and declaration) purposes thereon to facrifice all his unfuccefsful writings. As the pile is kindled, the Goddess beholding the flame from her feat, flies and puts it out by cafting upon it the poem of Thulé. She forthwith reveals herself to him, tranfports him to her Temple, unfolds her Arts, and initiates him into her Myfteries; then announcing the death of Eufden the Poet Laureate, anoints. him, carries him to Court, and proclaims him Succeffor, F. Hayman inv. et del. C. Grignion Sculp Her ample Presence fills up all the Space, A Veil of Logs dilates her anfull Face. Dunciad, Book I. (3) BOOK I. HE Mighty Mother, and her Son, who brings VARIATIONS. VER. 1. The Mighty Mother, &c. in the first Edd. it was : thus, Books and the Man I fing, the first who brings IMITATIONS. Say, great Patricians! fince yourselves inspire Thefe wondrous works] -Dii cœptis (nam vos mutaftis & illas.) Ovid. Met. i, NOTES. THE DUNCIAD.] It is an inconvenience, to which Writers of reputation are fubject, that the Juftice of their refentment is not always rightly understood. For the calumnies of dull Authors being foon forgotten, and those whom they aimed to injure, not caring to recall to memory the particulars of falfe and fcandalous abuse, their necessary correction is fufpected of feverity unprovoked. But, in this cafe, it would be but candid to estimate the chastisement on the general Character of the offender, compared with that of the Perfon injured. Let this ferve with the candid Reader, in juftification of the Poet, and, on occafion, of the Editor. The DUNCIAD, fic MS. It may well be difputed whether this be a right reading: Ought it not rather to be spelled Dunceiad, as the Etymology evidently demands? I fing. Say you, her instruments the Great! NOTES. Dunce with an e, therefore Dunceiad with an e. That accurate and punctual Man of Letters, the Reftorer of Shakespeare, conftantly obferves the prefervation of this very Letter e, in spelling the Name of his beloved Author, and not like his common careless Editors, with the omiffion of one, nay fometimes of two ee's (as Shakspear) which is utterly unpardonable. "Nor is the neglect of a Single "Letter fo trivial as to fome it may appear; the alteration "whereof in a learned language is an Atchievement that 66 brings honour to the Critic who advances it; and Dr. Bentley will be remembered to pofterity for his per"formances of this fort, as long as the world fhall have any efteem for the remains of Menander and Philemon." THEOBALD. This is furely a flip in the learned author of the foregoing note; there having been fince produced by an accurate Antiquary, an Autograph of Shakspeare himself, whereby it appears that he fpelled his own name without the firfte. And upon this authority it was, that those most Critical Curators of his Monument in Weftminster Abby erafed the former wrong reading, and reftored the true fpelling on a new piece of old Egyptian Granite. Nor for this only do they deferve our thanks, but for exhibiting on the fame Monument the first 'Specimen of an Edition of an author in Marble; where (as may be seen on comparing the Tomb with the Book) in the fpace of five lines, two Words and a whole Verfe are changed, and it is to be hoped will there ftand, and outlaft whatever hath been hitherto done in Paper; as for the future, our Learned Sifter Univerfity (the other Eye of England) is taking care to perpetuate a Total new Shakespear, at the Clarendon prefs. BENTL. It is to be noted, that this great Critic alfo has omitted ene circumftance; which is, that the Infcription with the |