"he is a virulent Papift; and yet a pillar for the "church of England."

Of both which opinions

Mr. LEWIS THEOBALD

feems alfo to be; declaring in Mift's Journal of June 22, 1718, "That, if he is not fhrewdly abused, " he made it his practice to cackle to both parties " in their own fentiments." But, as to his pique against people of quality, the fame Journalist doth not agree, but faith (May 8, 1728), " He had, by "fome means or other, the acquaintance and friend"fhip of the whole body of our nobility.”

However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gildon, in the character laft cited, make it all plain, by affuring us," That he is a creature "that reconciles all contradictions: he is a beaft, " and a man; a Whig, and a Tory; a writer (at "one and the fame time) of Guardians and Ex"aminers; an affertor of liberty, and of the dif

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penfing power of kings; a Jefuitical profeffor of "truth; a base and a foul pretender to candour.” So that, upon the whole account, we must conclude him either to have been a great hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible impofer upon both parties, or very moderate to either.

Be it as to the judicious reader shall seem good. Sure it is, he is little favoured of certain authors,

The names of two weekly papers.

whofe wrath is perilous: for one declares he ought to have a price fet on his head, and to be hunted down as a wild beaft . Another protefts that he does not know what may happen; advises him to enfure his perfon; fays, he has bitter enemies, and exprefsly declares it will be well if he efcapes with his life. One defires he would cut his own throat, or hang himself. But Pasquin feemed rather inclined it fhould be done by the government, reprefenting him engaged in grievous defigns with a lord of parliament then under prosecution 1. Mr. Dennis himfelf hath written to a Minister, that he is one of the moft dangerous perfons in this kingdom; and affureth the public, that he is an open and mortal enemy to his country; a monfter, that will, one day, fhew as daring a foul as a mad Indian, who runs a muck to kill the firft Chriftian he meets ". Another gives information of treason discovered in his Poem, Mr. Curll boldly supplies an imperfect verse with Kings and Princeffes P. And one Matthew Concanen, yet more impudent, publishes at length the two moft

h Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22, 1728. i Smedley, Pref. to Gulliveriana, p. 14. 16. k Gulliveriana, p. 332. 1 Anno 1723. m Anno 1729. n Preface to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 12. and in the last page of that treatise.

Page 6, 7. of the Preface, by Concanen, to a book intitled, A Collection of all the Letters, Effays, Verfes, and Advertisements, occafioned by Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies. Printed for A. Moore, octavo, 1712. P Key to the Dunciad, 3d edit. p. 18.

SACRED NAMES in this nation, as members of the Dunciad 9 !

This is prodigious! yet it is almost as ftrange, that in the midst of these invectives his greatest enemies have (I know not how) borne teftimony to fome merit in him.

Mr. THEOBALD,

in cenfuring his Shakespeare, declares, " He has so great an efteem for Mr. Pope, and so high an opinion of his genius and excellencies; that, notwithstanding he professes a veneration almost rising "to idolatry for the writings of this inimitable poet, "he would be very loth even to do him juftice, at the expence of that other gentleman's character'."

Mr. CHARLES GILDON,

after having violently attacked him in many pieces, at laft came to wifh from his heart, "That Mr. "Pope would be prevailed upon to give us Ovid's

Epiftles by his hand, for it is certain we see the original of Sappho to Phaon with much more life "and likeness in his verfion, than in that of Sir Car "Scrope. And this (he adds) is the more to be "wished, because in the English tongue we have "fcarcely any thing truly and naturally written

9 A Lift of Perfons, &c. at the end of the forementioned Collection of all the Letters, Effays, &c. • Introduction to his Shakespeare Reftored, in quarto, P. 3.

upon love." He alfo, in taxing Sir Richard. Blackmore for his heterodox opinions of Homer, challengeth him to answer what Mr. Pope hath faid in his Preface to that Poet.

Mr. OLDMIXON

calls him a great master of our tongue; declares "the purity and perfection of the English language "to be found in his Homer; and, faying there are "more good verses in Dryden's Virgil than in any "other work, except this of our author only *.”

The Author of a Letter to Mr. CIBBER fays, "Pope was fo good a verfifier [once] that, "his predeceffor Mr. Dryden, and his contempo" rary Mr. Prior excepted, the harmony of his "numbers is equal to any body's. And, that he "had all the merit, that a man can have that way." And

Mr. THOMAS COOKE,

after much blemishing our Author's Homer, crieth Fout,

"But in his other works what beauties fhine, "While sweetest mufic dwells in every line! "These he admir'd, on these he stamp'd his praise, "And bade them live to brighten future days w.” So alfo one who takes the name of

H. STANHOPE,

Commentary on the Duke of Buckingham's Essay, octavo, 1721, p. 97, 98.

In his profe Effay on Criticifm.

n Printed by J. Roberts, 1742, p. 11. w Battle of the Poets, folio, p. 15.

the maker of certain verfes to Duncan Campbell*, in that poem, which is wholly a fatire upon Mr. Pope, confeffeth,

" "Tis true, if fineft notes alone could show

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(Tun'd juftly high, or regularly low)

"That we should fame to thefe mere vocals give; "Pope more than we can offer fhould receive: "For when fome gliding river is his theme, "His lines runs fmoother than the smootheft "ftream," &c.

MIST'S JOURNAL, June 8, 1728.

Although he fays, "The fmooth numbers of the "Dunciad are all that recommend it, nor has it 66 any other merit;" yet that fame paper hath these words: "The author is allowed to be a perfect "master of an easy and elegant verfification. In "all his works we find the most happy turns, and "natural fimilies, wonderfully short and thick "fown."

The Effay on the Dunciad also owns, p. 25. it is very full of beautiful images. But the panegyric, which crowns all that can be faid on this Poem, is bestowed by our leaureate,

who "<

..

Mr. COLLEY CIBBER, grants it to be a better poem of its kind than ever was writ:" but adds, "it was a victory "over a parcel of poor wretches, whom it was al"moft cowardice to conquer.-A man might as well

x Printed under the title of the Progress of Dulness, duodecimo, 1728.