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Another thinks, it

his ideas. A fucceeding writer is neither
at liberty to relate matters of fact, which
no one thinks credible, nor to feign afresh
for himself. In this cafe, again, all that
the most original genius has to do, is to
imitate. We have been told that the
Jecond book of the AENEIS was tranflated
from Pifander [a].
was taken from the LITTLE ILIAD [6].
Or, why confine him to either of thefe,
when METRODORUS, SYAGRUS, HEGE-
SIANAX, ARATUS, and others, wrote
poems on the taking of TROY? But grant-
ing the poet (as is most likely) to have
had thefe originals before him, what fhall
we infer from it? Only this, that he
took his principal facts and circumstances
(as we fee he was obliged to do for the
fake of probability) from thefe writers.
And why should this be thought a greater
crime in him, than in POLYGNOTUS; who,
in his famous picture on this fubject, was
under the neceffity, and for the fame rea-

[a] MACROBIUS, V. Saturnal.

105

[b] Inquiry into L. &c. of Homer, p. 319.
K 2

fon,

fon, of collecting his fubject-matter from feveral poets [c]?

It follows, from thefe confiderations, that we cannot justify ourselves in thinking fo hardly, as we commonly do, of the clafs of imitators; which is, now, by the concurrence of various circumstances, become the neceffary character of almoft all poets. Nor let it be any concern to the true poet, that it is fo. For imitations, when real and confeffed, may still have their merit; nay, I prefume to add, fometimes a greater merit, than the very originals on which they are formed: And, with the reader's leave (though I am haftening to a conclufion of this long difcourfe), I will detain him, one moment, with the reafons of this opinion.

After all the praifes that are defervedly given to the novelty of a subject, or the beauty of defign, the fupreme merit of poetry, and that which more especially immortalizes the writers of it, lies in the execution. It is thus that the poets of the

[c] Mem. de l'Acad. des Infcript. &c. tom. vi. P.445.

Auguftan

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Auguftan age have not fo properly excel-. led, as difcredited, all the productions of their predeceffors; and that thofe of the age of Louis XIVth not only obscure, but will in procefs of time obliterate, the fame and memory of the elder French writers. Or, to see the effect of masterly execution in fingle inftances, hence it is, that Lucilius not only yields to Horace, but would be almost forgotten by us, if it had not been for the honour his imitator has done him. And no body needs be told the advantage which Pope is likely to have over all our older fatirifts, excellent as fome of them are, and more entitled than he to the honour of being inventors. We have here, then, an established fact. The first effays of genius, though ever fo original, are overlooked; while the later productions of men, who had never rifen to fuch diftinction but by means of the very originals they difgrace, obtain the applause and admiration of all ages.

The folution of this fact, fo notorious, and, at the fame time, fo contrary, in appearance, to the honours which men are

difpofed to pay to original invention, will open the mystery of that matter we are now confidering.

The faculties, or, as we may almost term them, the magic powers, which ope the palace of eternity to great writers, are a confirmed judgment, and ready invention.

Now the first is feen to most advantage, in felecting, out of all preceding stores, the particulars that are most fuited to the nature of a poet's work, and the ends of poetry. When true genius has exhausted, as it were, the various manners, in which a work of art may be conducted, and the various topics which may be employed to adorn it, judgment is in its province, or rather fovereignty, when it determines which of all thefe is to be preferred, and which neglected. In this fenfe, as well as others, it will be most true, Quòd artis pars magna contineatur imitatione.

Nay, by means of this difcernment, the very topic or method, which had no effect, or perhaps an ill one, under one manage ment, or in one fituation, fhall charm every reader, in another. And by force of

judging

judging right, the copier fhall almost lose his title, and become an inventor:

Tantum de medio fumptis accedit honoris,

But imitation, though it give moft room to the difplay of judgment, does not exclude the exercife of the other faculty, invention. Nay, it requires the most dextrous, perhaps the most difficult, exertion of this faculty. For confider how the cafe ftands. When we speak of an imitator, we do not speak, as the poet fays, of

A barren-fpirited fellow, one who feeds,
On abject orts, and imitations 20

but of one, who, in aiming to be like, con
tends alfo to be equal to his original. To
attain to this equality, it is not enough that
he felect the best of those stores which are
ready prepared to his hand (for thus he
would be rather a fkilful borrower, than a
fuccessful imitator), but, in taking fome-
thing from others, he must add much of
his own he muft improve the expreffion,
where it is defective or barely paffable:
he muft throw fresh lights of fancy on a
common image: he must ftrike out new

VIS

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