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An Ass.] A camel will take upon him no more burden than is sufficient for his strength, but there is another beast that crouches under all 25.

A FROG.] Poet Squab, endued with poet Maro's spirit! an ugly, croaking kind of vermin, which would swell to the bulk of an ox 26.

A COWARD.] A Clinias, or a Damætus, or a man of Mr. Dryden's own courage 17.

A KNAVE.] Mr. Dryden has heard of Paul, the knave of Jesus Christ: and, if I mistake not, I have read somewhat of John Dryden, servant to his majesty 28.

A FOOL.] Had he not been such a self-conceited fool 29. Some great poets are positive.

blockheads 30.

A THING.] So little a thing as Mr. Dryden 31.

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his surname, viz. A P E, and they give you the same idea of an ape as his face 22, &c.

An Ass.] It is my duty to pull off the lion's skin from this little ass 23.

A FROG.] A squab, short gentleman—a little creature that, like the frog in the fable, swells, and is angry that it is not allowed to be as big as

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A COWARD.] A lurking, way-laying coward 25. A KNAVE.] He is one whom God and Nature have marked for want of common honesty 25.

A FOOL.] Great fools will be christened by the names of great poets, and Pope will be called Homer 27.

A THING.] A little abject thing 28.

22 Dennis's Daily Journal, May 11, 1728.

23 Dennis's Rem. on Hom. pref.

24 Dennis's Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, pref. p. 9.

25 Character of Mr. P. p. 3.

27 Dennis's Rem. on Homer, p. 37.

26 Ib.

28 Ib. p. 8.

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Br virtue of the Authority in Us vested by the Act for subjecting Poets to the Power of a Licenser, We have revised this Piece; where finding the style and appellation of KING to have been given to a certain Pretender, Pseudo-Poet, or Phantom, of the name of TIBBALD2; and apprehending the same may be deemed in some sort a Reflection on Majesty, or at least an insult on that Legal Authority which has bestowed on another Person the Crown of Poesy: We have ordered the said Pretender, Pseudo-Poet, or Phantom, utterly to vanish and evaporate out of this Work; and do declare the said Throne of Poesy from henceforth to be abdicated and vacant, unless duly and lawfully supplied by the LAUREATE 3 himself. And it is hereby enacted, that no other person do presume to fill the same.

1 A stroke of satire on the act for licensing plays, which was opposed with equal wit and vehemence by many of our author's friends.

2 Lewis Theobald.

3 Colley Cibber.

BY THE AUTHOR.

A

DECLARATION.

WHEREAS certain Haberdashers of Points and Particles, being instigated by the spirit of Pride, and assuming to themselves the name of Critics and Restorers, have taken upon them to adulterate the common and current sense of our Glorious Ancestors, Poets of this Realm, by clipping, coining, defacing the images, mixing their own base alloy, or otherwise falsifying the same; which they publish, utter, and vend as genuine; the said Haberdashers having no right thereto, as neither heirs, executors, administrators, assigns, or in any sort related to such Poets, to all or any of them: Now We, having carefully revised this our Dunciad, beginning with the words The mighty Mother, and ending with the words buries All, containing the entire sum of One thousand seven hundred and fifty-four verses, declare every word, figure, point, and comma, of this impression to be authentic: and do therefore strictly enjoin and forbid any person or persons whatsover to erase, reverse, put between hooks, or by any other means, directly or indirectly, change or mangle any of them. And we do hereby earnestly exhort all our brethren to follow this our example, which we heartily wish our great Predecessors had hereto

fore set, as a remedy and prevention of all such abuses. Provided always, that nothing in this Declaration shall be construed to limit the lawful and undoubted right of every subject of this Realm to judge, censure, or condemn, in the whole or in part, any Poem or Poet whatsoever.

Given under our hand at London, this third Day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred thirty and two.

Declarat' cor' me,

JOHN BARBER, Mayor,

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