I should live happily and undisturbed.

A freedom which, consistent with the native inconsistency of man, he exercised by electing to stop over in Nant for another day or two, at least; assuring himself that he found the town altogether charming, more so even than Meyrueisand sometimes believing this fiction for as much as twenty minutes at a stretch.

What is an ingenious and fanciful versifier to him who has, like a magician, gained command over the very elements of nature,who has realized the fictions of Poetry,and to whom Frost and Fire are ministering and obedient spirits?

he mentioned incidentally having heard a story recently that he was killed,a fiction, doubtless,a mistake,a palpable absurdity,not to be remembered or made any account of.

If women generally had parents, our marriage law could never have carried out the fiction of equality to its logical perfection and practical monstrosity.

To imitate the fictions and sentiments of Spenser can incur no reproach, for allegory is perhaps one of the most pleasing vehicles of instruction.

The credulity of the age grafted on this stock the notion of giants, enchanters, dragons, spells [f], and a thousand wonders, which still multiplied during the time of the crusades; when men, returning from so great a distance, used the liberty of imposing every fiction on their believing audience.

Here the mind knowingly passes a fiction upon herself, first substituting her own feeling for the Beggar's, and in the same breath detecting the fallacy, will not part with the wish.

This is a very flattering mode of turning fiction into history, or history into fiction; and we should scarcely know ourselves again in the softened and altered likeness, but that it bears the date of 1820, and issues from the press in Albemarle-street.

Robert Penn Warren (A); 6Apr70; R484768. Understanding fiction.

The motto to his title runs thus: "We use no weather-wise predictions Nor any such-like airy fictions; But (which we think is much the best) Write the plain truth, or crack a jest:

Elise Polko has worked up an elaborate fiction on this affair with her usual saccharinity.

They adopted the obvious fiction, which, in fact, they could not well avoid, that he was being misled by his Ministers, and the attitude of the country misrepresented to him; even had they known as well as we do that the Ministers were only carrying out the orders of the King, they could not well have said so.

Other stories followed rapidly, and Defoe earned money enough to retire to Newington and live in comfort; but not idly, for his activity in producing fiction is rivaled only by that of Walter Scott.

had the invention only proved a fiction then!

Other things, past contradiction, Here would prove I spoke no fiction, Did I lead them up, choragic, To reveal their nature magic.

" Mrs. Fairfax, on the point of publishing a few supplementary fictions, checked herself, and looked suspiciously at him.

The examples he has given in his glorious fictions, of heroism, honor, and truth, of large sympathies between man and man, of all that is good, great, and excellent, embodied in personages marked with so strong an individuality that we place them among our friends and favorites; his frank and generous men, his gentle and noble women, shall live through centuries to come, and only perish with our language.

"If a simile ever you need, You are welcome to make a wasp do; But you ne'er should mix fiction indeed With things that are serious and true.