The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-02-25
PLAGiA RIsM.

Poets, philosophers, and even divines, al
seem at times TO manifest a propensity 10
plagiarism. For fifty years, Paey has stood
al the verv head Of all original writer's on
Natural Theology and his work on that sub
ject will last as long as time lasts, in all prob
ability. Where is the man of education who
has not admired lis wonderful lucidiy, the
simplicity and force OF lis argum ent, the
beauty of its Illustrations. From the tratch
picked-up on The heath, with which he com.
mences, 10 the astronomical arguments with
which he concludes, all is seemingly per.
'eci. But alas, the whole argument, the
watch, wheels, works and crystal, were ali
stolen from Dr.. Nienwentyi, phiIoso-
rher, who lived in Holland, and published
the entire substance Of the book "a hundred
years before That work Zoo had'heen trans
lated into English and pubs he'd in London
in 17lS. There are passages copied almos:
verbatim, and ,hel plan of the whole work is
seemingly great and wilful plagiarism
As if TO bring the theft home 10 him, ho
even refers in one edition 10 the original
work of DR.. n. as his authority for rahicu-
lar statement while making no other ack1
nowledgmert OF Indebtedness.
a few years ago, DR.. X eth .brouch, out q
treatise on the fulfilled prophecy Every ons
admired it., uutl the Quarterly Review
showed that it was but recasl of Newton
on the Prophecies.
The poets are equally guilty. One of the
finest things Lord Byron ever wrote, was OF
the death of Kirke White, where lie repre-
sents him by struck cnSlo stretched upon
the plain, viewins.its owE feather on the ar
row, The plumage that had warmed it's tnesi,
drinking the last life drop of its blood. The
whole Of these lines are co pied, not quits
verbatim, but nearly so, inc luding almost
every rhyme from an old English poet, who
clearly got the ilea of his figure from 1.-The
Creek poet two thousand years before.
The "lIymn of Life" is charged with ,hs
sane want OF originality, even in that mimi
table figure.
"And our hearts, though stout and brave,
sui like inuflled drums are beating
Even JeTer.on, who wished for no other
epitaph than The Author OF The Declaration
o! Independence, was not ,he-au'hor, but
rather The editor OF that document, from g
nre existing declaration, drawn up the year
previously, al htrcNteucu.-, 2, cun-
tanning the came essential features, and in
deed many OF The same paragraphs.
The table so beautifully told by Dr. Frank
lin, TO eniosce charity the old man
whom Abraham drove from his tent for idol
airy, until il was shown him that since the
Lord had borne with him seventy years, he
might well afford 10 endure him .or one
nights all clearly taken from Jeremy Tay-
ior, who avowedy got it from some Rabbi
nIcai work.
But ii is by no means certain that these
parties were morally guilty of any plagiarism
whatever. On the contrary, there is hardly
anything about which a more false opinion
reigns in the community. For any man to
pretend 10 write nothing but what was abso.
IueIy original in thought and expression,
would I've absurd. An idea is scarcely ever
perfected by the man who conceived IL
PaIey for example. did not compose his work
on Natural Theology, until thirty years after
he had first declared tue substance OF it in
the form OF lecture before the University.
Tteae lectures would OF course be mere COM
pi'a'ions, and it is easy 10 suppose he may
have forgotten the sources of his ideas. ], is
also perfectly certain that the charming style
in which he clothed the thoughts, is what
has carried them home 10 men, and given
them their real value 10 themselves.
Byron cared huIe where lie &C, his rhymes
so that they nleased his own ear, all he
knew was that he drank the gin and water,
and the verses iine'ed from his fingers ends
He may ohen have reproduced wha, lie mad
read thus without knowing it, 1t frequently
happens that men read facts, and thoughts,
and even sentences, and write and tell them
as their own, without knowing, thinking or
caring where Trey came from, because so
much mote engrossed with conveying ths
idea. Many an author has written twice
over Inc same thoughts, IN almost Inc same
words, without the eas, knowledge that hs
was thus, as L were. p!agiaris,ng from him
self. Coleridge thus distracted from him.
self and from the German writers, thoughts
and pages, without knowing what he was
doing. In fact his whole life and philosophy
was grand reconstruction OF other mems
thoughts.
Further than this, it should be distinctly
observed that The labor of polishing up an old
thought, and setting it forth in clear and
lucid connection and style, is often sres! aud
gives thsiE chief interest to many OF these
productions. The additional value thus con-
ieried Is too much lost sight OF by those who
accuse OF plagiarism in such cases. Wher-
au author knowingly conceas his indebted
ness 10 those who adve gone betoTe, ii is all
act unworthy of great MUD. But this
is not so oGen the case as is supPosed.-Pu5
ledger
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