"moft cowardicè to conquer.-A man might as "well triumph for having killed fo many filly flies "that offended him. Could he have let them "alone, by this time, poor fouls! they had all been “buried in oblivion (y).” Here we see our excelJent laureat allows the juftice of the fatire on every man in it but himself; as the great Mr. Dennis did before him. "dation, and ought to have been published in an age and country more worthy of it. If my tel"timony be of any weight, you are fure to have "it in the ampleft manner," &c &c. &c. Thus we fee every one of his works hath been extolled by one or other of his moft inveterate enemies; and to the fuccefs of them all they do unanimously give teftimony. But it is fufficient, inThe faid MR. DENNIS and MR. GILDON, flar omnium, to behold the great critic, Mr. Dennis, in the most furious of all their works (the forecit-forely lamenting it, even from the Elsay on Cried character, p. 5.) do in concert (z) confess, That fome men of good understanding value "him for his rhymes." And (p. 17.) "that he has 66 got, like Mr Bays in the Rehearsal (that is like “Mr. Dryden), a notable knack at rhyming, and "writing smooth verse." MR. LEONARD WELTSTED thus wrote (a) to the unknown author, on the first publication of the faid effay; "I must own, after the reception which the vileft and most immoral ribaldry hath lately met with, I was furprif"ed to fee what I had long defpaired, a perfor"mance deferving the name of a poet. Such, Sir, "is your work. It is indeed above all commen (y) Cibber's Letter to Mr. Pepe, p. 9.-12. (z) In concert.) Hear bow Mr. Dennis bath proved our mistake in this place: "As to my writing in con"cert with Mr. Gildon, I declare upon the bonour and "word of a gentleman, that I never wrote fo much as 61 one line in concert with any one man whatsoever. And thefe two letters from Gildon will plainly few, that we are not writers in concert with each other. " Sir, ticism to this day of the Dunciad: "A moft no"torious inftance (quoth he) of the depravity of genius and tafte, the approbation this essay meets "with (b).—I can fafely affirm, that I never at"tacked any of thefe writings, unless they had "fuccefs infinitely beyond their merit. This, "though an empty, has been a popular feribbler. "The epidemic madnefs of the times has given "him reputation (c).—If after the cruel treatment "so many extraordinary men (Spenfer, Lord Ba con, Ben. Jonfon, Milton, Butler, Otway, and "others) have received from this country, for "these laft hundred years, I fhould fhift the fcene, "and fhow all that penury changed at once to riot "and profufenefs; and more fquandered away upon one fubject, than would have fatisfied the greater part of thofe extraordinary men; the "reader to whom this one creature fhould be unknown, would fancy him a prodigy of art and "nature; would believe that all the great quali "ties of these perfons were centered in him alone. "But if I should vente to affure him that the 66 66 People of England had made fuch a choice, the "reader would 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)." 66 But it happens, that this our poet never had any place, penfion, or gratuity, in any fhape, from the faid glorious queen, or any of her minifters. All he owed, in the whole course of his life, to any court, was a fubfcription for his Homer, of 2001. from King George I. and 100 l. from the prince and princefs. However, left we imagine our author's fuccefs was conftant and univerfal, they acquaint us of certain works in a lefs degree of repute, whereof, although owned by others, yet do they affure us he is the writer. Of this fort, Mr. Dennis (e) afcribes to him two farces, whose names he does not tell; but affures us that there is not one jeft in them and an imitation of Horace, whofe 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; becaufe, as that writer "thinks, the Marriage-hater matched, and the Boarding-fchool, are better than the What d'ye "call it;" which is not Mr. P.'s, but Mr. Gay's. (b) Dennis, pref. to bis Reflect. on the the Essay on Criticifm. (c) Preface to his remarks on Homer. Mr. Gildon affures us, in his New Rehearsal,(p. 48.) ML T "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 " pamphlet called Dr. Andrew Tripe (g);" which proved to be one Dr. Wagstaff's. Mr. Theobald affures us, in Mift 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 treat fe muft, and can only be afcribed to "Gulliver (b)." [Here, gentle reader! cannot I but fimile at the ftrange blindnefs and pofitivenefs of men; knowing the faid treatife to appertain to none other but to me, Martinus Scriblerus] that I | ed one great work, he was taxed of boldness and madness to a prodigy (4): If he took affistant in another, it was complained of, and represented as a great injury to the public (2) The loftieft heroics; the loweft ballads; treatifes against the state or church; fatires on lords and ladies; raillery on wits and authors; fquabbles with bookfellers; or even full and true accounts of monsters, poifons, and murders; of any hereof was there nothing fo good, nothing so bad, which hath not at one or other feafon 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 refembled any of his ftyles, then was it evident; if it did not, then disguised he it on fet purpose. Yea, even direct oppofitions in reWe are affured in Mist of June 8. “ That his ligion, principles, and politics, have equally been own plays and farces would better have adorned fuppofed in him inherent. Surely a moit rare and "the Dunciad, than those of Mr. l'heobald; for he | fingular character; of which let the reader make "had neither genius for tragedy nor comedy." what he can. Which, whether true or not, it is not easy to judge; in as much as he had attempted neither. Uniefs we will take it for granted, with Mr. Cibber, that his being once very angry at hearing a friend's play abufed, was an infallible proof the play was his owa; the faid Mr. Cibber thinking it impoffible for a man to be much concerned for any but himself: "Now let any man judge (faith he) by "his concern, who was the true mother of the "child ()? But from all that hath been said, 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 enterprif (g) Character of Mr. Pope, p. 6. (1) Gullia. p. 336. (1) Cibber's Letter to Mr. P. p. 19. Doubtless moft commentators would hence tako occafion to turn all to their author's advantage, and from the teftimony of his very enemies would affirm, that his capacity was boundless, as well as his imagination, that he was a perfect matter of all ftyles, and all arguments; and that there was in thofe 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 steer thy judgment equally between various opinions, and to choose 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. MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS OF THE POEM. Tais poem, as it celebrateth the most grave and ancient things, Chaos, Night, and Dulnefs; 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 bike nature and matter with this of our poet. For of epic fort it appeareth to have been, yet of matter furely not unpleasant; witness what is reported of it by the learned Archbishop Euftathius, in Odyff. x. And accordingly Aristotle, in his Poetics, chap. iv. doth further fet forth, that as the Iliad and Odyffey gave example to tragedy, fo did this poem to comedy its firft idea. We shall next declare the occafion and the cause which moved our poet to this particular work. He lived in thofe days, when (after Providence had permitted the invention of printing as a fcourge for the fins of the learned) paper also became fo cheap, and printers fo numerous, that a deluge of authors covered the land: whereby not only the peace of the honeft unwriting fubject was daily molefted, but unmerciful demands were made of his applaufe, yea of his money, by fuch as would neither earn the one, nor deferve the other. At the fame time, the licence of the press was fuch, that it grew dangerous to refuse them either: for they would forthwith publish flanders unpunished, the authors being anonymous, and skulking under the wings of publifhers; a fet of men who neither fcrupled to vend either calumny or blafphemy, as long as the town would call for it. From these authors alfo it fhould feem, that the hero, or chief perfonage of it was no lefs obfcure, and his understanding and fentiments no less quaint (a) Now our author, living in those times, did and ftrange (if indeed not more fo) than any of conceive it an endeavour well worthy an honest the actors of our poem. Margites was the name of satirist, to diffuade the dull, and punish the wickthis perfonage, whom antiquity recordeth to have ed, the only way that was left. In that publicbeen Dunce the firft; and furely, from what we fpirited view he laid the plan of this poem, as the hear him, not unworthy to be the root of so spread-greatest service he was capable (without much ing a tree, and fo numerous a pofterity. The poem, hurt, or being flain) to render his dear country. therefore, celebrating him, was properly and ab- First, taking things from their original, he confolutely a Dunciad; which though now unhappily fidereth the caufes creative of fuch authors, nameloft, yet is its nature fufficiently known by the in- ly Dulnefs and Poverty; the one born with them, fallible tokens aforefaid. And thus it doth appear, the other contracted by neglect of their proper ta that the first Dunciad was the first epic poem writ-lents, through felf-conceit of greater abilities. This ten by Homer himself, and anterior even to the Iliad or Odyssey. Now, forafmuch as our poet hath translated thofe two famous works of Homer, which are yet left, he did conceive it in fome fort his duty to imitate that alfo which was loft; and was therefore induced to bestow on it the fame form which Homer's is reported to have had, namely that of epic poem; with a title alfo framed after the ancient Greek manner, to wit, that of Dunciad. Wonderful it is, that fo few of the moderns have been stimulated to attempt fome Dunciad! fince, in the opinion of the multitude, it might cost less pain and toil than an imitation of the greater epic. But poffible it is alfo, that on due reflection the maker might find it easier to paint a Charlemagne, a Brute, or a Godfrey, with just pomp, and dignity heroic, than a Margites, a Codrus, or a Fleckno. truth he wrappeth in an allegory (4) (as the conftruction of epic poefy requireth), and feigns that one of thefe goddeffes had taken up her abode with the other, and that they jointly inspired all fuch writers, and fuch works. (c) He proceedeth to fhow the qualities they beftow on these authors, and the effects they produce (d): then the materials, or stock, with which they furnish them (2), and, above all, that self-opinion (ƒ) which causeth it to feem to themselves vaftly greater than it is, and is the prime motive of their fetting up in this (a) Vide Boffu, Du Poem Epique, chap. viii. (c) Book i. ver. 32. &c. MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS OF THE POEM. fad and forry merchandise. The great power of thefe goddeffes acting in alliance (whereof as the one is the mother of industry, fo is the other of plodding) was to be exemplified in fome one great and remarkable action: (g) and none could be more fo than that which our poet hath chofen, viz. the restoration of the reign of Chaos and Night, by the miniftry of Dulness their daughter, in the removal of her imperial feat from the city to the polite world; as the action of the neid is the reftoration of the empire of Troy, by the removal of the race from thence to Latium. But as Homer fingeth only the wrath of Achilles, yet includes in his poem the whole history of the Trojan war; in like manner, our author hath drawn into this fingle action the whole hiftory of Dulness, and her children. A perfon must next be fixed upon to fupport this action. This phantom in the poet's mind muft have a name (6): he finds it to be : and them, "a parcel of poor wretches, fo many filly "flies (i):" but adds, our author's wit is remark ably "more bare and barren, whenever it would “fall foul on Cibber, than upon any other perfon "whatever." The defcriptions are fingular; the comparifons very quaint; the narration various, yet of one colour: the purity and chastity of diction is fo preserved, that in the places moft fufpicious, not the words, but only the images have been cenfur ed; and yet are thofe images no other than have been fanctified by ancient and claffical authority (though, as was the manner of those good times, not fo curiously wrapped up), yea, and comment ed upon by the moft grave doctors, and approved critics. As it beareth the name of epic, it is thereby fubject to fuch fevere indifpenfible rules as are laid on all neoterics, a strict imitation of the an cients; infomuch that any deviation, accompanied with whatever poetic beauties, hath always been cenfured by the found critic. How exact that li mitation hath been in this piece, appeareth not only by its general ftructure, but by particular ille fions infinite, many whereof have escaped both the commentator and poet himself; yea divers, by his exceeding diligence, are fo altered and interwoven with the reft, that feveral have already been and more will be, by the ignorant, abused as altogether and originally his own. he becomes of course the hero of the poem. The fable being thus, according to the beft example, one and entire, as contained in the propofition; the machinery is a continued chain of al- | legories, fetting forth the whole power, miniftry, and empire of Dulnefs, extended through her fubordinate instruments, in all her various operations. This is branched into epifodes; each of which hath its moral apart, though all conducive to the main end. The crowd affembled in the fecond book, demonstrates the defign to be more extensive In a word, the whole poem prøveth itself to be than to bad poets only; and that we may expect the work of our author, when his faculties were other epifodes of the patrons, encouragers, or pay-in full vigour and perfection; at that exact times mafters of fuch authors, as occasion fhall bring them forth. And the third book, if well confidered, feemeth to embrace the whole world. Each of the games relateth to fome or other vile clafs of writers: the first concerneth the plagiary, to whom he giveth the name of Moore; the fecond, the libellous novelift, whom he styleth Eliza; the third, the flattering dedicator; the fourth, the bawling critic, or noify poet; the fifth, the dark and dirty | party-writer; and fo of the reft: affigning to each Tome proper name or other, such as he could find. As for the characters, the public hath already acknowledged how justly they are drawn: the manners are so depicted, and the fentiment fo peculiar to those to whón applied, that furely to transfer them to any other or wifer perfonage, would be exceeding difficult and certain it is, that every perfon concerned, being confulted apart, hath readily owned the refemblance of every portrait, his own excepted. So Mr. Cibber calls (g) Ibid. chap vii. viii. (6) Bau, chap. viii. Vide Arift. Poet, cap, ix. when years have ripened the judgment, without diminishing the imagination: which, by good critics, is held to be punctually at forty. For at that feason it was that Virgil finished his Geor◄◄ gics; and Sir Richard Blackmore at the like age compofing his Arthurs; declared the fame to be the very acme and pitch of life for epic poefy = though fince he hath altered it to fixty, the year in which he published his Alfred (k). True it is, that the talents for criticism, namely smartness quick cenfure, vivacity of remark, certainty of af severation, indeed all but acerbity, seem rather the gifts of youth, than of riper age: but it is far otherwife in poetty; witnefs the works of Mr. Rymer and Mr. Dennis; who beginning with criticifm, became afterwards fuch poets as no age hath paralleled. With good reason, therefore, did our author choose to write his effay on that fubject at twenty, and reserve for his maturer years this great and wonderful work of the Dunciad. RICARDUS ARISTARCHAS OF THE HERO OF THE POEM. "For contrary objects must either excite contrary "affections, or no affections at all. So that he who "loveth good men, must at the fame time hate the bad; and he who hateth not bad men, cannot love "the good; because to love good men proceedeth "from an averfion to evil, and to hate evil mea "from a tenderness to the good." From this de Or the nature of Dunciad in general, whence derived, and on what authority founded, as well as of the art and conduct of this our Poem in particular, the learned and laborious Scriblerus hath, according to his manner, and with tolerable fhare of judgment, differtated. But when he cometh to fpeak of the perfon of the hero fitted for fuch poem in truth he miferably halts and hallucinates:licacy of the mufe arofe the little epic (more lively for, mifled by one Monfieur Boffu, a Gallic critic, and choleric than her elder fitter, whose buik and he prateth of I'cannot tell what phantom of a he- complexion incline her to the phlegmatic): and ro, only raifed up to support the fable. A putrid for this, fome notorious vehicle of vice and foly conceit! As if Homer and Virgil, like modern was fought out, to make thereof an example. As undertakers, who first build their house and then early inftance of which (nor could it escape the ac feek out for a tenant, had contrived the flory of a curate Scriblerus) the father of epic poem hm.fef war and a wandering, before they once thought affordeth us. From him the practice defcended to either of Achilles or neas. We fhall therefore the Greek dramatic poets, his offspring; who, in fet our good brother and the world alfo right in the compofition of their Tetralogy, or fet of four this particular, by affuring them, that, in the pieces, were wont to make the laft a fatiric tragedy. greater epic, the prime intention of the mufe is Happily, one of thefe ancient Dunciads) as we may to exalt heroic virtue, in order to propagate the well term it) is come down unto us, amongst the love of it among the children of men; and con- tragedies of the poet Euripides. And what deth fequently that the poet's first thought muft needs the reader fuppofe may be the fubject thereof? be turned upon a real subject mect for laud and Why in truth, and it is worthy obfervation, the celebration not one whom he is to make, but one unequal contest of an old, dull, debauched buffoca whom he may find, truly illuftrious. This is the Cyclops, with the heaven-directed favourite of primum mobile of his poetic world, whence every Minerva; who, after having quietly borne all the thing is to receive life and motion. For, this fub-monster's obfcene and impious ribaldry, endeth the ject being found, he is immediately ordained, or farce in punishing him with the mark of an inde rather acknowledged, an hero, and put upon such lible brand in his forehead. May we not then be action as befitteth the dignity of his character. excufed, if, for the future, we confider the epics of Homer, Virgil, and Milton, together with this our poem, as a complete Tetralogy; in which the lat worthily hoideth the place or ftation of the fatiric piece? But the mufe ceafeth not here her eagle-flight. For fometimes, fatiated with the contemplation of thefe fons of glory, fhe turneth downward on her wing, and darts with Jove's lightning on the goofe and ferpent kind. For we may apply to the mufe in her varicus moods, what an ancient mafter of wifdom affirmeth of the Gods in general: "Si Dii "non irafcuntur impiis et injuftis, nec pios utique "juftofque diligunt. In rebus enim diverfis, aut in in utramque partem maveri neceffe eft, aut in neutram. Itaque qui bonos diligit, et malos odit; "et qui malos non odit, nec bonos diligit. Quia "et diligere bonos ex odio malorum venit; et ma"los odiffe ex bonorum caritate defcendit." Which in our vernacular idion may be thus interpreted: "If the Gods be not provoked at evil men, neither are they delighted with the good and juft. | | Proceed we therefore in our fubje&. It hath been long, and alas for pity! ftill remaineth a queftion, whether the hero of the greater epic thould be an honeft man; or as the French critics exprefs it, un honnête homme (a): but it never admitted of a doubt, but that the hero of the little epic fhould be just the contrary. Hence, to the advantage of our Dunciad, we may obferve, how much juster the moral of that poem must needs be, (a) Si un Heros Poëtique doit étre un lonnit: bomme. Boffu, du Poime Epique, hv. v. ch. 5. |