TESTIMONIES

OF

AUTHORS

CONCERNING

Our POET and his WORKS.

M. SCRIBLERUS Lectori S.

BE

EFORE we present thee with our exercitations on this most delectable Poem (drawn from the many volumes of our Adverfaria on modern Authors) we shall here, according to the laudable ufage of editors, collect the various judgments of the Learned concerning our Poet: Various indeed, not only of different authors, but of the fame author at different feafons. Nor fhall we gather only the Teftimonies of fuch eminent Wits, as would of course defcend to pofterity, and confequently be read without our collection; but we fhall likewife with incredible labour feek out for divers others, which, but for this our diligence, could never at the distance of a few months appear to

the eye of the most curious. Hereby thou may'ft not only receive the delectation of Variety, but also arrive at a more certain judgment, by a grave and circumfpect comparison of the witneffes with each other, or of each with himfelf. Hence alfa thou wilt be enabled to draw reflections, not only of a critical, but a moral nature, by being let into many particulars of the Perfon as well as Genius, and of the Fortune as well as Merit, of our Author: In which if I relate fome things of little concern peradventure to thee, and fome of as little even to him; I entreat thee to confider how minutely all true critics and commentators are wont to infift upon fuch, and how material they feem to themselves, if to none other. Forgive me, gentle reader, if (following learned example) I ever and anon become tedious: allow me to take the fame pains to find whether my author were good or bad, well or ill-natured, modeft or arrogant; as another, whether his author was fair or brown, fhort or tall, or whether he wore a coat or a caflock.

We purposed to begin with his Life, Parentage, and Education: But as to thefe, even his contemporaries do exceedingly differ. One faith, he was educated at home; another, that he was bred at St. Omer's by Jefuits; a third, not at St. Omer's, but at Oxford; a fourth that he had no univerfity education at all. Thofe

a

d

2 Giles Jacob's Lives of Poets, vol. ii. in his Life. Dennis's Reflections on the Efay on Criticism, p. 4. Dunciad diffected, p. 4. d Guardian, No 40,

k

who allow him to be bred at home, differ as much concerning his Tutor: One faith, he was kept by his father on purpose; a fecond', that he was an itinerant prieft; a third, that he was a parfon; one" calleth him a fecular clergyman of the Church of Rome; another', a monk. As little do they agree about his Father, whom one fuppofeth, like the father of Hefiod, a tradefman or merchant; another', a husband-man; another", a hatter, &c. Nor has an author been wanting to give our Poet fuch a father, as Apuleius hath to Plato, Jamblichus to Pythagoras, and divers to Homer, namely a Dæmon: For thus Mr. Gildon" : "Certain it is, that his original is not from Adam, but the Devil; and that he wanted

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nothing but horns and tail to be the exact " resemblance of his infernal Father." Finding therefore, fuch contrariety of opinions, and (whatever be ours of this fort of generation) not being fond to enter into controverfy, we shall defer writing the Life of our Poet, 'till authors can determine among themselves what

e

m

Jacob's Lives, &c. vol. ii. f Dunciad diffected, p. 4. 8 Farmer P. and his fon. h Dunciad diffected. i Characters of the times, p. 45. * Female Dunciad, p. ult. 1 Dunciad diffected. Roome, Paraphrafe on the ivth of Genefis, printed 1729. Character of Mr. P. and his Writings, in a Letter to a Friend, printed for S. Popping, 1716, p. 10. Curl, in his Key to the Dunciad (firft edit. faid to be printed for A. Dodd) in the 10th page, declared Gildon to be author of that libel; though in the fubfequent editions of his Key he left out this affertion, and affirmed (in the Curliad, p. 4. and 8.) that it was written by Dennis only.

Parents or Education he had, or whether he had any Education or Parents at all.

Proceed we to what is more certain, his Works, tho' not lefs uncertain the judgments concerning them; beginning with his ESSAY on CRITICISM, of which hear firft the most antient of Critics,

Mr. JOHN DENNIS.

"His precepts are false or trivial, or both "his thoughts are crude and abortive, his expreffions abfurd, his numbers harsh and unmufical, his rhymes trivial and common ;"instead of majefty, we have fomething that " is very mean; inftead of gravity, fomething "that is very boyish; and instead of perfpi"cuity and lucid order, we have but too often "obfcurity and confufion." And in another place: "What rare numbers are here! Would "not one fwear that this youngster had espoused "fome antiquated Mufe, who had fued out a "divorce from fome fuperannuated finner, upon "account of impotence, and who being poxed by her former fpoufe, has got the gout in her decrepid age, which makes her hobble. So damnably.

"

No lefs peremptory is the cenfure of our hy-. percritical Hiftorian,

Mr. OLD MIX ON.

"I dare not fay any thing of the Effay on Cri❝ticism in verfe; but if any more curious "reader has difcovered in it fomething new

• Reflections critical and fatyrical on a Rhapfody, called, an Effay on Criticism. Printed for Bernard Lintot, octavo.

which is not in Dryden's prefaces, dedica❝tions, and his effay on dramatic poetry, not "to mention the French critics, I fhould be "very glad to have the benefit of the difco

"very

He is followed (as in fame, fo in judgment) by the modest and simple-minded

Mr. LEONARD WELSTED; Who, out of great refpect to our poet not naming him, doth yet glance at his Effay, together with the Duke of Buckingham's, and the Criticisms of Dryden, and of Horace, which he more openly taxeth': "As to the numerous "treatises, effays, arts, &c. both in verse and profe, that have been written by the moderns "on this ground-work, they do but hackney the fame thoughts over again, making them still

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more trite. Moft of their pieces are nothing "but a pert, infipid heap of common-place. Ho"race has even in his Art of Poetry thrown "out feveral things which plainly fhew, he

thought an Art of Poetry was of no use, even "while he was writing one."

To all which great authorities, we can only oppose that of

Mr. A D DÍSON.

The Art of Criticism (faith he) which was "published some months fince, is a mafterpiece in its kind. The obfervations follow "one another, like thofe in Horace's Art of

P Effay on Criticism in profe, octavo, 1728, by the author of the Critical Hiftory of England. 1 Preface to his

Spectator, N° 253.