But at the same time I cannot but blame him for taxing others with stealing Characters from him, (as he does Settle in his Notes on Morocco) when he himself does the same, almost in all the Plays he writes; and for arraigning his Predecessours for stealing from the Ancients, as he does Johnson; which tis evident that he himself is guilty of the same. I would therefore desire our Laureat, that he would follow that good Advice which the modest History Professor Mr. Wheare gives to the young Academick in his Antelogium, to shun this, Confidence and Self-love, as the worst of Plagues; and to consider that Modesty is it which becomes every Age, and leads all that follow her in the streight, and right Path to solid Glory; without it we are hurld down Precepices, and instead of acquiring Honour, become the scorn of Men, and instead of a good Fame, we return loaden with Ignominy and Contempt.[55]
I have not time to examine the Thefts of other Plagiaries in particular, both from the French and our own Language, and therefore shall onely desire them to consider this Sentence of Pliny:[56] Obnoxii profecto animi, & infelicis ingenii est, deprehendere infurto malle, quam mutuum reddere cum presertim sors fiat ex usurâ.
Althô I condemn Plagiaries, yet I would not be thought to reckon as such either Translators, or those who own what they borrow from other Authors: for as 'tis commendable in any man to advantage the Publick; so it is manifest, that those Authors have done so, who have contributed to the Knowledge of the Unlearned, by their excellent Versions: Yet at the same time I cannot but esteem them as the worst of Plagiaries, who steal from the Writings of those of our own Nation. Because he that borrows from the worst Forreign Author, may possibly import, even amongst a great deal of trash, somewhat of value: whereas the former makes us pay extortion for that which was our own before.
For this reason I must distinguish one of our best Comick-Writers,[57] from the common Herd of Translators; since though proportionate to his Writings, none of our modern Poets have borrow'd leß; yet has he dealt ingenuously with the World, and if I mistake not, has publickly own'd, either in his Prefaces, or Prologues, all that he has borrow'd; which I the rather take notice of, because it is so little practised in this Age. 'Tis true indeed, what is borrow'd from Shakspeare or Fletcher, is usually own'd by our Poets, because every one would be able to convict them of Theft, should they endeavour to conceal it. But in what has been stolen from Authors not so generally known, as Murston, Middleton, Massenger, &c. we find our Poets playing the parts of Bathyllus to Virgil, and robbing them of that Fame, which is as justly their due, as the Reward the Emperour Augustus had promised to the Author of that known Distich affixed on the Court Gate, was to Virgil.
Neither can this Imputation be laid at the doors of such who are onely Imitators of the Works of others, amongst which, are admired Sir Charles Sidley, and the inimitable M. Wytcherley: The last of which, if I mistake not, has Copied Mollieres le Misanthrope, in his Character of the Plain Dealer; and his Celimene, in that of Olivia: but so well, that though the Character of the Misanthrope be accounted by Rapin,[58] Te Caractere le plus achevee; The compleatest Character, and the most singular that ever appeared on the Stage: yet certainly our Poet has equaled, if not exceeded his Copy. Imitation which Longinus commends in Stesichorus, Archilochus, and Herodotus, all of them being imitators of Homer; but particularly he says of Plato: Παντῶν δὲ τούτων μάλιστα ὁ Πλάτων, ἀπο τοῦ ὁμηρικοῦ ἐκείνου νάματος εἰς αὑτὸν μυρίας ὁσας παράτροπας.[59] Sed omnium hujus Poetæ studiosissimus imitator suit Plato, ab illis Homericis Laticibus ad se seductos vivos quam-plurimos transferens.
But to put an end to these Observations, which may prove alike troublesome to the Reader, as well as to the Poets: I must say this for our Countrymen, That notwithstanding our Modern Authors have borrow'd much from the French, and other Nations, yet have we several Pieces, if I may so say, of our own Manefacture, which equal at least, any of our Neighbours productions. This is a truth so generally known, that I need not bring instances to prove, that in the humour of our Comedies, and in the characters of our Tragedies, we do not yeild to any other Nation. 'Tis true the unities of Time, Place, and Action, which are generally allowed to be the Beauties of a Play, and which the French are so careful to observe, add all lusture to their Plays; nevertheleß, several of our Poets have given proof, that did our Nation more regard them, they could practice them with equal succeß: But as a correct Play is not so much understood, or at least regarded by the generality of Spectators; and that few of our Poets now-a-days write so much for Honour as Profit: they are therefore content to please at an easier rate. But would some great Man appear here in the defence of Poetry, and for the support of good Poets, as the great Cardinal Richlieu, that Noble Patron of Arts and Sciences, did in France; I doubt not but we should find several Authors, who would quickly evince, that neither the Writings of Aristotle, or the practice of those admirable Rules laid down by that Father of Criticism, and his best Commentator, Horace; with the rest of those eminent Men, that have written on the Art of the Stage, are unknown to them.
But in the mean time, would our Nobility and Gentry, who delight in Plays, but allow themselves so much time, as to read over what is extant on this Subject in English, as, Ben Johnson's Discoveries; Roscommon's Translation of Horace's Art of Poetry; Rapin's Reflections on Aristotle's Treatise of Poetry; Longinus of the loftineß of Speech; Boyleau's Art of Poetry; Hedelin's Art of the Stage; Euremont's Essays; Rimer's Tragedies of the last Age considered; Dryden's Drammatick Essay; and several others; though they understood none but their native Language, and consequently could not read what Vossius, Heinsius, Scaliger, Plutarch, Athenæus, Titius Giraldus, Castelvetro, Lope de Vega, Corneille, Menardiere, and others which have written to the same purpose in several Languages; yet those which are to be met with in English, are sufficient to inform them, both in the excellency of the Poetick Art, and the Rules which Poets follow, with the Reasons of them: They would then find their Pleasure encrease with their Knowledge; and they would have the greater satisfaction in seeing a correct Play, by how much they were capable (by the help of these Rules) to discern the Beauties of it; and the greater value for a good Poet, by how much they were sensible of the Pains and Study requisite to bring such a Poem to perfection. This would advance the fame of good Poets, and procure them Patrons amongst the Nobility and Gentry, and through their Emulation to exceed each other, Poetry might in a few Years be advanced to the same Perfection that it was in formerly, at Rome and Athens.
Gerard Langbaine.