"those others--the tears of lesser beauties." Thus, with much difficulty, we get to tears. And when we have them, the allusion to lost clouds is so strained (besides that he makes his shower both useless and injurious), that one readily perceives the poet's thought was distorted by imitation.

X. The charge of Plagiarism is so disreputable to a great writer that one is not surprized to find him anxious to avoid the imputation of it. Yet "this very anxiety serves, "sometimes, to fix it upon him."

Mr. Dryden, in the Preface to his translation of Fresnoy's Art of Painting, makes the following observation on Virgil: "He pretends ❝sometimes to trip, but 'tis only to make you "think him in danger of a fall when he is "most secure. Like a skilful dancer on the "Rope (if you will pardon the meanness of "the similitude) who slips willingly and makes "a seeming stumble, that you may think him "in great hazard of breaking his neck; while "at the same time he is only giving you a 'proof of his dexterity. My late Lord Ros "common was often pleased with this reflexion, " &c." p. 50.

His apology for the use of this simile, and his concluding with Lord Roscommon's satisfaction at his remark, betray, I think, an anxiety to pass for original, under the consciousness of being but an imitator. So that if we were to meet with a passage, very like this, in a celebrated ancient, we could hardly doubt of its being copied by Mr. Dryden. What think you then of this observation in one of Pliny's Letters, "Ut quasdam artes, "ità eloquentiam nihil magis quàm ancipitia "commendant. Vides qui fune in summa "nituntur, quantos soleant excitare clamores, "cùm jam jamque casuri videntur.” L. ix. Ep. 26.

PRIOR, one may observe, has acted more naturally in his Alma, and by so doing, though the resemblance be full as great, one is not so certain of his being an Imitator. The verses are, of BUTLER:

He perfect Dancer climbs the Rope,
And balances your fear and hope:
If after some distinguish'd leap,
He drops his Pole and seems to slip;
Strait gath'ring all his active strength
He rises higher half his length.

With wonder you approve his slight,
And owe your pleasure to your fright.

C. n.

Though the two last lines seem taken from the application of this similitude in Pliny, "Sunt enim maximè mirabilia, quæ maximè inexpectata, et maximè periculosa."

XI. Writers are, sometimes, sollicitous to conceal themselves: At others, they are fond to proclaim their Imitation. "It is when

"they have a mind to shew their dexterity in

ત

" contending with a great original."

You remember these lines of Milton in his Comus,

Wisdom's self

Oft seeks to sweet retired Solitude,

Where, with her best nurse, Contemplation, She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings,

That in the various bustle of resort

Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impair'd.

and (as was always his way when he imitated) improved it.

"Bear me, some Gods! oh, quickly bear me " hence

« To wholesome Solitude, the nurse of Sense; "Where Contemplation prunes her ruffled. "wings,

“ And the free Soul looks down to pity Kings.. "Mr. Pope has not only improved the har6e mony, but the sense. In Milton, Contemplation is called the Nurse; in Pope, more properly Solitude: In Milton, Wisdom is "said to prune her wings; in Pope, Contem plation is said to do it, and with much greater propriety, as she is of a soaring nature, and "on that account is called by Milton himself, "the Cherub Contemplation."

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One sees that Mr. Pope's view was to surpass his original; “ which, it is said, was always his when he imitated." The meaning is, when he purposely and professedly bent himself to Imitation; for then his fine genius" taught him to seize every beauty, and his wonderful judgment, to avoid every defect or impropriety, in his author. And this distinction is very material to our passing a right judgment on the merit of Imitators. It is

commonly said, that their imitations fall short of their originals. And they will do So,. whatever the Genius of the Imitator be, if they are formed only on a general resemblance of the thought imitated. For an Inventor comprehends his own idea more distinctly and fully, and of course expresses his purpose better, than a casual Imitator. But the case is different, when a good writer studies the passage from which he borrows. For then he not only copies, but improves on the first idea; and thus there will frequently (as in the case of Pope) be greater merit in the Copyist, than the original.

XII. We sometimes catch an Imitationlurking “in a licentious Paraphrase." The ground of suspicion lies in the very compla cency with which a writer expatiates on a borrowed sentiment. He is usually more reserved in adorning one of his own.

1. AURELIUS VICTOR observes of Fabricius, "quòd difficiliùs ab honestate, quàm Sol à suo "cursu, averti posset."

TASSO flourishes a little on this thought;
Prima dal corso distornar la Luna

E le stelle potrà, che dal diritto