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them for ever read and admired: 22 to two Lord Chancellors for law, from whom, when confederate against him at the bar, he carried away the prize of eloquence; 23 and to say all in a word, to the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London himself, in the art of writing pastoral letters.24

Nor did his actions fall short of the sublimity of his conceit. In his early youth he met the revolution 25 face to face in Nottingham, at a time when his betters contented themselves with following her. It was here he got acquainted with old Battle-array, of whom he hath made so honourable mention in one of his immortal odes.26 But he shone in courts as well as in camps; he was called up, when the nation fell in labour of this revolution,27 and was a gossip at her christening, with the bishop and the ladies.28

As to his birth, it is true he pretendeth no relation either to heathen god or goddess; but, what is as good, he was descended from a maker of both.29 And that he did not pass himself on the world for a hero, as well by birth as education, was his own fault; for his lineage he bringeth into his life as an anecdote, and is sensible he

22 C. Cibber's Life p. 425. 24 Ibid. p. 52.

23 Ibid. pp. 436, 437. 25 Ibid. p. 47.

26 Old Battle-array in confusion is fled;

And olive-rob'd Peace is come in his stead,' &c.

Cibber's Birthday, or, New Year's Day Ode. 28 Ibid. pp. 58, 59.

27 Cibber's Life, p. 57.

29 A Statuary.

VOL. III.

P

had it in his power to be thought no body's son at all: 30 and what is that but coming into the world a hero?

But be it (the punctilious laws of epic poesy so requiring) that a hero of more than mortal birth must needs be had; even for this we have a remedy. We can easily derive our hero's pedigree from a goddess of no small power and authority amongst men; and legitimate and install him after the right classical and authentic fashion: for, like as the ancient sages found a son of Mars in a mighty warrior, a son of Neptune in a skilful seaman, a son of Phœbus in a harmonious poet; so have we here, if need be, a son of Fortune in an artful gamester: and who fitter than the offspring of Chance to assist in restoring the empire of Night and Chaos?

There is, in truth, another objection of greater weight, namely, that this hero still existeth, and hath not yet finished his earthly course. if Solon said well,

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For,

Ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet :'

'That no man could be called happy till his death, surely much less can any one, till then, be pronounced a hero; this species of men being far more subject than others to the caprices of fortune and humour.' But to this also we have an

30 Cibber's Life, p. 6.

answer, that will (we hope) be deemed decisive. It cometh from himself, who, to cut this matter short, hath solemnly protested that he will never change or amend.

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With regard to his vanity, he declareth that nothing shall ever part them. Nature (saith he) hath amply supplied me in vanity; a pleasure which neither the pertness of wit, nor the gravity of wisdom will ever persuade me to part with.'31 Our poet had charitably endeavoured to administer a cure to it; but he telleth us plainly, 'My superiors, 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.'32 And with good reason: we see to what they have brought him!

Secondly, as to buffoonery, Is it (saith he) a time of day for me to leave off these fooleries, and set 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 sure my friends are displeased with them, for in this light I afford them frequent matter of mirth,' &c. &c.33 Having then so publicly declared himself incorrigible, he is become dead in law, (I mean the law Epopeian) and devolveth upon the poet as his property; who may take him and deal with him

31 C. Cibber's Life, p. 424. 33 Ib. p. 17.

32 Ib. p. 19.

like an old Egyptian hero, that is to say, embowel and embalm him 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 satisfaction to see alive! Nor can we conclude better than with that extraordinary one of his, which is conceived in these oraculous words, My dulness will find somebody to do it right.'34

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'Tandem Phoebus adest, morsusque inferre parantem Congelat, et patulos, ut erant, indurat hiatus.' 35

34 C. Cibber's Life, p. 243. octavo edit.

35 Ovid, of the serpent biting at Orpheus's head.

213

PREFACE

PREFIXED TO THE FIVE FIRST IMPERFECT EDITIONS

OF THE DUNCIAD, IN THREE BOOKS,

PRINTED AT DUBLIN AND LONDON, IN OCTAVO AND
DUODECIMO, 1727.

THE PUBLISHER1 TO THE READER.

It will be found a true observation, though somewhat surprising, that when any scandal is vented against a man of the highest distinction and character, either in the state or literature, the public

1 Who he was is uncertain; but Edward Ward tells us, in his Preface to Durgen, That most judges are of opinion this Preface is not of English extraction, but Hibernian,' &c. He means it was written by Dr. Swift, who, whether the publisher or not, may be said, in a sort, to be author of the poem. For when he, together with Mr. Pope (for reasons specified in the Preface to their Miscellanies), determined to own the most trifling pieces in which they had any hand, and to destroy all that remained in their power, the first sketch of this poem was snatched from the fire by Dr. Swift, who persuaded his friend to proceed in it, and to him it was therefore inscribed. But the occasion of printing it was as follows:

There was published in those Miscellanies a Treatise of the Bathos, or, Art of Sinking in Poetry, in which was a chapter where the species of bad writers were ranged in classes, and initial letters of names prefixed, for the most part, at random. But such was the number of poets eminent in that art, that some one or other took every letter to himself. All fell into so violent a fury, that for half a year, or more,

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