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Explanation of Mr. Dendy^s Inscription, 



[Feb. 1, 



of litei-afure, to remark such similiari-. 

 ties as appear iu the passages before iis, 

 since ))y these means the merits of an 

 author may be more duly estimated, 

 his talents better appreciated, and the 

 originality of his compositions more 

 fully ascertained. Thus Aretades, an 

 ancient autlior whom Porphyry men- 

 tions in a fragment of iiis book on Phi- 

 lology, composed an entire treatise on 

 resemblances of this description ; and 

 Menage, a learned Frenchman, intended 

 as he himself tells us,* to compile a 

 regular work on tiie thefts and imita- 

 tions of the poets, wliich as liis infor- 

 mation was very extensive, woukl no 

 doubt have afforded abundant enter- 

 tainment and instruction. In the pre- 

 sent instance the enquiry serves to con- 

 vince us of tlie truth of the o1)servations 

 contained in tlie beginning of this 

 essay. " Surely it is not an un-enter- 

 taiuing pursuit to trace an apj)lauded 

 sentiment or description to its souj'ce, 

 and to observe with what judgment and 

 art it is adapted to each particular oc- 

 casion, provided this be done witli sucli 

 a spirit of candour as evinces tbat tlie 

 critic intends merely to gratify curio- 

 sity, and not from envy or a malignant 

 desire of detracting from established 

 merit." But the case is altered when 

 a mean attempt is made to blacken the 

 reputation of any eminent author by 

 treacherous arlilices, or to lessen it by 

 petty cavillings, and the detection of 

 trivial errors. Many such instances 

 have indeed occuired. Geuitts rarely 

 displays itself without creating solne 

 enemy, who endeavours to injure its 

 fame either by open hostility or by in- 

 sidious attacks. The futility of such 

 an attempt has, however, been too fully 

 exemplified in the case of the infiimous 

 Lauder, to induce any repetition of a 

 design so base and illiberal, as instead 

 of effecting its intended purpose, it 

 generally defeats itself, and only serves 

 to bring disgrace and contempt on its 

 tile projector. But this instance is not 

 singular, Dryden, Pope, and writers 

 of eminence iu every age have met with 

 enemies who strove t( detract from 

 merit which they could not but ac- 

 knowledge, and undermine reputation 

 to which they themselves were unable 

 to attain. Thus Dennis and the whole 

 crowd of scribblers in the beginning of 

 the last century, attacked the works of 

 Addison and Pope, and provoked the 

 latter to take a signal revenge on his 

 antagonists by writing his Duuciad. 



• Anti-Baillet, torn, ii, page 208. 



Boileau also was traduced by the Jesuits 

 who wrote tlie journal of Trevoux : 

 the illustrious Virgil, as ^Tdius Dona- 

 tus* informs us, was accused of taking 

 his best thoughts from Homer; and 

 even that Prince of Poets himself could 

 not escape tlie lash of a Zoilus. To 

 use the words of our author in his 

 Essay on (Criticism, when writing on 

 this subject ; 



" Envy will merit as its shade pursue, 

 But like ci sluidow prove the substance true : 

 Pride, niiiliei', folly, against Dryden rose 

 111 various shapes of parsons, critics, beuus ; 

 Might he return ami bless once more our 



eyes. 

 New Blackmores and new Milbourns must 



arise ; 

 Nay should great Homer lift his awful head, 

 Zoilus again would start up from the dead." 



To the constant enmity which ge- 

 nius meets with from envy, pride and 

 malice, Pope seems again to allude in 

 the conclusion of the first part of the 

 same essay, where, speaking of poets, 

 and of the trials and opposition to 

 which they are subject, he addresses 

 tiiem in tiiat passage which begins with 

 the lines, 

 "Hail! Bards triumphant, born iu happier 



days, 

 Immortal heirs of universal praise ! 



And in which Dr. Warburton sup- 

 poses tiiat tliere is a pleasantry in tlie 

 word triinnphnnt, as indicative of that 

 state of warfare wliich all real talent 

 must undergo while here on earth. 



♦ 

 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 

 SIR, 



SHOULD you approve of the sub- 

 joined explanation of Mr. Dendy"s 

 Inscription, (page 508 of your last 

 number,) you will olilige me by its 

 insertion. It appears to have^ been 

 written by some Monk, or other reli- 

 gious char.icter, and, most probably, 

 was placed in his bed-cliainl)er near a 

 crucifix (typus dei.) 



Inscription. 



NOnne MEA PECCATA quietem dEMENT 

 X P.M. ? plura fue REQUAM macuhie 

 vIPErae, nee dabit ULIam saLUTEM del 

 TyPUS. 



TRANSLATION. 



Will not ray sins take from me my rest in 

 the time of darkness (i. e. at the tenth hour 

 of the night?) they have been more nume- 

 rous than the spots of the viper, nor will the 

 image of God grant me any security. 



Je sus Coll. Camb. A. 



• A celebrated grammarian and rhetori- 

 cian, who flourished in the reign of Constan- 

 tius (A.D. 356) at Rome, where he wrote his 

 ' Commentarius in Virgilium,' prioted in 

 folio at Venice in the year 1529. 



Tu 



