tion Jersey, Guernfey, the Orcades, thofe in the new world, and foreigners who have tranflated him into their languages) of all this number not a man hath stood up to fay one word in his defence.

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, join'd with a greater perfonal 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 most 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 gentleman.

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

Who he is I cannot fay, and (which is a great pity) there is certainly f nothing in his ftyle and manner of writing, which can diftinguish or difcover him: For if it

"marks upon it, &c.----it is amazing, that you, who have writ "with fuch masterly spirit upon the ruling Paffion, fhould 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 author of the following poem, &c.] A very plain irony, speaking of Mr. Pope himself.

e The publisher in these words went a little too far: But it is certain whatever names the reader finds that are unknown to him, are of fuch; and the exception is only of two or three, whofe dulnefs, impudent fcurrility, or felf conceit, all mankind agreed to have juffly entitled them to a place in the Dunciad.

f There is certainly nothing in bis style, &c.] This irony had small effect in concealing the author. The Dunciad, imperfect as it was, had not been published two days, but the whole Town gave it to Mr. Pope.

bears any refemblance to that of Mr. Pope, 'tis not improbable but it might be done on purpose, with a view to have it pafs for his. But by the frequency of his allufions to Virgil, and a labour'd (not to fay affected bortnefs in imitation of him, I should 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 inform'd, that this work was the labour of full g fix years of his life, and that he wholly retired himself from all the avocations and pleasures of the world, to attend diligently to its correction and perfection; and fix years more he intended to beftow upon it, as it fhould feem by this verfe of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manufcript,

Ob mihi biffenos multum vigilata per annos,

Dunciah!

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 DUNCIA D.

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

g The labour of full fix years, &c.] This alfo was honeftly and feriously believed by divers gentlemen of the Dunciad. J. Ralph, pref. to Sawney. "We are told it was the labour of fix years,

with the utmoft affiduity and application: It is no great compli"ment 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 hatching, &c. But the length of time and clofenefs "of application were mentioned to prepoffefs the reader with a good "opinion of it."

They just as well understood what Scriblerus faid of the poem.

h The prefacer to Curl's Key, p. 3. took this word to be really in Statius: "By a quibble on the word Duncia, the Dunciad is formed." Mr. Ward alfo follows him in the fame opinion.

fuch; but also with regard to the heroical difpofition and high courage of the writer, who dar'd 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 thefe authors, but thefe authors for the poem. I fhould judge that they were clap'd in as they rofe, fresh and fresh, and chang'd from day to day; in like manner as when the old boughs wither, we thruft new ones into a chimney.

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

Yet we judg'd 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 affirm'd him to have been Mr. T. Mr. E. Sir R. B. &c. but now all that unjust fcandal is faved by calling him by a name, which by good luck happens to be that of a real perfon.

BOOKS, PAPERS, and VERSES, In which our Author was abufed, before the Publi- cation of the DUNCFAD; with the true Names of the Authors.

EFLECTIONS critical and fatyrical on a late

R Rhapfody, called An Effay on Criticifim. By Mr.

Dennis, printed by B. Lintot, price 6 d.

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 Dogrel [Tho. Burnet and G. Ducket efquires] printed for W. Wilkins, 1715. price 9 d.

Efop at the Bear garden; a vifion, the Temple of Fame, by Mr. Prefton. Morphew, 1715. price 6d.

in imitation of

Sold by John

By Mrs.

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

An Epilogue to a Puppet fhew at Bath, concerning the faid Iliad. By George Ducket efq. printed by E. Curl. A complete Key to the What d'ye call it. Anon. [by Griffin a player, fuperviied 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 [J. D. Breval] printed for R. Burleigh, 1717, price 1 s.

Remarks upon Mr. Pope's translation of Homer; with two letters concerning the Wind for Foreft, and the Temple of Fame. By Mr. Dennis, printed for E. Curl, 1717, price 1 s. 6 d.

Satires on the translators of Homer, Mr. P. and Mr. T. Anon. [Bez. Morris] 1717, price 6 d.

The Triumvirate: or, a Letter from Palæmon 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. [Éliza Haywood] octavo, printed in 1727.

An Effay on Criticism, in profe. By the Author of the Critical Hiftory of England [J. Oldmixon] octavo, printed 1728.

Gulliveriana and Alexandria; with an ample preface VOL. V.

R

and critique on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. By Jonathan Smedley, printed by J. Roberts, octavo, 1728.

Characters of the Times; or, an account of the writ ings, characters, &c. of feveral gentlemen libelled by S. and P-, in a late Mifcellany, octavo, 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, octavo.

Verfes, Letters, Effays, or Advertisements, in the public Prints.

British Journal, Nov. 25, 1727.

A Letter on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. [Writ by M. Concanen.] Daily Journal, March 18, 1728. A Letter by Philomauri. James Moore Smith.

Id. March 29. A Letter about Therfites; accufing the author of diffaffection to the Government.

Moore Smith.

Mift's Weekly Journal, March 30.

By James

An Effay on the

Arts of a Poet's finking in reputation; or, a Supplement to the Art of Sinking in Poetry. Theobald.]

[Supposed by Mr.

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. Oldmixon.J

Daily Journal, April 5. An Auction of Goods at Twickenham. By James Moore Smith.

The Flying Poft, 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 Advertisement by JamesMoore Smith.

8.

Verfes against Dr. Swift, and
By J. Oldmixon.

Flying Poft, April 13. against Mr. P-'s Homer. Daily Journal, April 23. of the character of Therfites in Homer. Cooke, &c.

Letter about the tranflation.
By Thomas