Neither can this Imputation be laid at the doors of such who are onely Imitators of the Works of others, amongst which, are admired Sir =Charles Sidley=, and the inimitable M. =Wytcherley=: The last of which, if I mistake not, has Copied =Mollieres le Misanthrope=, in his Character of the =Plain Dealer=; and his =Celimene=, in that of =Olivia=: but =so well=, that though the Character of the =Misanthrope= be accounted by =Rapin=,[58] =Te Caractere le plus achevee=; The compleatest Character, and the most singular that ever appeared on the Stage: yet certainly =our Poet= has equaled, if not exceeded his Copy. Imitation which =Longinus= commends in =Stesichorus=, =Archilochus=, and =Herodotus=, all of them being imitators of =Homer=; but particularly he says of =Plato=: #Pantôn de toutôn malista ho Platôn, apo tou homêrikou ekeinou namatos eis hauton myrias hosas paratropas apocheteusamenos#[59] =Sed omnium hujus Poetæ studiosissimus imitator suit Plato, ab illis Homericis Laticibus ad se seductos vivos quam-plurimos transferens.=
But to put an end to these =Observations=, which may prove =alike troublesome= to the Reader, as well as to the Poets: I must say this for our Countrymen, That notwithstanding our =Modern= Authors have borrow'd =much= from the =French=, and other Nations, yet have we several Pieces, if I may so say, of our =own= Manefacture, which equal at least, any of our Neighbours productions. This is a truth so =generally= known, that I need not bring instances to prove, that in the =humour= of our =Comedies=, and in the =characters= of our =Tragedies=, we do not yeild to =any other= Nation. 'Tis true the =unities= of =Time=, =Place=, and =Action=, which are generally allowed to be the Beauties of a Play, and which the =French= are so careful to observe, add all lusture to their Plays; nevertheleß, several of our Poets have given proof, that did our Nation more regard them, they could practice them with equal succeß: But as a =correct Play= is not so much understood, or at least regarded by the generality of Spectators; and that few of our Poets now-a-days write so much for =Honour= as =Profit=: they are therefore content to please at an easier rate. But would some =great Man= appear here in the defence of =Poetry=, and for the support of =good= Poets, as the great Cardinal =Richlieu=, that Noble Patron of Arts and Sciences, did in =France=; I doubt not but we should find =several= Authors, who would quickly evince, that neither the Writings of =Aristotle=, or the practice of those admirable Rules laid down by that =Father= of =Criticism=, and his best Commentator, =Horace=; with the rest of those eminent Men, that have written on the =Art of the Stage=, are unknown to them.