(Vol. iv., p. 132.)
MR. BARTON, in his "Note" on Pope and Flatman, inquires whether the
coincidence mentioned by him has been noticed before. I believe it has,
by more than one commentator, and among others by Croly in his edition
of Pope, London, E. J. Valpy, 1835. Dr. Croly introduces the ode of "The
Dying Christian to his Soul," with these remarks, from which it will be
seen that Flatman was not the only source of Pope's inspiration:
"Pope, in a letter to Steele, at whose suggestion he had adopted
the subject, gives this brief history of his composition:--'You
have it,' he says, 'as Cowley calls it, warm from the brain; it
came to me the first moment I waked this morning; yet you'll see
it was not so absolutely inspiration but that I had in my head not
only the verses of Hadrian, but the fine fragment of Sappho.' Pope
omitted to observe the close similarity of his lines to those of
Flatman, an obscure writer of the century before. Between his
rough versification and the polished elegance of Pope there can be
no comparison; but the thoughts are the same. Prior translated
Hadrian's ode with more fidelity, but less good fortune."