L 1 I do not ftay to examine how far the fancy of tears relieving the heart is allowable. But admitting the propriety of the obfervation, in the sense the poet intended it, the fimile is applied and expreffed with the utmoft beauty. It accordingly ftruck the best writers of that time. SPRAT, in his hiftory of the Royal Society, is taking notice of the mifapplication of philofophy to fubjects of Religion. "That fhower, fays he, has done very much injury by falling on the fea, "for which the fhepherd, and the plough"man, called in vain: the wit of men has "been profufely poured out on Religion, "which needed not its help, and which was only thereby made more tempestuous; "while it might have been more fruitfully "fpent on fome parts of philofophy, which "have been hitherto barren, and might "foon have been made fertile." P. 25. You fee what wire-drawing here is to make the comparifon, fo proper in its original use, juft and pertinent to a fubject to which it had naturally no relation. Befides, there is an abfurdity in fpeaking of a Thower's doing injury to the fea by falling 02 into into it. But the thing illuftrated by this comparison requiring the idea of injury, he transfers the idea to the comparing thing. He would foften the abfurdity, by running the comparison into metaphorical expref fion; but, I think, it does not remove it In short, for these reasons, one might caly have inferred an Imitation, without that parenthesis to apologize for it" To use "that metaphor which an excellent poet of "our nation turns to another purpose" But a poet of that time has no better fuccefs in the management of this metaphor, than the Historian. Love makes fo many hearts the prize cital of of the bright CARLISLE'S conquering eyes; Which the regards no more, than they The tears of leffer beauties weigh.sm o So have I feen the loft clouds pour Into the Sea an useless show'r; anuel And the vex'd Sailors curfe the rain, nob For which poor Shepherds pray'd.in vain. 32 # 201 WALLER'S Poems, p. 25. The fentiment ftands thus: She re"gards the captive bearts of others no "more than thofe others--the tears of 80 ❝leffer leffer beauties." Thus, with much dif ficulty, we get to tears. And when we' have them, the allufion to loft clouds is fo Arained (befides that he makes his fhower both useless and injurious), that one readily #perceives the poet's thought was diftorted by imitation, endless dieta sul node audi tudi odami na bo- lai svad chu. The charge of Plagiarism is fo difreputable to a great writer, that one is not furprized to find him anxious to avoid the imputation of it. Yet this very anxiety ferves fometimes to fix it upon him." R Mr. Dryden, in the Preface to his tranflation of Fresnoy's Art of painting, makes the following obfervation on Virgil: He "pretends fometimes to trip, but it is only "to make you think him in danger of a "fall when he is moft fecure. Like a skil"ful dancer on the Rope (if you will par"don the meannefs of the fimilitude), who flips willingly, and and makes a feeming ftumble, that you may think him in great hazard of breaking his neck; while, at "the fame time, he is only giving you a lo" "proof of his dexterity. My late Lord, "Rofcom O 3 "Rofcommon was often pleafed with this "reflexion, &c.” p. 59. His apology for the ufe of this fimile, and his concluding with Lord Rofcommon's fatisfaction 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 paffage very like this in a celebrated antient, we could hardly doubt of its being copied by Mr. Dryden. What think you then of this obfervation in one of Pliny's Letters, "Ut quasdam artes, ità eloquentiam nihil "magis quàm ancipitia commendant. Vides qui fune in fumma nituntur, quantos "foleant excitare clamores, cùm jan jamque cafuri videntur." L. ix. Ep, 26. PRIOR, one may obferve, has acted more naturally in his Alma; and by fo doing, though the resemblance be full as great, one is not fo certain of his being an Imi tator. The verfes are, of BUTLER? He, perfect dancer, climbs the Rope, And balances your fear and hope: If after fome diftinguifh'd leap, He drops his pole and feems to flip; Strait, gath'ring all his active ftrength, He rifes higher half his length, www With With wonder you approve his flight, And owe your pleasure to your fright. C. 11. Though the two laft lines feem taken from the application of this fimilitude in Pliny," Sunt enim maximè mirabilia, quæ “maximè inexpectata, et maximè, periculofa." XI. Writers are fometimes follicitous to conceal themfelves; at others, they are fond to proclaim their Imitation. “It is "when they have a mind to fhew their dexterity in contending with a great original." 66 You remember thefe lines of Milton in his Comus: Wisdom's felf Oft feeks to fweet retired Solitude; Where, with her beft nurse, Contemplation, She plumes her feathers, and lets grow her wings, That, in the various buftle of refort, Were all too ruffled, and fometimes impair'd. On which Bp. Warburton has the following note: "Mr. Pope has imitated this "thought, and (as was always his way when ❝he imitated) improved it. Q 4 "Bear |