The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-19
SOME NOTED P%LAGIARISMS.
CLER0rMEN VINO NAVE PREACHED
SERMONS NOT THEN OWN.

Tbrir sermons-nuI-r Intended 90 ne
termine the Ethics OF Plagiarism.
A German satlrist has said that there Il n,
sirhth commandment in art, and that the poe
and man OF letters may help himself wherever h,
nnds material suited to him; that he may eveI
sppropI late entire columns with their carved
capitals. " the temple he thus supports be bean
tiful and artistic. This seems to be the ethic,
Of plagiarism enunciated BY Sheridan, whit in
his Critic" makes one Of his characters say;
"stsall To DO sure they may. and, esad-serve youI
best thoughts rs sypsics do stolen children -disnsur,
them to make EN- pass for their own"
There have been some notable instances OF
wholesale plagiarism which have far exceeded
the limits OF even sheridan's ethics. A tragic
poet, addicted to plagiarism, read q work to
Alexis PirOn. In which lie had introduced several
borrowed verses. While the poet was reading
Plron frequently took of his hat and made a
low bow.
what is the reason.'' said the differing poet,
"of your singular behavior in lifting and bow
ing so frequently
= MY conduct" replied Piron, "is not singu-
lar. for II Ia always my custom to make n bow
whenever I meet any OF my old acauaintances."
Alexander Pope published the first edition OF
his Essay on Man" anonymously. and the
authorship was Immediately claimed by n GER
tain scribe Of Grub street. The audacious
claimant met Pope one day and asked:
How did you like that last poem Of mine In
my Essay on Man?' Don't you think II pretty
fair. considering that 1t was written one after
noon while I was skulking from the bailiff 7"
"'Pon my honor" replied Pope, II think IL q
f~rst-rate performance. and intend to claim 1t as
my own at some fitting opportunity"
A similar story Is related regarding tho first
production OF George Eliot. The possessor Of
this pseudonym was not recognized at first. In
the mean time a clergyman in tho neighbor-
hood OF bennington allowed himself to be cred
ited with the authorship.
DR.. Richard Rolf, who after losing his place In
the excise by Joining the rebel army In 1745,
lived for somo time in Ireland aud eventually
became n great writer, once got an early copy Of
Akenside's 4" Pleasures Of the Imagination and
published 1t rs his own. The Rev. Mr.. Inncs
did a similar thing with DR.. Campbell's
Authenticity Of Gospel History" but in this
instance the reverend thief was rewarded with
o fat living as q token Of gratitude from q
patron who read the book before the robbery
was discovered.
There have been some curious instances of
clerical plagiarism. Dean Swift, In the course
of one OF those journeys to 'Holyhead, which
It Ia well known he performed several
times on foot. was travelling through the
little town of Church Stretton, In Shropshire.
and put up at the Crown Inn. Finding the land
lord genial and communicative. he inquired II
there was any agreeable person in the town
whom he might invite to partake of dinner.
The innkeeper replied that the curate of the
parish. the Rev. Mr.. Jones. was a very agree
able and companionable man, and would not,
hours with u gentleman of the Deans appear
snce. Dean Swift directed him to walt on
say that a traveller would be glad to
be- favored with his company at the
and the Dean had uiupi the former made nm |
apology for leaving. saying that at 3 O'Clock he
The Dean replied that he would also atteni
prayers. The service being ended. and the two
course eenrsem nt the sa SroWn fe the dean sa .f began s0 to co ,n1sITf.
ment Mr.. Jones on his delivery of a very apDrO-
pirate sermon. and remarke ed that 1t must have
cost him tMr. Jones) SEINE time and labor to
compose such a good sermon, The curate OBJ
served that his duties were rather laborinus. rs
he served another parish church at a distance. |
and that he had not much time at his disposal
for Tho composition of sermons. In fact he
well. aid the Dean. 1t IS we'll Tor YOU to
have such a talent, For my part. the very ser.
considerable time in composing"
Mr.. Jones looked somewhat alarmed. and
Dean. whose sermon he had stolen.
Don't be alarmed = rsj9ined the Dean" yon
declare that you have done more honor to my
sermon this day than could do myself; You
Mr.. Disrueli, in his :, Curiositie. OF Literature"
mentions that the Rev. John l'rus!er. Ii. y.
u Well-knOWn DDDkselltT anu Cninllller. VINO
fiour:shcd in London at the close of tie last and
the beginning OF the present century, was the
them to the clergy for ministerial use. These
sermons were plagiarized from existing publica-
TEN widely prevalent in England Of obtaining
original sermons; written by Invalid Clergy and
These sermons have had n large circuln-
,isR a no' . n. , ef, ,ns P 5sIrnrs cd 9 X. men PENN WHO 10
produce their own compositions. The following
incident took place in q cathedral city in tho
the cathedral cnnpter. and a Mr.. Brown. a Meth
Ghsft 1 I" prefix W the tit GeF "R sHH' to ts h ns% n " RsFref #
ought perhaps TO be explained that, until a de-
hve years ago there was an impression that the
title "Iiey." was the sole prerogatIve OF tho State
clergy; 1t happened that the Rev. Mr.. Brown
opened by mistake a number OF letters intended
ror the hey. Canon Brown, and lac sent them to
Canon acknowledged their receipt in the follow
ing caustic note:
The Reyerend Canon Brown presents hi. compll.
Hents 10 ar. brown and accepts his apology, but no
would remind him that 4 he would not lay claim 10 a
these could not occur.
Some months a%fterward a packet of litho-
graphed manuscript sermons came addressed to
the Rev. Mr., Brown and was delivered at the
ssnus Rsr9t,h G Neth tn minister: who opened i;
cathedral Canon with this note:
Mr.. brown, Methodist minister, regrets that he has
S SHf T sh ,"f Rs e"sSstd e Gn Il's9T RrGa@u 'S I"uI% n BY % s.;s@s;;
40 s Ssfifr9.sE an sS onhc s fSr Which as h. fsei has cop Mo int Intellectual
A clergyman once preached u sermon at
Great st. Mary's, Cam bridge, England, which
was plagiarized, but which one OF his auditors
commended:
YES said the gentleman to whom 1t was
mentioned. ut was u good sermon, but he
This was told to the preacher, who resented IL,
anh called on the gentleman TO retract what he
had said.
~ am not" replied the aggressor, "very ant
TO retract my words, hut In this instance | Will
do so. said that yOu had stolen that sermon.
j IND ! was wrong, for on returning home and
referring To the book whence | thought ii was
taken, ! found II there still :"
A correspondent OF the .ithend1tm some time
Ago discovered that the greater part of Paley's
Natural Theology" Is copied from a series Of
papers, which appeared about the end Of the
seventeenth century in the LCipsir transactions,
by q Dutch philosopher named Nienwentyt. Ii
ID extraordinary that this discovery was not
made before, seeing that tho pRpnrs, after hav-
Ing been published at Amsterdam about the
year 1900, were afterward translated into Eng
lish by Mr.. ChamherlnNnn mud nnhllAhen hv