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VI.

ADVERTISEMENT

Printed in the JOURNALS, 1730.

WHEREAS, upon occafion of certain Pieces relating

to the Gentlemen of the Dunciad, fome have been willing to fuggeft, as if they looked upon them as an abufe: we can do no less than own, it is our opinion, that to call these gentlemen bad authors is no fort of abuse, but a great truth. We cannot alter this opinion without fome reafon; but we promife to do it in refpect to every person who thinks it an injury to be reprefented as no Wit, or Poet, provided he procures a Certificate of his being really fuch, from any three of his companions in the Dunciad, or from Mr. Dennis fingly, who is esteemeḍ equal to any three of the number.

A PARALLEL

VII.

A

PARALLEL of the CHARACTERS

O F

Mr. DRYDEN and Mr. P O PE,

As drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

Mr. DRYDEN,

His POLITICS, RELIGION, MORAL S.

MR. Dryden is a mere renegado from monarchy, poe

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try, and good sense 1. A true republican fon of monarchical Church 2. A republican Atheist 3. Dry. den was from the beginning an arλowgéoɑ^^os, and I doubt not will continue fo-to the last 4.

In the Poem called Abfalom and Achitophel are notoriouly traduced, The KING, the QUEEN, the LORDS and GENTLEMEN, not only their honourable perfons expos'd, but the whole NATION and its REPRESENTATIVES notoriously libell'd. It is fcandalum magnatum, of MAJESTY itself 5.

yea

He looks upon God's Gospel as a foolish fable, like the Pope, to whom he is a pitiful purveyor". His very christianity may be queftioned 7. He ought to expect

1 Milbourn on Dryden's Virgil, 8vo. 1698. p. 6.

3 Pag 192. 4 Pag. 8.

way, 1682. Pref. 6. Ibid.

2 Pag. 38.

5 Whip and Key, 4to, printed for R. Jane.

7. Milbourn, p. 9.

more

VII.

A

PARALLEL of the CHARACTERS

O F

Mr. POPE and Mr. DRYDEN,

As drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

Mr. POPE,

His POLITICS, RELIGION, MORALS.

MR. Pope is an open and mortal enemy to his country and the commonwealth of learning'. Some call him a popish whig, which is directly inconsistent 2. Pope, as a Papift, must be a tory and high flyer3. He is both whig and tory 4.

He hath made it his cuftom to cackle to more than one party in their own fentiments".

In his Mifcellanies, the Perfons abused are, The KING, the QUEEN, His late MAJESTY, both Houfes of PARLIAMENT, the Privy-Council, the Bench of BISHOPS, the established CHURCH, the prefent MINISTRY, etc. To make Sense of fome paffages, they must be conftrued into ROYAL SCANDAL ".

He is a Popish Rhymefter, bred up with a contempt of the Sacred Writings 7. His Religion allows him to destroy Hereticks, not only with his pen, but with fire

1 Dennis, Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, Pref. p. xii. 2 Dunciad diffected. 3 Pref. to Gulliveriana. 4 Dennis, Character of Mr. P. 5 Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22, 1728. 6 Lift, at the end of a Collection of Verfes, Letters, Advertisements, 8vo Printed for A. Moore, 1728, and the Preface to it, p. 6. 7 Dennis's Remarks on Hom. p.27.

and

more severity than other men, as he is moft unmerciful in his own reflections on others. With as good a right as his Holiness, he fets up for poetical infallibility 2.

Mr. DRYDEN only a Verfifier.

His whole Libel is all bad matter, beautified (which is all that can be faid of it) with good metre 3. Mr. Dryden's genius did not appear in any thing more than his Verfification, and whether he is to be ennobled for that only, is a question*.

Mr. DRYDEN'S VIRGIL.

Tonfon calls it Dryden's Virgil, to fhew that this is not that Virgil fo admir'd in the Auguftean age; but a Virgil of another ftamp, a filly, impertinent, nonfenfical writer. None but a Bavius, a Mævius, or a Bathyllus carp'd at Virgil ; and none but fuch unthinking Vermin admire his Tranflator. It is true, soft and easy lines might become Ovid's Epiftles or Art of Love-But Virgil, who is all great and majestic, etc. requires ftrength of lines, weight of words, and closeness of expreffions; not an ambling Mufe running on Carpet-ground, and fhod as lightly as a Newmarket-racer.-He has numberlefs faults in his Author's meaning, and in propriety of expreffion 7.

Mr. DRYDEN understood no Greek nor Latin.

Mr. Dryden was once, I have heard, at Westminster fchool: Dr. Bufby would have whipt him for so childish a Paraphrafes. The meanest Pedant in England would whip a Lubber of twelve for conftruing so abfurdly 9, The Tranflator is mad, every line betrays his Stupidity".

1 Ibid. p. 175. a Pag. 39. 3 Whip and Key, Pref.

mixon, Ellay on Criticism, p. 84. s Milbourn, p. 2.
7 Pag. 22, and 192. 9 Milboura, p. 7*. Pag. 203.

78.

4 Old

6 Pag. 35.

Jo Pag.

The

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