existence.

The ancients, who in these matters were not, perhaps, such blockheads as
some may conceive, considered poetical quotation as one of the requisite
ornaments of oratory. Cicero, even in his philosophical works, is as
little sparing of quotations as Plutarch. Old Montaigne is so stuffed
with them, that he owns, if they were taken out of him little of himself
would remain; and yet this never injured that original turn which the
old Gascon has given to his thoughts. I suspect that Addison hardly ever
composed a Spectator which was not founded on some quotation, noted in
those three folio manuscript volumes which he previously collected; and
Addison lasts, while Steele, who always wrote from first impressions and
to the times, with perhaps no inferior genius, has passed away, insomuch
that Dr. Beattie once considered that he was obliging the world by
collecting Addison's papers, and carefully omitting Steele's.

Quotation, like much better things, has its abuses. One may quote till
one compiles. The ancient lawyers used to quote at the bar till they had
stagnated their own cause. "Retournons a nos moutons," was the cry of
the client. But these vagrant prowlers must be consigned to the beadles
of criticism. Such do not always understand the authors whose names
adorn their barren pages, and which are taken, too, from the third or
the thirtieth hand. Those who trust to such false quoters will often
learn how contrary this transmission is to the sense and the application
of the original. Every transplantation has altered the fruit of the
tree; every new channel the quality of the stream in its remove from the
spring-head. Bayle, when writing on "Comets," discovered this; for
having collected many things applicable to his work, as they stood
quoted in some modern writers, when he came to compare them with their
originals, he was surprised to find that they were nothing for his
purpose! the originals conveyed a quite contrary sense to that of the
pretended quoters, who often, from innocent blundering, and sometimes
from purposed deception, had falsified their quotations. This is an
useful story for second-hand authorities!

Selden had formed some notions on this subject of quotations in his
"Table-talk," art. "_Books and Authors_;" but, as Le Clerc justly
observes, proud of his immense reading, he has too often violated his
own precept. "In quoting of books," says Selden, "quote such authors as
are usually read; oth