The richer cowslips home.
Herrick, Hesperides.
| Artificial, | } |
| Artificially. |
That was ‘artificial’ once which wrought, or which was wrought, according to the true principles of art. The word has descended into quite a lower sphere of meaning; such, indeed, as the quotation from Bacon shows, it could occupy formerly, though not then exactly the same which it occupies now.
Queen Elizabeth’s verses, some extant in the elegant, witty, and artificial book of The Art of English Poetry, are princely as her prose.—Bolton, Hypercritica.
We, Hermia, like two artificial gods,[2]
Have with our neelds created both one flower.
Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream, act iii. sc. 2.
This is a demonstration that we are not in the right way, that we do not enquire wisely, that our method is not artificial. If men did fall upon the right way, it were impossible that so many learned men should be engaged in contrary parties and opinions.—Bishop Taylor, A Sermon preached before the University of Dublin.
This he did the rather, because having at his coming out of Britain given artificially, for serving his own turn, some hopes in case he obtained the kingdom, to marry Anne, inheritress to the duchy of Britany.—Bacon, History of Henry VII.