who profess an art whofe effence is imitation, muft needs be stamped with a clofe resemblance to each other; fince the objects material or animate, extraneous or internal, which they all imitate, lie equally open to the obfervation of all, and are perfectly fimilar. Defcriptions, therefore, that are faithful and just, must be uniform and alike: the firft copier must be, perhaps, entitled to the praise of priority; but a fucceeding one ought not certainly to be condemned for plagiarism. I am inclined to think, that notwithstanding the manifold alterations diffused in modern times over the face of nature, by the invention of arts and manufactures, by the extent of commerce, by the improvements of philosophy and mathematics, by the manner of fortifying and fighting, by the important difcovery of both the Indies, and above all, by the total change of religion; yet an epic or dramatic writer, though furrounded with fuch a multitude of novelties, would find it difficult or impoffible to be totally original, and effentially different from Homer and Sophocles. The caufes that excite and the operations that exemplify the greater paffions, will always have an exact coincidence, though perhaps a little diverfified by climate or cuftom: every exafperated hero must rage like Achilles, and every afflicted widow mourn like Andromache: an abandoned Armida will make use of Dido's execrations; and a Jew will nearly refemble a Grecian, when almost placed in the fame fituation; that is, the Ioas of Racine in his incomparable Athalia, will be very like the Ion of Euripides. Boileau obferves, that a new and extraordinary thought is by no means a thought which no peason ever conceived before, or could poffibly conceive; on the contrary, it is fuch a thought as must have occurred to every man in the like cafe, and have been one of the first in any person's mind upon the fame occasion: and it is a maxim of Pope, that whatever is very good fense must have been common sense at all times. But if from the foregoing reflections it may appear difficult, to distinguish imitation and plagiarism from neceffary refemblance and unavoidable analogy, yet the following paffages of Pope, which, because they have never been taken notice of, may poffibly entertain curious and critical readers, feem evidently to be borrow-♥ ed, though they are improved. The dying Christian addreffes his foul with a fine fpirit of poetical enthusiasm. Vital spark of heavenly flame! I was furprised to find this animated paffage clofely copied from one of the vile Pindaric writers in the time of Charles the second: When on my fick bed I languish, FLATMAN. Palingenius Palingenius and Charron furnished him with the two following thoughts in the Effay on Man: Superior beings, when of late they faw Utque movit nobis imitatrix fimia risum, And again, Simia calicolúm, rifufque jocufque deforum eft POPE. Tunc homo, quum temerè ingenio confidit, & audet, PALINGENIUS. While man exclaims, "fee all things for my use!" "See man for mine !" replies a pamper'd goose. POPE. "Man fcruples not to fay, that he enjoyeth the hea66 vens and the elements; as if all had been made, and "still move only for him. In this fenfe a gosling may "fay as much, and perhaps with more truth and just"ness." CHARRON. That he hath borrowed not only fentiments but even expreffions from a Wollafton and Pascal cannot be doubted, if we confider two more paffages: When When the loofe mountain trembles from on high, Or fome old temple nodding to its fall, POPE. "If a good man be paffing by an infirm building, juft in the article of falling; can it be expected that "GOD should suspend the force of gravitation till he " is gone by, in order to his deliverance ?" WOLLASTON. Chaos of thought and paffion all confus'd, POPE. "What a chimera then is man! what a confufed "chaos! what a fubject of contradiction! a profeffed judge of all things, and yet a feeble worm of the "earth the great depofitary and guardian of truth, "and yet a mere huddle of uncertainty! the glory and "the fcandal of the universe !" PASCAL. The witty allufion to the punishment of avarice, in the Epiftle on Riches, Damn to the mines, an equal fate betides The flave that digs it, and the flave that hides; is plainly taken from, "The caufes of the decay of "Christian piety," where that excellent and neglected writer fays," It has always been held the feverest treat"ment of flaves and malefactors," damnare ad metalla, 66 to force them to dig in the mines: now this is the covetous man's lot, from which he is never to expect 6: a release." Cowley has also used the fame allufion. The celebrated reflection with which Charteres's epitaph, in the same epiftle, concludes, is the property of Bruyere. To rock the cradle of repofing age, is a tender and eleganr image of filial piety, for which Pope is indebted to Montagne, who wishes, in one of his effays, to find a fon-in-law that may "kindly che"rish his old age, and rock it asleep." And the character of Helluo the glutton, introduced to exemplify the force and continuance of the ruling paffion, who in the agonies of death exclaimed, Then bring the Jowl! is taken from that tale in Fontaine, which ends, Puis qu'il faut que je meure Sans faire tant de façon, Qu'on m'apporte tout à l'heure Le refte de mon poisson. The conclufion of the epitaph on Gay, where he ob. ferves that his honour confists not in being entombed among kings and heroes, But that the worthy and the good may fay, ita |