trodden in the fame track, and fometimes plumes himfelf in borrowed feathers. They had the example of Waller, (2) and their great predecessor Dryden, who frequently adds to his own ftores the property of others. His tales, inimitable indeed for their versification, are moftly tranflations from Boccace, or Chaucer's modernized. Inftances alfo might be adduced from his Mafque of King Arthur, where he liberally decks the British hero with the spoils of Taffo.

Milton's Alle

gory of Sin and Death, in his Paradife Loft, and the circumstances of Parnell's admirable moral poem, the Hermit, are drawn, with inconfiderable variation, from a very old and fcarce folio in the black letter, printed by Wynkyn de Worde.

Gray, it has been faid, is indebted to an appropriation of the like kind, for the greatest part of his juftly-admired Elegy in a Country Church-Yard. The Writer does not advance this affertion invidiously, or of his own authority; whatever the merit of the difcovery, it belongs to Mr. Giffard, a gentleman of this city, a professed admirer of Gray's, and largely ftocked wich poetic literature: it adds grace and fplendor to his diction, and much of his reputation, as a fpeaker, he owes to the judicious application of it in his harangues. One evening, meeting him in his walks, he told the Writer, that a few days before, in turning over

fome

fome books at Watfon's, the bookfeller, who then lived in Dame-ftreet, he dipped into an old Collection of Poems, and, to his great furprife, popped upon one, in an obfolete ftyle, from which Gray had copied almoft the whole of his Elegy. Six or seven years after, in August 1787, the Writer was in London, and had the gratification of dining in company with Peter Pindar: In the conversation after dinner, the names of feveral of our Poets, with fome interefting anecdotes concerning them, were introduced; the name of Gray was not forgotten. Peter, a copious son of Apollo, thought Gray could hardly be admitted of the number! alledging, if he had poffeffed the true poetic fpirit, he could not have restrained its ardour, and consequently must have written more. It was said, the Elegy alone was fufficient to immortalize his claim ; to this he oppofed his objections. Any gentleman, he infisted, of good education and claffical tafte, might make a lucky hit or two; that merit was Gray's: hé had produced a few good things; "but the Elegy in a "Country Church-Yard was certainly not his own.” This was Dr. Walcott's affertion; unqualified and openly avowed; in corroboration of which, he related an incident in the course of his own reading, exactly parallel to Mr. Giffard's account, which before had not been hinted at, and was then firft communicated to the facetious Bard: unfortunately neither of them recollected the

name

name of the author, nor the title of the collection in queftion. Collufion there could have been none; those gentlemen are of different kingdoms; not perfonally acquainted, and between them no intercourse ever exifted. A coincidence of cireumftances fo extraordinary, establishes the authenticity of the evidence beyond difpute, and leaves not the smallest room to suppose a fabrication. The circumftance is by no means here adduced to detract from the merit of Gray; but to excite the laudable fpirit of inquiry for fuch a literary curiofity, in hopes of recovering to the world the parent of fo charming an offspring. It would, doubtless, prove a source of gratification to the ingenuous mind to observe the improvements; to mark the deviations, and contemplate the features of resemblance.

A refpectable Critic has obferved on the foregoing narrative-"That if either gentleman had discovered a very decided plagiarifm, he could not have forgot the book in which he saw it; from this circumstance," he adds, "we fufpect the fimilarity confifted rather in fome allufions, or perhaps in the general plan, which may have occurred to each poet."-The Writer is not tenacious of the point; he is merely the relater of a conversation, interefting for its fubject, which he has fince had frequent opportunities of reviving with Mr. Giffard, who invariably adheres to his first pofition. Minute inquiries have also fince been made

for

for the book, and with fome profpect of fuccefs. The matter as it here stands, was a few weeks ago talked over in company at Mr. L-ns', Hamilton-Row: that gentleman and his lady, who is of London, had, with other valuable articles, got a small collection of books by the demife of a relation; in one of which they well recollect to have met with the very poem fpoken of. They were ftruck with the discovery at the time, and, on that account, though the volume was in bad condition, thought it a relic worthy of preferving. It remained with their daughter at their house in Charlesftreet, Portland-Place, and they were confident of getting it in a few pofts. Mrs. L-ns wrote the day after, and, though not fuccefsful in the main object, the young Lady's anfwer, containing a poftfcript, at this prefent under her own hand in the Writer's poffeffion, encourages the belief, that fuch a poem ftill fomewhere exists.

"P. S. I have looked every where for the old Book you requested of me to leave in Somerset-ftreet, to be fent to Ireland; but I cannot find it, and I fear from "the oldness of it, and the leaves being half out before

66

you went, that the fervants have destroyed it in the kitchen, though they will not confefs it."

London, August 31st, 1792.

But

But to quit the fubject of Gray for the prefent; the beauty of the Elegy in a Country Church-Yard, be the first thought whose it may, remains undifputed ; (3) we have inftances in abundance of poetic affimilation which a reader of difcernment will eafily perceive: to mention a few may not be unentertaining, and poffibly may lead to a more attentive confideration of their refpective excellencies. The pleasure is not the leaft

which results from comparison.

Thomfon's pretty rural tale of Palemon and Lavinia, in his Autumn, is merely the ftory of Boaz and Ruth verfified; and Grainger's Junio and Theana, in his Sugar-Cane, are indubitably the poetical brother and fifter of the hapless Celadon and Amelia. Thomfon has for the most part managed the ftory of that unfortunate pair with address; their characters are well calculated to conciliate the reader's affection; the incidents are natural and fucceffively interefting; we attend with pleasure the progrefs of their loves; in the hour of peril our apprehenfions are gradually awakened, and wrought up to a degree of painful fensation in the contemplation of the fatal catastrophe:in this critical conjuncture the poet deferts his fubject and himself. An unneceffary fimile awkwardly introduced in the close, copied from that well-known defcription of Patience, which the great painter of

nature

aptly puts into the mouth of the love-fick Viola,

embarraffes