, 1870-07-03

Where shall the fine line he drawn which
separates plagiarism from coincidence: How
cloee may similarity approach. and vet he COW
cred with the old e1c1,se OF two great iieas
occurring to two great minds independents:
Uf conrre. that ideas do not occt,r cannot he
denied, They often come like an endemic.
IND break nut in two or three places nt
once, without anyzh,ne like conta-
Cion, Self-generatet ideas are eapecssly
common in The world nf dramatic authorship.
It IL exceedingly curious what a number of
good scenes, good situations. good p1ots. are
from time to time evolved from dramnti~t's
personal consc,ouEnesF. md yet turn out on
inquiry TO have occurred IN somebody elae
Il is much the same = music. whole
phrases of somebody else's composition arc
frequently appropriated by composers who
i,ave not tho slightest intention to copy or
knowledge that they are copying. It is simply
an unconscious exercise OF memory. Mt 4
time when the thinker imaeiues he is creating.
to find tats not the originating. but the rocatl-
irr process has been going on, and that hts
rcf four or ave bars reaily belong TO Mozart.
SO with the maker Of versc. He is charmed
br finding his brain produce = felicitous eS-
r1cs-ion Of rhythm,cal cadence; he thinks
!, all hie own, bat he resily hea1d it years ago.
and forgot il until now: in fact. it be-
longs 10 smother man it Is nero
ountntion. But theee possibilities. though
they may psl'iate any direct charge
OF plagiarism, az far as n few bAra al music,
or sint Of poetry. or an eris1Anu1atsc e1-
preston are concerned. will not excuse whole.
ralc imitation. A man can hardly evolve
a shrce-volume novel from unconscious
ceretration. Nor can he built up thEee-Act
~ometly, fancyire it is his OWL. while really 1t
is all somebody else's. And get somehow
our dzsmatiste manage this also. in the most
they are taken in by their delusire hraias. and
simply plsgiariss while they imssinc they
arc creating. An author of Nj. Charles
Keede's really powerful can1citv-a nAn
thoroughly original III creative abiuty-1'su-
drces au impressive norel and play. Givtn
forth as hie own conception. H--fnr move
and play arc one story-tuhseluently turns
mt to lie French storv 80 identical that the
hprcine's Christian name is the sacuc in 10th
languages. Mr.. Hcade eccrne the charge Of
irzjtatlon: atserts that he never saw or heard
of t',c French work. And t!lat the plot at his
tic, with Mr, Enucicault. And tho tustttica-
fion urged Of "Foul Play" il constantly being
urged hv dza1nAtisss Whenever they are &C
curet. Of directly copying.
We know that extraordinary freaks arc
r{e<ed upon rtasw,ightR by their own bsaine,
They are always doing this -ost Of thing; with
an innocence Of wroug-1oing quite pathetic
The Frequency Of euch unintended plagiarism
alu,oet inclinea us TO believe IN epifitualisu1.
Can It b. that there are mischiavocs epirite,
who, in revenge for the indiguit.es put upon
them ty upbeliesing actors fsucl Is Mr. Sott'
err ard his frieuds,. delight in betrayinE
dramatic anthores Can it be 1omc modern
Puck OF Queen Nah, who. when PLAY
| wright site down to fashion new riece. whis'
| rers to him the whole plot Of rome hrother
| authors piece, vEich be forthwith adorts ant
r4avishly INITIATES al the white the poor fellow
think. be ia oriRinatings We ran only accoun
! fer the phenomenon on soma such sunposition
| cr e.ee uron the Hypothesis .hAs plose. Ike 1is
east spores are in Tho air, Anl thAt two o
three aramat.sts uay catch the sAre form o
! r1ct At remote distances treen each other
! london Orchestra