It is not to those of our own Nation only, but to Forreigners also, that I have endeavour'd to do Justice. For that reason I have remark'd (as far as my knowledge would permit me) what has been translated or stollen from Tasso, Guarini, Bonarelli, Garnier, Scarron, both the Corneilles, Molliere, Racine, Quinault, and others both French and Italians. Neither have I omitted, to my power, to do right likewise to the ancient Greek and Latin Poets, that have written in this way, as Sophocles, Euripides, Æschylus, Aristophanes, Seneca, Plautus, Terence, &c. I must acknowledge, with regret, that these are not so well known to me as I could wish; but yet as far as my power, I have endeavour'd to do right to their Memories. But I dare assure my Reader, that for the future it shall be more my busineß to obtain a more intimate acquaintance with all worthy Strangers, as well as with my own Countrymen, so that if this Trifle should have the fortune to appear abroad a second time, it shall be more compleat and correct, than the shortneß of the time, and my small acquaintance with Authors at present allow; the Catalogue being in the Preß, and the first sheet of it set, before I thought of adding these Remarks.
But before I quit this Paper, I desire my Readers leave to take a View of Plagiaries in general, and that we may observe the different proceedings between the Ancients and our Modern Writers. This Art has reign'd in all Ages, and is as ancient almost as Learning it self. If we take it in its general Acceptation, and according to the extent of the word, we shall find the most Eminent Poets (not to move excentrically and out of our present Sphere) are liable to the charge and imputation of Plagiary. Homer himself is not free from it, if we will give credit to Suidas, Ælian, and others: and that the invention of the Iliad is not wholly due to him, seems to be confirm'd by the Testimony of Aristotle, who mentions a small Iliad,[44] which was written before his was produced. But whether there be any ground, for this Opinion, or no, certain it is that the most eminent Poets amongst the Romans, I mean Virgil and Ovid, made use of the Grecian Magazines, to supply their Inventions. To prove this, let us first consider Virgil, stil'd the King of Poets by Scaliger, and in the opinion of Propertius exceeding Homer himself, as appears by the following Lines[45] so well known amongst all learned men,
Cedite Romani Scriptores, cedite Graii,
Nescio, quid majus nascitur Æneade.
Yet even this great man has borrow'd in all his Works; from Theocritus, in his Eclogues; from Hesiod and Aratus, in his Georgicks; and from Homer and Pisander, in his Æneads: besides what he has borrow'd from Parthenius Nicæus, his Tutor in the Greek Tongue, and from Q. Ennius an ancient Latin Poet; as you may read more at large in Macrobius.[46] If we consider Ovid, the Flower of the Roman Wit, we shall find him imitating at least, if not borrowing from, the forementioned Parthenius: his Metamorphosis, that Divine Poem, (as Ant. Muretus[47] stiles it in his Orations) being built upon that Poem writ in the Greek Tongue, which bore the same Name, and handled the same Subject, as we are told by Plutarch and Eustathius. And if to these we add that worthy Carthaginian Terence, who by the kindneß of the generous Lucan, was at once made a free man and Citizen of Rome, and whom on the account of his Comedies written in the Latin Tongue, we may number among the Roman Writers: we shall find him likewise beholding, for his Productions, to that eminent Athenian Poet Menander.
But let us now observe how these Eminent Men manage what they borrow'd; and then compare them with those of our times. First, They propos'd to themselves those Authors whose Works they borrow'd from, for their Model. Secondly, They were cautious to borrow only what they found beautiful in them, and rejected the rest. This is prov'd by Virgil's Answer concerning Ennius his Works, when he was ask'd by one who saw him reading, what he was about, reply'd, Aurum se ex Enii stercore colligere. Thirdly, They plainly confess'd what they borrow'd, and modestly ascrib'd the credit of it to the Author whence 'twas originally taken. Thus Terence owns his Translations in his Prologue to Eunuchus.
Qui bene vertendo, & eas discribendo malè
Ex Græcis bonis, Latinas fecit non bonas.
This behaviour Pliny[48] commends in these words: Est enim benignum & plenum ingenium Pudoris, fateri per quos profeceris: and after having blam'd the Plagiaries of his time, he commends Cicero for making mention of Plato, Crantor, and Panætius, whom he made use of in his Works: and let it be observ'd by our Modern Poets, that though our modest Carthaginian own'd his Translations, yet was he not the leß esteem'd by the Romans, or his Poems leß valu'd for it. Nay, even in this Age he is universally commended by learned men, and the judicious Rapin gives him a Character, which I doubt few of our Age will deserve. Terence[49] a ecrit d'une Maniere, & si naturelle, & si judicieuse, que de Copie qu'il estoit il est devenu original: car jamais Auteur n'a eu un goust plus par de la Nature. Lastly, Whatsoever these ancient Poets (particularly Virgil) copyed from any Author, they took care not only to alter it for their purpose; but to add to the beauty of it: and afterwards to insert it so handsomly into their Poems, (the body and Oeconomy of which was generally their own) that what they borrow'd, seem'd of the same Contexture with what was originally theirs. So that it might be truly said of them; Apparet unde sumptum sit, aliud tamen quam unde sit, apparet.
If we now on the other side examine the proceedings of our late English Writers, we shall find them diametrically opposite in all things. Shakspear and Johnson indeed imitated these Illustrious Men I have cited; the one having borrow'd the Comedy of Errours from the Menechmi of Plautus; the other has made use not only of him, but of Horace, Ovid, Juvenal, Salust, and several others, according to his occasions: for which he is commended by Mr. Dryden,[50] as having thereby beautified our Language: and Mr. Rymer, whose Judgment of him is this; I cannot (says he) be displeas'd with honest Ben,[51] when he chuses rather to borrow a Melon of his Neighbour, than to treat us with a Pumpion of his own growth. But for the most part we are treated far otherwise; not with sound Roman Wit, as in Ben's time, but with empty French Kickshaws, which yet our Poetical Hosts serve up to us for Regales of their own Cookery; and yet they themselves undervalue that very Nation to whom they are oblig'd for the best share of their Treat. Thus our Laureat himself runs down the French Wit in his Marriage a la Mode, and steals from Molliere in his Mock Astrologer; and which makes it more observable, at the same time he does so, pretends in his Epistle to justifie himself from the imputation of Theft: Not unlike the Cunning of a Jugler (to apply his own Simile to him) [Epistle to the Spanish Fryer] who is always staring us in the Face, and overwhelming us with Gibberish, only that he may gain the opportunity of making the cleanlier conveyance of his Trick.[52] I will wave the Epistle to this Play, which seems to be the Picture of Bays in little, yet I cannot omit one Observation more, which is, that our Laureat should borrow from Old Flecknoe, whom he so much despises: and yet whoever pleases to read Flecknoe's Damoyselles a la Mode, will find that they have furnisht Mr. Dryden with those refin'd Expressions which his Retrenching Lady Donna Aurelea makes use of, as the Counsellor of the Graces, and that furious indigence of Ribons. But possibly he will own that he borrow'd them as Father Flecknoe did, from Mollieres Les Precieuses Ridicules: however, I hope he will allow that these Expressions better suit, with the Spiritual Temper of those French Damsels, than with the known Gravity of the Spanish Ladies. I hope Mr. Dryden will pardon me this Discovery, it being absolutely necessary to my design of Restoring what I could to the true Authors: and this Maxim I learnt from his own Father Aldo, Every one must have their Own.[53] Fiat Justitia, aut ruat Mundus. In pursuance to which, I own that Mr. Dryden has many Excellencies which far out-weigh his Faults; he is an excellent Critick, and a good Poet, his Stile is smooth and fluent, and he has written well, both in Verse and Prose. I own that I admire him, as much as any man;
----Neque ego illi detrahere ausim,
Hærentem Capiti multâ cum Laude Coronam.[54]