He is thus described, in an epigram on Lord Allpride: Against his stars the coxcomb ever strives, And to be something they forbid contrives.
No common coxcombmust be mentioned here; Not the dull train of dancing sparks appear; Nor fluttering officers, who never fight; Of such a wretched rabble, who would write?
Footnote 49: Sir George Hewet was a coxcomb of the period, after whom Etherege is said to have modelled Sir Fopling Flutter's character: Scarce will their greater grief pierce every heart, Should Sir George Hewit or Sir Car depart.
He had merit and even wit, but he was in some degree the original of his comedy, and a little of a coxcomb with women, by whom he was not much regretted.
The romantic little comedy of Ricardo and Viola is so loosely joined with the foul portrayal of the Coxcomb who succeeds in prostituting his wife to his friend, that it might be published separately and profitably as the work of Beaumont.
A blockhead does not know what to do with himself; a coxcomb is free, easy, and confident in his manners; an impertinent man becomes impudent; and merit is always modest.
If a coxcomb would be afraid of saying something not exactly right he would no longer be a coxcomb.
The ambition of a coxcomb is excusable, because, after he has made a large fortune, people will be careful to discover in him some merit which he never had before, and as great as it is in his own opinion.
A coxcomb is somewhat of an impertinent man and of a blockhead, and is a medley of both.
This is an important lesson, and a weighty and necessary reason for going away, even when a coxcomb is seen in quite another direction, so as to avoid sharing in his disgrace.
Everybody says of a coxcomb that he is a coxcomb, but no one dares to tell him so; he dies without knowing it and without anybody being avenged on him.
Their faction is five hundred odds, For everycoxcomb lends them rods, And sneers as learnedly as they, Like females o'er their morning tea.
When have I esteem express'd For a coxcomb gaily dress'd?
Why is a handsome wife ador'd By every coxcombbut her lord?
And Angling, too, that solitary vice, Whatever Isaac Walton sings or says: The quaint old cruel coxcomb in his gullet Should have a hook and a small trout to pull it.
A petulant self-willed coxcomb was threatening, if his humour was not gratified, to leave his relations and family and go away to France.
One seeing an affected coxcomb buying books, told him, His bookseller was properly his upholsterer, for he furnished his room rather than his head.
A conceited coxcomb once said to a barber's boy, Did you ever shave a monkey?
Off the stage, and behind the scenes, Cibber performed the part of a coxcomb of the first order.
He had more spirit, more originality, and was the livelier coxcomb of the two!
At the south-west corner of Norfolk Street lived at one time the famous Penn, who from being a coxcomb in his youth became a Quaker and a founder of a state.
Or, if to wit a coxcomb make pretence, Guard the sure barrier between that and sense; Or quite unravel all the reas'ning thread, And hang some curious cobweb in its stead!
The poor prince, who had been coxcomb enough to lay a bet with a Frenchman as to his success with the English in general, and Lady Castleton in particular, went away with a face as long as Don Quixote's.
I mean that you are letting that old coxcomb make love to you," he murmurs, angrily.
He's a coxcomb and an impertinent rascal, though he could be trusted to fight if he found himself in an action.
They send this coxcomb Smith to show that they do not think I have done my best in the matter of destroying those transports at Alexandria.
Coxcomb as I was, I knew well how passionless was the interest expressed for me.
For a coxcomb there is no mercy--for a coquet no pardon.
Do we not find those dinners and soirees the pleasantest where we see a minister next to a punster, a poet to a prince, and a coxcomb like me next to a beauty like Lady Dawton?
Stumpy, by his assiduous devotion to Miss Belle, and especially by his sharp and witty retorts upon Mr. Redmond, had won her regard, and thecoxcomb had to step one side.
This impertinent, disagreeable littlecoxcomb of a New Yorker, without a warning sound to announce his coming, had suddenly stepped between him and Stumpy, who held the hidden treasure in his hand.
The coxcomb felt that he had the best of the argument, however astonished he was to find that these countrymen knew something about the poets.
He has broke my head across, and has given Sir Toby a bloody coxcomb too: for the love of God, your help: I had rather than forty pound I were at home.
If a bloody coxcomb be a hurt, you have hurt me; I think you set nothing by a bloody coxcomb.
You would compliment a coxcomb doing a good act, but you would not praise an angel.
The songs remain, and remain yet unsurpassed, as the most perfect celebrations, in one case of chivalrous devotion, in the other of the coxcomb side of gallantry, that literature contains or is likely ever to contain.
