we may fafely pronounce an imitation, for it is not I prefume the fame train of ideas that follow in the fame description of an ancient and a modern, where nature when attended to, always fupplys the fame ftores, which will autorife us to pronounce the latter an imitation, for the moft judicious of all poets, Terence, has obferved of his own fcience Nihil eft dictum, quod non fit di&tum prius: For these reasons I say I give myfelfe the pleafure of fetting down fome imitations I obferved in the Cato of Addifon. Addifon. A day, an hour of virtuous liberty Is worth a whole eternity in bondage. At 2. Sc. 1. Tully. Quod fi immortalitas confequeretur præfentis periculi fugam, tamen eo magis ea fugienda effe videretur, quo diuturnior effet fervitus. Philipp. Or. 102 Addifon. Bid him difband his legions Reftore the commonwealth to liberty And ftand the judgement of a Roman fenate, Tully. Pacem vult? arma deponat, roget, deprecetur. Neminem equiorem reperiet quam me. Philipp. 5a Addifon. But what is life? "Tis not to ftalk about and draw fresh air 'Tis to be free. When liberty is gone, Life grows infipid and has loft its relish. Sc. 3. Tully. Non enim in fpiritu vita eft: fed ea nulla eft omnino fervienti. Philipp. 10a Addifon. Remember O my friends the laws the rights Tully. O never let it perish in your hands. A&t 3. Sc. 5. Addifon. The miftrefs of the world, the feat of empire, Tully. Roma domus virtutis, imperii dignitatis, domicilium gloriæ, lux orbis terrarum. de oratore. You "The first half of the 5 Sc. 3 Act. is nothing but a transcript from the 9 book of lucan between the 300 and the 700 line. fee by this fpecimen the exactnefs of Mr. Addifon's judgement who wanting fentiments worthy the Roman Cato fought for them in Tully and Lucan. When he wou'd give his fubject those terrible graces which Dion. Hallicar: complains he could find no where but in Homer, he takes the affiftance of our Shakespear, who in his Julius Cæfar has painted the confpirators with a pomp and terrour that perfectly aftonishes. hear our British Homer. Between the acting of a dreadful thing Mr. Addison has thus imitated it: O think what anxious moments pass between Filled up with horror all, & big with death. I have two things to obferve on this imitation. 1. the decorum this exact Mr. of propriety has obferved. In the Confpiracy of Shakespear's description, the fortunes of Cæfar and the roman Empire were concerned. And the magnificent circumstances of "The genius and the mortal inftruments "Are then in council." is exactly proportioned to the dignity of the fubject. But this wou'd have been too great an apparatus to the defertion of Syphax and the rape of Sempronius, and therefore Mr. Addison omits it. II. The other thing more worthy our notice is, that Mr. A. was fo greatly moved and affected with the pomp of Sh: description, that inftead of copying his author's fentiments, he has before he was aware given us only the marks of his own impreffions on the reading bim. For, "O'tis a dreadful interval of time "Filled up with horror all, and big with death." are but the affections raised by fuch lively images as these "all the Int'rim is "Like a phantasma or a hideous dream. &, "The state of man-like to a little kingdom fuffers then "The nature of an infurrection." Again when Mr. Addison woud paint the fofter paffions he has recourse to Lee who certainly had a peculiar genius that way, thus his Juba "True she is fair. O how divinely fair!" coldly imitates Lee in his Alex: "Then he wou'd talk: Good Gods how he wou'd talk! I pronounce the more boldly of this, because Mr. A. in his 39 Spec. expreffes his admiration of it. My paper fails me, or I fhoud now offer to Mr. Theobald an objection agt. Shakspeare's acquaintance with the ancients. As it appears to me of great weight, and as it is neceffary he fhou'd be prepared to obviate all that occur on that head. But fome other opportunity will present itselfe. You may now, Sr, justly complain of my ill manners in deferring till now, what shou'd have been first of all acknowledged due to you. which is my thanks for all your favours when in town, particularly for introducing me to the knowledge of thofe worthy and ingenious Gentlemen that made up our laft night's converfation. I am, Sir, with all efteem your moft obliged friend and humble fervant The foregoing Letter was found about the year 1750, by Dr. Gawin Knight, firft librarian to the British Museum, in fitting up a houfe which he had taken in Crane-court, Fleet-ftreet. The houfe had, for a long time before, been let in lodgings, and in all probability, Concanen had lodged there. The original letter has been many years in my poffeffion, and is here moft exactly copied, with its feveral little peculiarities in grammar, fpelling, and punctuation. April 30. 1766. M. A. The above is copied from an indorfement of Dr. Mark Akenfide, as is the preceding letter from a copy given by him to Mr. Steevens. I have carefully retained all the peculiarities above mentioned.. MALONE. |