carefully reviled this our Dunciad, a beginning with the Words The Mighty Mother, and ending with the words buries All, containing the entire lum of One thousand seven hundred and fifty-four verses, declare every wod, figure, point, and comma of this impreflion to be authentic: And do therefoz ftrialy enjoin and fozbid any perlon o2 perlons whatsoever, to erale, reverse, put between hooks, or

by

a Read thus confidently, inftead of " beginning with the word Books, and ending with the word flies," as formerly it stood: Read alfo, "containing the entire "fum of one thousand feven hundred and fifty-four "verfes," instead of "one thousand and twelve lines ;" fuch being the initial and final words, and such the true and entire contents of this poem.

Thou art to know, reader! that the firft Edition thereof, like that of Milton, was never feen by the Author (though living and not blind): The Editor himself confeffed as much in his preface: And no two poems were ever published in fo arbitrary a manner. The Editor of this, had as boldly fuppreffed whole Paffages, yea the entire last book, as the Editor of Paradife Loft, added and augmented. Milton himfelf gave but ten books, his Editor twelve; this Author gave four books, his Editor only three. But we have happily done juftice to both; and prefume we fhall live, in this our last labour, as long as in any of cur others.

BENTL.

And we

by any other means, directly oz indirealy
change of mangle any of them.
do hereby earnestly exhort all our brethren
to follow this our example, which we hear-
tily with our great Piedecellors had here-
tofoze let, as a remedy and prevention
of all luch abules. Provided always, that
nothing in this Declaration thall be con-
Crued to limit the lawful and undoubted
right of every lubject of this Realm, to
judge, cenlure, oz condemn, in the whole
or in part, any Poem or Poet whatlo-
ever.

Given under our hand at London, this third day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
feven hundred thirty and two.

Declarat' cor' me,

JOHN BARBER, Mayor.

APPEN

APPENDI X.

I.

PREFACE

Prefixed to the five first imperfe&t Editions of the DUNCIAD, in three Books, printed at DUBLIN and LONDON, in octavo and duodecimo, 1727.

IT

The PUBLISHER to the READER.

T will be found a true obfervation, though fomewhat furprizing, that when any scandal is vented against a man of the highest distinction and character, either in the state or literature, the Public in general afford it a moft quiet reception: and the larger part accept it as favourably as if it were some kindness done

to

a The Publisher] Who he was is uncertain; but Edward Ward tells us, in his preface to Durgen, "that "moft judges are of opinion this preface is not of Eng"lish extraction, but Hibernian," &c. He means it was written by Dr. Swift, who, whether publisher or not, may be faid in a fort to be author of the poem. For when he, together with Mr. Pope (for reafons fpecified in the preface to their Mifcellanies) determined to own

the

to themselves: whereas if a known fcoundrel or blockhead but chanced to be touched upon, a whole legion is up in arms, and it becomes the common cause of all fcriblers, bookfellers, and printers whatsoever.

Not

the most trifling pieces in which they had any hand, and to deftroy all that remained in their power; the first fketch of this poem was fnatched from the fire by Dr. Swift, who perfuaded his friend to proceed in it, and to him it was therefore infcribed. But the occafion of printing it was as follows:

There was published in thofe Mifcellanies, a Treatife of the Bathos, or Art of Sinking in Poetry, in which was a chapter, where the fpecies of bad writers were ranged in claffes, and initial letters of names prefixed, for the most part at random. But fuch was the Number of Poets eminent in that art, that fome one or other took every letter to himself. All fell into fo violent a fury, that for half a year, or more, the common Newspapers (in most of which they had fome property, as being hired writers) were filled with the most abufive falfehoods and fcurrilities they could poffibly devife; a liberty no ways to be wondered at in thofe people, and in thofe papers, that, for many years, during the uncontrolled License of the prefs, had afperfed almost all the great characters of the age; and this with impunity, their own perfons and names being utterly fecret and obfcure. This gave Mr. Pope the thought, that he had now fome opportunity of doing good, by detecting and dragging into light thefe common Enemies of mankind; fince to invalidate this univerfal flander, it fufficed to fhew what contemptible men were the authors of it. He was not without hopes, that by manifefting the dulnefs of thofe who had only malice to recommend them; either the bookfellers would not find their ac

count