PREFACE

Prefixed to the five first imperfet Editions of the DUNCIAD, in three Pooks, printed at DUBLIN and LONDON, in oclavo and duodecimo, 1727. THE PUBLISHER (a) TO THE READER. It will be found a true obfervation, though fome what furprifing, that when any fcandal is vented against a man of the highest diftinction and character, either in the state or literature, the public in

(a) The Publifber] Who be was is uncertain; but Edward Ward tells us, in bis Preface to Durgen," that "most judges are of opinion this preface is not of Eng"life extraction, but Hibernian," . He means it was written by Dr. Swift, who, whether publifver or not, may be faid in a fort to be author of the poem. For when be, together with Mr. Pope (for reafons fpecified in the preface to their Mifcellanies) determined to ewn the maft trifting pieces in which they bad any band, and to defroy all that remained in their power; the firft fected of this poem was fnatched from the fire by Dr. Swift, abo perfuaded bis friend to proceed in it, and to bim it was therefore infcribed. But the occafion of printing it was as follows

was a

There was published in thofe Mifcellanies, a Treatife of the Bethes, or Art of Sinking in Poetry, in which chapter, where the fpecies of bad writers are ranged in claffes, and initial letters of names prefixed, for the most part at random. But fuch was the number of poets eminent in that art, that fome one or other took every letter to bimfelf. All fell into fo violent a fury, that for half a year, or more, the common newspapers (in most of which they bad fome property, as being hired writers) were filled with the most ab five falfihoods and fcurrilities they could poffibly devife; a liberty no ways to be wondered at in thofe people, and in these papers, that, for many years, during the uncontrouied licenfe of the prefs, bad afperfed almost all the great characters of the age; and this with impunity, their own perfons and names being utterly fecret and cbfcure. This gave Mr. Pope the thought, that he had moro fome opportunity of doing good, by detecting and dragging into light thefe common enemies of mankind; force to invalidate this uniwerful flander, it fufficed to Aow what contemptible men were the authors of it. Vol. VIII.

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general afford it a most quiet reception: and the larger part accept it as favourably as if it were fome kindaefs done to themfelves: whereas, if a known fcoundrel or blockhead but chanced to be touched upon, a whole legion is up in arms, and it becomes the common caufe of all scribblers, and printers what foever.

Not to fearch too deeply into the reafon hereof, thefe two months paft, the town has been perfeI will only obferve as a fact, that every week for cuted with (6) pamphlets, advertisements, letters, and weekly effays, not only against the wit and writings, but against the character and person of Mr. Pope. And that of all thofe men who have received pleasure from his works, which by modeft computation may be about a (c) hundred thousand in thefe kingdoms of England and Ireland (not to mention Jerfey, Guernsey, the Orcades, thofe in the new world, and foreigners who have translated him into their languages); of all this number not a man hath stood up to fay one word in his defence.

He was not without bopes, that by manifefling the dulnefs of those who bad only malice to recommend them; either the bookfellers would not find their account in employing them, or the men themfelves, when discovered, want courage to proceed in fo unlawful an occupation. This it was that gave birth to the Duuciad; and he thought it an happiness, that by the late flood of flander on bimfelf, he had acquired fuch a peculiar right over their names, as quas neceffary to bis defign.

(b) Pamphlets, advertisements, &c.] See the lift of thofe anonymous papers, with their dates and authors annexed, inferted before the poem.

(c) about a hundred thousand} It is furprising with what ftupidity this preface, which is almoft a continued irony, was taken by thofe authors. All fuch paffages, as thefe were underfloo! by Curl!, Back, Cibber, and others, to be fericus. Hear the Laureate (Letter to Mr. Pope, p. 9.)" Though I grant the Dunciad a better

6.

poem of its kind than ever was writ; yet, then I "read it with thofe vain-glorious encumbrances of Notes "and Remarks upon it, &c.-it is amafing, that you, "robo bave zurit with fuch mafterly Spirit upon the "ruling paffion, should be fo blind a flave to your own, as not to fee how far a low avarice of praife," &c. (taking it for granted that the notes of Scriblerus and others, were the author's own.)

The only exception is the (d) author of the following poem, who doubtless had either a better infight into the grounds of this clamour, or a better opinion of Mr. Pope's integrity, joined with a greater personal love for him, than any other of his numerous friends and admirers.

Farther, that he was in his peculiar intimacy, appears from the knowledge he manifefts of the moft private authors of all the anonymous pieces against him, and from his having in this poem attacked (e) no man living, who had not before printed, or published some scandal against this gen

tleman.

How I came poffeft of it, is no concern to the reader but it would have been a wrong to him had I detained the publication; fince those names which are its chief ornaments die off daily so fast, as must render it too foon unintelligible. If it provoke the author to give us a more perfect edition, I have my end.

Who he is I cannot say, and (which is a great pity) there is certainly (f) nothing in his ftyle and manner of writing, which can distinguish or discover him: for if it bears any resemblance to that of Mr. Pope, it is not improbable but it might be done on purpose, with a view to have it pafs for his. But by the frequency of his allufion's to Virgil, and a laboured (not to fay affected) fhortnefs in imitation of him, I fhould think him more an admirer of the Roman poet than of the Grecian, and in that not of the fame tafte with his

friend.

I have been well informed, that this work was the labour of full (g) fix years of his life, and that he wholly retired himself from all the avoca

(d) The author of the following poem, &c.] A very plain irony, Speaking of Mr. Pope himself.

(e) The publifver in thefe gvords went a little too far; but it is certain, whatever names the reader finds that are unknown to him, are of fucb; and the exception is only of two or three, whofe duir-fs, impudent fourrility, or felf-conceit, all mankind agreed to have jufily entitled them to a place in the Dunciad.

(f) There is certainly nothing in bis flyle, &c.] This irony bad small effect in concealing the author. The Dunciad, imperfell as it was, bad not been publifbed two days, but the whole torn gave it to Mr. Pope

(g) the labour of full fix years, &c.] This also was Bonefily and feriously believed by divers gentlemen of the Dunciad. F. Ralph, pref. to Sarney, "We are told "it was the labour of fix years, with the utmoft affiduity "and application: It is no great compliment to the "author's fenfe, to have employed fo large a part of his "life, &c." So alfo Ward, pref. to Durgen, "The "Dunciad, as the publisher very wifely confeffes, coft "the author fix years retirement from all the pleasures "of life; though it is fomewhat difficult to conceive, "from either its bulk or beauty, that it could be fo long in batching, T. But the length of time and clofenefs "of application were mentioned, to prepoffefs the reader "with a good opinion of it."

They just

thе рост.

as well understood what Scriblerus said of

tions and pleasures of the world, to attend dili gently to its correction and perfection; and fix years more he intended to bestow upon it, as would feem by this verfe of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manuscript :

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"Oh mihi biffenos multum vigilata per annos, "Duncia! (b)"

Hence alfo we learn the true title of the poem: which with the fame certainty as we call that of Homer the Iliad, of Virgil the Æneid, of Camoens the Lufiad, we may pronounce, could have been, and can be, no other than

THE DUNCIAD.

It is ftyled heroic, as being doubly fo; not only with respect to its nature, which according to the best rules of the ancients, and strictest ideas of the moderns, is critically fuch; but alfo with regard to the heroical difpofition and high courage of the writer, who dared to ftir up fuch a formidable, irritable, and implacable race of mortals.

There may arife fome obfcurity in chronology from the names in the poem, by the inevitable removal of fome authors, and infertion of others in their niches. For whoever will confider the unity of the whole defign, will be fenfible, that the poem was not made for these authors, but these authors

for the poem. I fhould judge that they were clapped in as they rofe, fresh and fresh, and changed from day to day; in like manner as when the old boughs wither, we thruft new once into a chimney.

I would not have the reader too much troubled, or anxious, if he cannot decypher them: fince when he fhall have found them out, he will probably know no more of the perfons than before.

Yet we judged it better to preferve them as they are, than to change them for fictitious names; by which the fatire would only be multiplied, and applied to many inftead of one. Had the hero, for inftance, been called Codrus, how many would have affirmed him to have been Mr. T. Mr E.

Sir R. B. &c. But now all that unjust scandal is faved by calling him by a name, which, by good luck, happens to be that of a real perfon.

II.

A LIST OF BOOKS, PAPERS, AND VERSES, In which our Author was alnifed, before the Publication of the DUNCIAD; with the true Names of the Authors.

REFLECTIONS critical and fatirical on a late Rhapfody, called, An Effay on Criticism. By Mr. Dennis, printed by B. Lintot, price 6 d.

(b) The prefacer to Curll's key,p. 3. took this word to be really in Statius: "By a quibble on the word “ Duncia, the Dunciad is formed."* Mr. Werd alfo follows him in the fame opinion.

A New Rehearsal, or Bays the younger: containing an Examen of Mr. Rowe's plays, and a word or two on Mr. Pope's Rape of the Lock, Anon. [by Charles Gildon] printed for J. Roberts, 1714, price I s.

Homerides, or a Letter to Mr. Pope, occafioned by his intended translation of Homer, By Sir Iliad Doggrel, [Tho. Burnet and G. Ducket Efquires] printed for W. Wilkins, 1715, price 9 d. fop at the Bear-garden; a Vifion, in imitation of the Temple of Fame, by Mr. Prefton. Sold by John Morphew, 1715, price 6 d.

The Catholic Poet, or Proteftant Barnaby's Sorrowful Lamentation; a Ballad about Homer's Iliad. By Mrs. Centlivre and others, 1715, price 1 d.

An Epilogue to a Puppet-show at Bath, concerning the faid Iliad. By George Ducket, Efq; printed by E. Čurll.

A complete Key to the What-d'ye-call-it. Anon. [by Griffin a Player, fupervised by Mr. Th-] printed by J. Roberts, 1715.

A true character of Mr. P. and his writings, in a letter to a friend. Anon. [Dennis] printed for S. Popping, 1716, price 3 d.

The Confederates, a Farce. By Jofeph Gay, IJ. D. Breval] printed for R. Burleigh, 1717, price I s.

Remarks upon Mr. Pope's tranflation of Homer; with two letters concerning the Windfor Foreft, and the Temple of Fame. By Mr. Dennis, printed for E. Curll, 1717, price I s. 6 d.

Satires on the Tranflators of Homer, Mr. P. and Mr. T. Anon. [Bez. Morris] 1717, price 6 d. The Triumvirate: or a Letter from Palemon to Celia at Bath. Anon. [Leonard Welfted] 1711, folio, price 1 s.

The Battle of Poets, an heroic poem. By Tho. Cooke, printed for J. Roberts, folio, 1725.

Memoirs of Lilliput. Anon. [Eliz. Heywood] 8vo, printed in 1727.

An Elay on Criticism, in profe. By the author of the Critical Hiftory of England [J. Oldmixon] Svo, printed 1728.

Gulliveriana and Alexandriana; with an ample preface and critique on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. By Jonathan Smedley, printed by J. Roberts, 8vo, 1728.

Characters of the Times; or an account of the writings, characters, &c. of several gentlemen libelled, by Sand P—, in a late Mifcellany, 8vo, 1728.

Remarks on Mr. Pope's Rape of the Lock, in letters to a friend. By Mr. Dennis; written in 1724, though not printed till 1728, 8vo.

Mift's Weekly Journal, March 30. An Effay on the Arts of a Poet's finking in reputation; of, a Supplement to the Art of finking in Poetry. [Suppofed by Mr. Theobald.]

Daily Journal, April 3. A Letter under the name of Philo-ditto. By James-Moore Smith. Flying Poft, April 4. A letter against Gulliver and Mr. P. [By Mr. Oldmixion.]

Daily Journal, April 5. An Auction of Goods at Twickenham, By James Moore Smith. The Flying Foft, April 6. A Fragment of a Treatife upon Swift and Pope. By Mr. Oldmixon The Senator, April 9. On the fame. By Edward Roome.

Daily Journal, April 8. Advertisement by James-Moore Smith.

Flying Poft, April 13. Verfes againf Dr. Swift, and against Mr. P-'s Homer. By J. Oldmixon. Daily Journal, April 23. Letter about the tranflation of the character of Therfites in Homer. By Thomas Cooke, &c.

Mift's Weekly Journal, April 27. A Letter of Lewis Theobald.

Daily Journal, May 11. A Letter against Mr. P. at large. Anon. [John Dennis.]

All these were afterwards reprinted in a panphlet, intituled, A Collection of all the Verfes, Effays, Letters, and Advertisements occafioned by Mr. Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies, prefaced by. Concannen, Anonymous, 8vo, and printed for A. Moore, 1728, price I s. Others of an elder date, having lain as wafte paper many years, were, upon the publication of the Dunciad, brought out, and their authors betrayed by the mercenary bookfellers (in hopes of fonie poffibility of vending a few) by advertising them in this manner." The "Confederates, a Farce. By Capt. Breval (for "which he was put into the Dunciad). An Epi"logue to Powell's Puppet-how. By Col. Ducket "(for which he was put into the Dunciad). Ef"fays, &c. By Sir Richard Blackmore. (N. B. "It was for a passage of this book that Sir Richard "was put into the Dunciad.") And fo of others.

After the Dunciad, 1728.

An Effay on the Dunciad, 8vo, printed for J. Roberts. [In this book, p. 9. it was formally declared, "That the complaint of the aforefaid "libels and advertisements was forged and untrue: "that all mouths had been filent, except in Mr. Pope's praife; and nothing against him publish"ed, but by Mr. Theobald."]

Prints.

British Journal, Nov. 25, 1727. A letter on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. [Writ by M. Concannen.]

A complete Key to the Dunciad. By E. Curll, 12mo, price 6 d.

A fecond and third edition of the fame, with additions, 12mo.

The Popiad. By E. Curll, extracted from J. Dennis, Sir Richard Blackmore, &c. 12mo. price

The Curliad. By the fame E. Curll.

The Female Dunciad. Collected by the fame

Mr. Curll, 12mo. price 6 d. With the Metamorphofis of P. into a flinging Nettle. By Mr. Fox

ton, 12mo.

The Metamorphofis of Scriblerus into Snarlerus. By. J. Smedley, printed for A. Moore, folio, price 6 d.

The Dunciad diffected. By Curl and Mrs. Thomas, 12mo.

An Effay on the Tafte and Writings of the fent Times. Said to be writ by a gentleman of C. C. C Oxon, printed for J. Roberts, 8vo. The Arts of Logic and Rhetoric, partly taken from Bouhours, with new Reflections, &c. By John Oldmixon, 8vo.

TIT.
ADVERTISEMENT

To the firft Edition with Notes, in 4to, 1729.

Remarks on the Dunciad. By Mr. Dennis, dedicated to Theobald, 8vo.

A Supplement to the Profund. Anon. by Matthew Concannen, 8vo.

Mift's Weekly Journal, June 8. A long letter, figned W. A. Writ by fome or other of the club of Theobald, Dennis, Moore, Concannen, Cooke, who for fome time held conftant weekly meetings for thofe kind of performances.

Daily Journal, June 11. A letter figned Philoferiblerus, on the name of Pope.-Letter to Mr. Theobald, in verfe, figned B. M. [Bezaleel Morris] against Mr. P. Many other little epigrams, about this time in the fame papers, by James Moore, and others.

M.ft's Journal, June 22.

'I he bald.

Flying Poft, Auguft 8. Swift

A letter by Lewis

Letter on Pope and

Daily Journal, Auguft 8. Letter charging the author of the Dunciad with treafon.

Durgen: A plain fatire on a pompous fatirift. By Edward Ward, with a little of James Moore. Apollo's Maggot in his cups. By E. Ward. Gulliveriana Secunda. Being a collection of many of the libels in the newfpapers, like the former volume, under the fame title, by Smedley. Advertised in the Craftsman, Nov. 9. 1728, with this remarkable promife, that " any thing which any body fhould fend as Mr. Pope's or Dr. "Swift's, fhould be inferted and published as "theirs."

Pope Alexander's fupremacy and infallibility examined, &c. By George Ducket and John Dennis, 4to.

Dean Jonathan's Paraphrafe on the fourth chapter of Genefis. Writ by E. Roome, folio, 1729.

Labeo: A paper of verses by Leonard Welfted, which after came into one epiftle, and was publifhed by James Moore, 4to, 1730. Another part of it came out in Welfted's own name, under the just title of Dulnefs and Scandal, folio, 1731.

There have been fince publified, Verfes on the imitator of Horace. By a lady [or between a lady, a lord, and a court 'íquire] printed for J. Roberts, folio.

An epifle from a nobleman to a doctor of divinity, from Hampton-court [Lord H-y.] Printed for J. Roberts alfo, folio.

A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope. Printed for W. Lewis in Covent garden, 8vo.

The commentary which attends this poem, was fent me from feveral hands, and confequently must be unequally written; yet will have one advantage over moft commentaries, that it is not made upon conjectures, or at a remote diftance of time : and the reader cannot but derive one pleasure from the very obfcurity of the perfons it treats of, that. it partakes of the nature of a fecret, which most people love to be let into, though the men or the things be ever so inconfiderable or trivial.

Of the perfons it was judged proper to give fome account: for fince it is only in this monument that they must expect to survive (and here furvive they will, as long as the English tongue fhall remain fuch as it was in the reigns of Queen Anne and King George), it feemed but humanity to bestow a word or two upon each, juft to tell what he was, what he writ, when he lived, and when he died.

If a word or two more are added upon the chief offenders, it is only as a paper pinned upon the breaft, to mark the enormities for which they fuffered; left the correction only fhould be remembered, and the crime forgotten.

In fome articles it was thought fufficient, barely to transcribe from Jacob, Curll, and other writers of their own rank, who were much better acquainted with them than any of the authors of this comment can pretend to be. Moft of them had drawn each other's characters on certain occafions; but the few here inferted, are all that could be faved from the general destruction of fuch works.

Of the part of Scriblerus I need fay nothing; his manner is well enough known, and approved by all but those who are too much concerned to be judges.

IV. ADVERTISEMENT

To the first Edition of the fourth Book of the Danciad, when printed separately in the Year 1742. We apprehend it can be deemed no injury to the author of the three first books of the Dunciad, that

we publish this fourth. It was found merely by | accident, in taking a furvey of the library of a late eminent nobleman; but in fo blotted a condition, and in fo many detached pieces, as plainly fhowed it to be not only incorrect, but unfinished. That the author of the three first books had a defign to extend and complete his poem in this manner, appears from the differtation prefixed to it, where it | is faid, that the defign is more extenfive, and that we may expect other epifodes to complete it: And from the declaration in the argument to the third book, that the accomplishment of the prophecies therein would be the theme hereafter of a greater Dunciad. But whether or no he be the author of this, we declare ourselves ignorant. If he be, we are no more to be blamed for the publication of it, than Tucca and Varius for that of the last fix books of the Æneid, though perhaps inferior to the former

If any perton be poffeffed of a more perfect copy of this work, or of any other fragments of it, ad will communicate them to the publisher, we fball make the next edition more complete: In which we also promife to infert any criticisms that fhall be published (if at all to the purpose) with the names of the authors; or any letters fent us (though not to the purpofe) fhall yet be printed under the title of "Epiftole Obfcurorum Virorum;" which, together with fome others of the fame kind, formerly laid by for that end, may make no unpleasant addition to the future impreffions of this poem,

V.

ADVERTISEMENT

To the complete Edition of 1743

I HAVE long had a defign of giving fome fort of notes on the works of this poet. Before I had the happiness of his acquaintance, I had written a commentary on his Effay on Man, and have fince finish ed another on the Effay on Criticifm. There was one already on the Dunciad, which had met with general approbation: But I ftill thought fome ad

ditions were wanting (of a more serious kind) to the humorous notes of Scriblerus, and even to thofe written by Mr. Cleland, Dr. Arbuthnot, and others. I had lately the pleasure to pass fome months with the author in the country, where prevailed upon him to do what I had long defired, and favour me with his explanation of several pasfages in his works. It happened, that just at that juncture was published a ridiculous book against him, full of perfonal reflections, which furnished him with a lucky opportunity of improving this poem, by giving it the only thing it wanted, a more confiderable hero. He was always fenfible of its defect in that particular, and owned he had let it pafs with the hero it had, purely for want of a better, not entertaining the least expectation that fuch an one was referved for this poft, as has fince obtained the laurel: But fince that had happened, he could no longer deny this justice either to him or the Dunciad.

And yet I will venture to say, there was another motive which had ftill more weight with our author: This perfoni was one, who from every folly (not to say vice) of which another would be afhamed, has conftantly derived a vanity and therefore was the man in the world who would least be hurt by it. W. W.

VII.

A PARALLEL

of the Characters of MR. DRYDEN and MR. POPE, as drawn by certain of their Contemporaries. MR. DRYDEN, bis Politics, Religion, Morals. MR DRYDEN is a mere renegado from monarchy, poetry, and good fente (a). A true republican fon at monarchical church (6). A republican atheift (c),

(4) Milbourne on Dryden's Virgil, 8vo, 1593, p. 6. (b) Page 38. (c) Page 192.

VII.

A PARALLEL

Of the Charaders of MR. POPE and MR. DRYDEN, as drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

MR. POPE, bis Politics, Religion, Morals. MR. Pope is an open and mortal enemy to his country and the commonwealth of learning (a). Some call him a Popish whig, which is directly

(a) D.nnis, Rem. on the Rape of the Locke, Pref.

p. 12.