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 bestow upon it, as would seem by this verse of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manufcript.

"O mihi biffenos multum vigilata per annos,

"Duncia! h"

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

It is ftyled Heroic, as being doubly fo; not only with refpect to its nature, which according to the best rules of the ancients, and strictest ideas of the moderns, is critically fuch; but alfo with regard to the heroical difpofition and high courage of the writer, who dared 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

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

thefe authors, but these authors for the poem. I fhould judge that they were clapped in as they rofe, fresh and fresh, and changed from day to day; in like manner as when the old boughs wither, we thrust new ones into a chimney.

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

Yet we judged it better to preserve them as they are, than to change them for fictitious names; by which the fatire would only be multiplied, and applied to many instead of one. Had the hero, for instance, been called Codrus, how many would have affirmed him to have been Mr. T. Mr. E. Sir R. B. &c. But now all that unjuft fcandal is faved by calling him by a name, which by good luck happens to be that of a real perfon.

II.

A LIST of

BOOKS, PAPERS, and VERSES,

In which our Author was abufed, before the Publication of the DUNCIAD; with the true Names of the Authors.

R

EFLECTIONS critical and fatirical on a late Rhapfody, called, An Eflay on Criticism. 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 1 s.

Homerides, or a Letter to Mr. Pope, occafioned by his intended tranflation of Homer. By Sir Iliad Dogrel. [Tho. Burnet and G. Ducket efquires} printed for W. Wilkins, 1715, price 9 d.

fop at the Bear-garden; a vifion, in imitation of the Temple of Fame, by Mr. Prefton. Sold by John Morphew, 1715, price 6 d.

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

An Epilogue to a Puppet-show at Bath, concerning the faid Iliad. By George Ducket efq; printed by E. Curll.

A com

A complete Key to the What-d'ye-call-it. Anon. [by Griffin a player, supervised 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 Windfor Foreft, and the Temple of Fame. By Mr. Dennis, printed for E. Curll, 1717, price 1 s. 6 d.

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

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. [Eliz. Haywood] octavo, printed in 1727.

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

Gulliveriana and Alexandriana; with an ample preface 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 writings, characters, &c. of feveral gentlemen libelled, by S and P-, in a late Mifcellany, octavo, 1728.

Remarks or 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. Concannen.] Daily Journal, March 18, 1728. A letter by Philomauri. James-Moore Smith.

Id. March 29. A letter about Therfites; accufing

the author of difaffection to the Government. James-Moore Smith.

By

Mift's Weekly Journal, March 30. An Essay on the Arts of a Poet's finking in reputation; or, a Supplement to the Art of finking in Poetry. [Suppofed by Mr. Theobald.]

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.]

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

The Flying Poft, April 6. A Fragment of a Treatise upon Swift and Pope. By Mr. Oldmixon.

The Senator, April 9. On the fame. By Edward Roome.

ily Journal, April 8, Advertisement by James

ith.