"whom this one creature fhould be unknown, would "fancy him a prodigy of art and nature, would be"lieve that all the great qualities of these perfons were "centered in him alone. But if I fhould venture to "affure him, that the PEOPLE OF ENGLAND had made "fuch a choice--the reader would either believe me "a malicious enemy, and flanderer; or that the reign of "the last (Queen Anne's) Miniftry was defigned by "fate to encourage Fools d."

But it happens, that this our Poet never had any Place, Penfion, or Gratuity, in any shape, from the faid glorious Queen, or any of her Minifters. All he owed, in the whole courfe of his life, to any court, was a subscription for his Homer, of 2001. from King George I. and 100l. from the Prince and Princess.

However, left we imagine our Author's fuccefs was constant and univerfal, they acquaint us of certain works in a less degree of repute, whereof, although owned by others, yet do they affure us he is the writer. Of this fort Mr. DENNIS afcribes to him two Farces, whofe names he does not tell, but affures us that there is not one jeft in them: and an imitation of Horace, whose title he does not mention, but affures us it is much more execrable than all his works f. The DAILY JOURNAL, May 11, 1728, affures us, "He is below "Tom Durfey in the Drama, because (as that writer "thinks) the Marriage-Hater matched, and the

d Rem. on Homer, p. 8, 9.

f Character of Mr. Pope, p. 7.

e Ib. p. 8.

"Boarding

"Boarding-School are better than the Wbat d'ye-call"it ;" which is not Mr. P.'s, but Mr. Gay's. Mr. GILDON affures us, in his New Rehearsal, p. 48. “That he was writing a play of the Lady Jane Grey ;” but it afterwards proved to be Mr. Rowe's. We are affured by another, "He wrote a pamphlet called Dr. "Andrew Tripe 8;" which proved to be one Dr. Wagstaff's. Mr. THEOBALD affures us, in Mist of the 27th of April, "That the treatife of the Profound "is very dull, and that Mr. Pope is the author of it." The writer of Gulliveriana is of another opinion; and fays, "the whole, or greatest part, of the merit of "this treatise must and can only be afcribed to Gul"liver h." [Here, gentle reader! cannot I but smile at the ftrange blindness and positiveness of men ; knowing the faid treatife to appertain to none other but to me, Martinus Scriblerus.]

We are affured, in Mift of June 8, "That his own "Plays and Farces would better have adorned the "Dunciad, than thofe of Mr. Theobald; for he had "neither genius for Tragedy nor Comedy." Which whether true or not, it is not eafy to judge; in as much as he had attempted neither. Unless we will take it for granted, with Mr. Cibber, that his being once very angry at hearing a friend's Play abused, was an infallible proof the Play was his own; the faid Mr. Cibber thinking it impoffible for a man to be much concerned for any but himself : "Now let any man

& Character of Mr. Pope, p. 6.

h Gulliv. p. 336. "judge

"judge (faith he) by his concern, who was the true "mother of the child i?"

But from all that hath been faid, the difcerning reader will collect, that it little availed our Author to have any Candour, fince, when he declared he did not write for others, it was not credited; as little to have any Modefty, fince, when he declined writing in any way himself, the prefumption of others was imputed to him. If he fingly enterprized one great work, he was taxed of Boldness and Madness to a Prodigy k If he took affiftants in another, it was complained of, and reprefented as a great injury to the Public. The loftieft heroics; the lowest ballads, treatises against the ftate or church, fatires on lords and ladies, raillery on wits and authors, fquabbles with booksellers, or even full and true accounts of monsters, poifons, and murders; of any hereof was there nothing fo good, nothing fo bad, which hath not at one or other season been to him afcribed. If it bore no author's name, then lay he concealed; if it did, he fathered it upon that author to be yet better concealed: If it resembled any of his styles, then was it evident; if it did not, then disguised he it on fet purpose. Yea, even direct oppofitions in religion, principles, and politics, have equally been fuppofed in him inherent. Surely a moft

i Cibber's Letter to Mr. P. p. 19.

k Burnet's Homerides, p. 1. of his tranflation of the Iliad.

1 The London and Mift's Journals, on his undertaking the Odyffey.

rare

rare and fingular character; Of which let the reader make what he can.

Doubtless moft Commentators would hence take occafion to turn all to their Author's advantage, and from the testimony of his very Enemies would affirm, That his Capacity was boundless, as well as his Imagination; that he was a perfect master of all Styles, and all Arguments; and that there was in those times no other Writer, in any kind, of any degree of excellence, fave he himself. But as this is not our own fentiment, we shall determine on nothing; but leave thee, gentle reader, to fteer thy judgment equally between various opinions, and to chufe whether thou wilt incline to the Teftimonies of Authors avowed, or of Authors concealed; of those who knew him, or of those who knew him not.

P.

MARTINUS

MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS

T

OF THE POEM.

HIS poem, as it celebrateth the most grave and ancient of things, Chaos, Night, and Dulness; fo is it of the most grave and ancient kind. Homer (faith Ariftotle) was the first who gave the Form, and (faith Horace) who adapted the Measure, to heroic poefy. But even before this, may be rationally prefumed from what the Ancients have left written, was a piece by Homer compofed, of like nature and matter with this of our Poet. For of Epic fort it appeareth to have been, yet of matter furely not unpleasant, witnefs what is reported of it by the learned archbishop Euftathius, in Odyff. x. And accordingly Aristotle, in his Poetics, chap. iv. doth further set forth, that as the Iliad and Odyssey gave example to Tragedy, fo did this poem to Comedy its first idea.

From these authors alfo it fhould feem, that the Hero, or chief perfonage of it was no less obscure, and his understanding and fentiments no lefs quaint and ftrange (if indeed not more fo) than any of the actors of our poem. MARGITES was the name of this per-` fonage, whom Antiquity recordeth to have been Dunce the first; and surely from what we hear of him, not unworthy to be the root of fo spreading a tree, and fo numerous a posterity. The poem therefore celebrating him was properly and abfolutely a Dunciad; which

VOL. III.

E

though