To conclude this head, I will just observe to you, that, tho' the fame uncommon fentiment in two writers be ufually the effect of imitation, yet we cannot affirm this of Actors in real life. The reafon is, when the fituation of two men is the fame, Nature will dictate the same sentiments more invariably than Génius. To give a remarkable instance of what I mean.

Tacitus relates, in the first book of his Annals, what paffed in the fenate on its first meeting after the death of Auguftus. His politic fucceffor carried it, for fome time, with much apparent moderation. He wished, besides other reasons, to get himself folemnly recog nized for Emperor by that Body, before he entered on the exercise of his new dignity. Dabat famæ, fays the historian, ùt vocatus electusque potius a Republicâ videretur, quàm per uxorium ambitum et fenili adoptione irrepfiffe. One of his courtiers would not be wanting to himself on such an occafion. When therefore several motions had been made in the Senate, concern ing the honours to be paid to the memory of their late Prince, MESSALLA VALERIUS moved, RE

NOVANDUM PER ANNOS SACRAMENTUM IN NO

MEN TIBERII; in other words, that the oath of allegiance fhould be taken to Tiberius. This was the very point that Tiberius drove at. And the conscioufness of it made him suspect that this motion might be thought to proceed from himself. He therefore afk'd Meffalla, "Num, fe mandante, eam fententiam promfiffet?" His answer is in the following words. Spontè dixiffe, refpondit; neque in iis, quæ ad rem

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"publicam pertinerent, confilio nifi fuo ufurum, vel cum periculo offenfionis." Ea, concludes the historian, fola fpecies adulandi fupererat.

Now it is very remarkable, that we find, in Ludlow's memoirs, one of Cromwell's officers, on the very fame occafion answering the Protector in the very fame fpecies of flattery.

Colonel WILLIAM JEPHSON moved in the Houfe, that Cromwell might be made King. Cromwell took occafion, foon after, to reprove the Colonel for this propofition, telling him, that he wonder'd what he could mean by it. To which the other replied, "That while he was permitted the honour of fitting in that Houfe, he muft defire the liberty to discharge his confcience, though his opinion fhould happen to displease.

Here we have a very striking coincidence of fentiment, without the leaft probability of imitation. For no body, I dare fay, fufpects Colonel William Jephfon of ftealing this refined ftroke of adulation from Meffalla Valerius. The truth is, the fame fituation, concurring with the fame corrupt difpofition, dictated this peculiar fentiment to the two courtiers. Yet, had thefe fimilar thoughts been found in two dramatic poets of the Auguftan and Oliverian Ages, we fhould probably have cried out, "An Imitation." And with good reafon. For, befides the poffibility of an Oliverian poet's knowing fomething of Tacitus, the speakers had then been feigned, not real perfonages. And it is not fo likely that two fuch should agree in this fentiment: I mean, confidering how new and

particular it is. For, as to the more common and obvious fentiments, even dramatic speakers will very frequently employ the fame, without affording any just reason to conclude that their prompters had turned plagiaries.

VIII. If to this fingularity of a fentiment, you add the apparent harshness of it, especially when not gradually prepar'd (as such sentiments always will be by exact writers, when of their own proper invention) the fufpicion grows ftill ftronger. I just glanc'd at an inftance of this fort in Milton's curl'd grove. But there are others ftill more remarkable. Shall I prefume for once to take an instance from yourself?

Your fine Ode to Memory begins with these very lyrical verfes :

Mother of Wisdom! Thou whose sway
The throng'd ideal hofts obey;

Who bidft their ranks now vanish, now appear,
Flame in the van, and darken in the rear.

This fublime imagery has a very original air. Yet I, who know how familiar the best antient and modern critics are to you, have no doubt that it is taken from STRADA.

"Quid accommodatius, fays he, fpeaking of your fubject, Memory, quàm fimulachrorum ingentes copias, tanquàm addictam ubique tibi facramento militiam, eo inter fe nexu ac fide conjunctam cohærentemque habere; ut five unumquodque feparatim, five confertim univerfa, five fingula ordinatim in aciem proferre ve

lis;

lis; nihil planè in tantâ rerum turbâ turbetur, fed alia procùl atque in recessu fita prodeuntibus locum cedant; alia, fe tota confeftim promant atque in medium certò evocata profiliant? Hoc tam magno, tam fido domefticorum agmine inftructus animus, &c." Prol. Acad. 1.

Common writers know little of the art of preparing their ideas, or believe the very name of an Ode abfolves them from the care of art. But, if this uncommon fentiment had been intirely your own, you, I imagine, would have dropp'd fome leading idea to introduce it.

IX. You fee with what a fufpicious eye, we who afpire to the name of critics, examine your writings. But every poet will not endure to be fcrutiniz'd fo narrowly.

1. B. Johnson, in his Prologue to the Sad Shepherd, is opening the fubject of that poem. The fadness of his fhepherd is

For his loft Love, who in the TRENT is faid To have mifcarried; 'las! what knows the head Of a calm river, whom the feet have drown'd!

The reflexion in this place is unneceffary and even impertinent. Who befides ever heard of the feet of a river? Of arms, we have. And fo it ftood in Johnfon's original.

Greatest and Faireft Emprefs, know you this,

Alafs! no more than Thames' calm head doth know Whose meads his arms drown, or whose corn o'er.

flow.

Dr. DONNE.

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The

The poet is fpeaking of the corruption of the courts of justice, and the allufion is perfectly fine and natural. Johnson was tempted to bring it into his prologue by the mere beauty of the fentiment. He had a river at his difpofal, and would not let flip the opportunity. But his unnatural ufe of it detects his " imitation."

2. I don't know whether you have taken notice of a miscarriage, fomething like this, in the most judicious of all the poets.

Theocritus make Polypheme fay,

Και γὰρ τὴν ἐδ' είδος ἔχω κακὸν, ὥς με λέγοντι, Η γὰρ πρὸν ἐς Πόνον ἐσέβλεπον, ἦν δὲ γαλάνα.

Nothing could be better fancied than to make this enormous fon of Neptune ufe the fea for his lookingglass. But is Virgil fo happy when his little land-man fays,

Nec fum adèo informis: nuper me in littore vidi, Cùm placidum ventis ftaret mare

His wonderful judgment for once deserted him, or he might have retain'd the sentiment with a flight change in the application. For inftance, what if he had faid,

Certè ego me novi, liquidæque in imagine vidi Nuper aquæ, placuitque mihi mea forma videnti. It is a fort of curiofity, you fay, to find Ovid reading a leffon to Virgil. I will diffemble nothing. The

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