called happy till his death, furely much lefs can any one, till then, be pronounced a Hero: this fpecies of men being far more fubject than others to the caprices of Fortune and Humour.' But to this also we have an answer, which will (we hope) be deemed decifive. It cometh from himSelf; who, to cut this matter short, hath folemnly protested that he will never change or amend. With regard to his Vanity, he declareth that nothing shall ever part them. "Nature (faith he) hath amply supplied me in Vanity; a plea"fure which neither the pertnefs of Wit, nor "the gravity of Wisdom, will ever perfuade "me to part with "." Our poet had charitably endeavoured to administer a cure to it: But he telleth us plainly," My fuperiors perhaps may "be mended by him; but for my part I own myself incorrigible. I look upon my Follies "as the best part of my Fortune." And with good reafon: We fee to what they have brought him! Secondly, as to Buffoonry, " Is it (faith he) "Is "a time of day for me to leave off these fooleries, "and fet up a new character? I can no more put off my Follies than my Skin; I have often tried, but they stick too close to me; nor am << I fure my friends are difpleased with them, " for in this light I afford them frequent matter "of mirth, &c. &c." Having then fo publickly declared himself incorrigible, Le is become ■ P. 17. • Life, p. 424. f P. 19. dead in law, (I mean the law Epopæian) and devolveth upon the Poet; is now his property; and may be taken and dealt with like an old Egyptian Hero; that is to fay, emboweled and embalmed for Posterity. Nothing therefore (we conceive) remaineth to hinder his own prophecy of himself from taking immediate effect. A rare felicity! and what few Prophets have had the fatisfaction to fee, alive! Nor can we conclude better than with that extraordinary one of his, which is conceived in thefe Oraculous words, MY DULNESS WILL FIND SOMEBODY TO DO IT RIGHT. Tandem PHOEBUs adeft, mor fufque inferre parentem By AUTHORITY. By virtue of the Authoritp in Vs velted by the Act for fubjecting Poets to the Power of a Licenfer, we have reviled this Piece; where finding the Aple and appellation of KING to have been given to a certain Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, or Phantom, of the name of TIBBALD; and apprehending the fame map be deemed in some fört a Reflection on Majefty, or at least an infult on that Legal Authority which has beltowed on another Person the Crown of Poefy: We have ordered the laid Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, or Phantom, utterly to vanish and evaporate out of this work: And do declare the laid Throne of Poefp from henceforth to be abdicated and vacant, unlefs duly and lawfully fupplied by the LAUREATE himself. And it is hereby enacted, that no other person do presume to fill the fame. OC Ch. THE DUNCIA D: то Dr. JONATHAN SWIFT. BOOK the FIR S T. ARGUMENT. THE Propofition, the Invocation, and the Infcription. Then the Original of the great Empire of Dulness, and caufe of the continuance thereof. The College of the Goddess in the City, with her private Academy for Poets in particular; the Governors of it, and the four Cardinal Virtues. Then the Poem haftes into the midft of things, prefenting her on the evening of a Lord Mayor's day, revolving the long fucceffion of ber Sons, and the glories paft and to come. She fixes ber eye on Bays to be the Inftrument of that great Event which is the Subject of the Pocm. He is defcribed penfive among bis Books, giving up the Caufe, and apprebending the Period of her Empire: After debating |