at any time see the efficiency of superior talents displayed in a more conspicuous manner? The loose notes, scattered up and down by the French annotator, without form or connexion, are carefully collected by this fine writer, arranged in the aptest order, and worked up into a regular composition, with all the graces of expression and elegance of design. So excellent was this ingenious performance thought, at the time when it first appeared, that it was very warmly applauded by one,* from whose decision in all matters of taste, as on every subject in the whole circle of arts and sciences, there lies no appeal. You will easily perceive that I can here mean no other than that wonderful man, in whose comprehensive mind was united with the sublime imagination of Longinus the severest reasoning of the Stagirite.f "It is without scruple confessed that a great part of the rough materials are to be found in the annotations of Catrou. Superficial readers, who do not attend to, or 66 "It was not thus that an able critic," (Hurd,) lately explained Virgil's noble allegory in the beginning of the third Georgic, where, under the idea of a magnificent temple, to be raised to the divinity of Augustus, the Poet promises the famous epic poem, which he afterwards erected to his honour, or, as our Milton says, built the lofty rhyme.'" Warburton's Divine Legation p. 302. "It was not enough in your enlarged view of things to restore either of these models," (Aristotle or Longinus,)" to its ancient splendour. They were both to be revived; or rather a new original plan of criticism to be struck out, which should unite the virtues of each of them." Epistle to Augustus. Dedication of the from their sluggish and clouded imaginations are incapable of distinguishing, the nicer differences of things, have on this account formed very injurious conclusions, and even gone so far as to load the LEARNED CRITIC with the charge of plagiarism.* Such, we know, was the ungenerous treatment, which the great founder of the Warburtonian School more than once experienced, and even a direct disavowal, accompanied with the most solemn assurances, was found scarcely sufficient to repel the charge.+ "The able critic,' (Mr. Hurd,) looked into F. Catrou, in whom he found all that his master,' (Dr. Warburton,) so applauds and exalts, only not quite so fine-drawn, and wiredrawn. Confusion Worse Confounded, 1772. p. 74. « Primus Idumæas referam tibi, Mantua, palmas, "If the ingenuousness and delicacy of a R. R. critic, (who is said to have owed his present dignity to a note on the context,) had not been long known, an ordinary reader might be startled at the resemblance between his Lordship's critique and Catrou's; whilst a fastidious one, in a splenetic mood, might apply, like another Edwards, the marks of imitation, as so many canons to annoy their founder." History of the Caliph Vathek, 1786. p. 269. +"It should be remembered that Mr. Hurd was one of the ablest supports and brightest ornaments of this celebrated School." BERDMORE. "It would have been more generous and just in you to have acknowledged yourself indebted to Mr. L. for the application of the meteoric appearances from Casaubon's Adversaria to this subject; which, when it appeared in your more popular volume, was received with applause, as new and very ingenious, an "You will discover at first glance, how much they, who judge in this illiberal manner, underrate the merits of the LEARNED CRITIC. No man of an enlightened and intelligent mind will hesitate to acknowledge that to him, and him alone, exclusively belong the happy design and skilful plan of the piece, the judicious disposition of the applause, which, as you could not but know, belonged to him." Dr. Lowth's Third Letter to Dr. Warburton 1766. , which thought, "Mr. Warburton, who supposes wrong as it is, though he lets it pass for his own, was borrowed, or more properly stolen, from a French Romance, called The Life of Sethos." Cooper's Life of Socrates, ed. 4th, 1771. p. 102. "Les sectes philosophiques cherchoient à diviner le dogme caché sous le voile des ceremonies, et tachoient de la ramener chacune à leur doctrine dans l'hypothese des Epicuriens, adoptée de nos jours par M. M. Le Clerc et Warburton. Le Clerc adopted it in the year 1687; Mr. Warburton invented it in the year 1738." Critical Observations on the Sixth Book of the Eneis, 1770. p. 8. "As this last notion was published in French, six years before it was invented in English, the learned author of the D. L. has been severely treated by some ungenerous adversaries. Appearances, it must be confessed, wear a very suspicious aspect; but what are appearances, when weighed against his Lordship's observations?" Ibid. p. 33. "That I may not continue worse in your esteem than I deserve, give me leave to tell you that I am no plagiary from your father. This is a point of honour, in which I am particularly delicate. I will venture to boast again to you, that I believe no author was ever more averse to take to himself anything, that belonged to another." Dr. Warburton's Fourth Letter to Dr. Lowth, 1766. [I will observe by the way that Mr. Cooper, mentioned above, parts, with the splendid ornaments, thrown in here and there occasionally, giving lustre and additional beauty to the whole. It is only for the favored few, whom nature has touched with a ray of that celestial fire, which we call true genius, (Disc. on Poet. Imit. 123.) out of such materials to form so perfect and beautiful an edifice; which received his full share of Warburtonian hate, as I learn from the Literary and Miscellaneous Memoirs of Joseph Cradock Esq. 1826. V. 1. 3.: p. "Whilst our family lived at Leicester, the Rev. Mr. Jackson, a celebrated Greek scholar, who was our near neighbour, interested himself much in my education, and as a reward for a particular exercise, that pleased him, gave me an elegant copy of the Elzevir-edition of Buchanan's Psalms, which I still retain with high veneration for his memory. Jackson was Master of Wigton's Hospital (at Leicester,) which proved particularly beneficial to him, as he lived long enough to renew every lease of the valuable estates, with which it had been endowed. He published three large quarto-volumes of Chronological Antiquities, to which was prefixed the most splendid list of subscribers, that was then, I believe, ever known. He was considered an Arian, and his violent dispute with Dr. Coney in the Abbey-Church at Bath, who refused to administer the Sacrament to him, is still recorded in various journals. John Gilbert Cooper, author of the Life of Socrates, and other works, likewise frequently resided at Leicester, having married a daughter of Mr. Recorder Wright, son of Sir Nathan Wright, the Lord Keeper of that name in Queen Anne's time. Jackson and Cooper were in general as opposite as possible in their opinions, but they agreed in hating Warburton, who had grossly abused both. Cooper was the intimate friend of Garrick, and to his instructions may be attributed my early, and perhaps too strong attachment to the stage." the amateur will never fail to contemplate with the liveliest emotions of delight and admiration. It were as unrea sonable and unjust in this place to accuse the LEARNED CRITIC of plagiarism, as to condemn the architect, who brings the stones or marble, which he builds with, from the quarry, for want of taste and invention. "The doctrine of the LEARNED CRITIC on this subject applies very appositely to the case before us : • If there be reason for suspecting any communication between ' two different writers, it must be taken from something 'else, besides the identity of the subject-matter of such description: as from the number, or the nature of the 'circumstances selected for imitation, from the order, And now having made one digression, I may as well sin more by another. Jackson is noticed only once in the Correspondence between Warburton and Hurd, and the language used by the former is egregiously amusing and highly characteristic of Warburton, p. 117.: “July 5, 1752. You talk of Jackson's Chronology, on which occasion you quote a line of Mr. Pope, which he would have envied you the application of; and would certainly have drawn a new character of a diving antiquarian, for the pleasure of applying this line to him. As for Jackson, you would hardly think, (after what had passed between us,) that all his account of the mysteries should be one entire theft from me, a transcript of my account, without one word of acknowledgment for which I shall make him all due acknowledgments in a note. The wretch has spent his days in the republic of letters, just as your vagabonds do in the streets of London, in one unvaried course of begging, railing, and stealing." Hurd has suppressed his own sneers at Jackson, on which Warburton has bestowed such warm commendation, and let the reader mark the fact. E. H. B.] |