needs be procured for this achievement, even for this we have a resource. We can easily derive our Hero's pedigree from a goddess of no small power and authority amongst men, and legitimate and instal him after the right claffical and authentic fashion: for, like as the ancient fages found a son of Mars in a mighty warrior, a fon of Neptune in a skilful seamen, a fon of Phœbus in a harmonious poet; so have we here, if need be, a fon of Fortune in an artful Gamester. And who, I pray you, fitter than the offspring of Chance to affift 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. For if So"lon faid well, "ultima semper That no man could be called happy till his death, "furely much less can any one, till then, be pro"nounced a hero; this fpecies of men being far more "fubject than others to the caprices of Fortune and "Humour." But to this also we have an anfwer, which will (we hope) be deemed decifive. It cometh from himself, who, to cut the matter short, hath solemnly protested that he will never change or amend. With regard to his Vanity, he declareth that nothing shall ever part them. "Nature (faith he) hath " amply supplied me in vanity; a pleasure which nei"ther the pertness of wit, nor the gravity of wisdom, " will ever perfuade me to part with."* Our Poet had charitably endeavoured to adminifter a cure to it; but he telleth us plainly, "My fuperiors, perhaps, " may be mended by him; but, for my part, I own "myfelf incorrigible. I look upon my follies as the "best part of my fortune."† And with good reafon; we fee to what they have brought him! Secondly, as to Buffoonry, " Is it (faith 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 C. Cibber's Life, p. 424. † Ib. p. 19. " than my skin: I have often tried, but they stick too "close to me; nor am I sure my friends are difpleased " with them, for in this light I afford them frequent " matter of mirth," &c. &c.* Having then so publickly declared himself incorrigible, he is become dead in law, (I mean the law Epopaian) and devolveth upon the Poet; is now his property; and may be taken and dealt with like an old Egyptian hero, that is to fay, embowelled and embalmed for pofterity. 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 fatisfaction to fee alive! Nor can we conclude better than with that extraordinary one of his, which is conceived in these oraculous words, "My dulness " will find fomebody to do it right."† "Tandem Phœbus adest, morsusque inferre parentem 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 PUBLISHER TO THE READER. IT will be found a true observation, though fomewhat surprising, that when any scandal is vented against a man of the highest diftinction and character, either in the state or literature, the public in general afford it a most quiet reception, and the larger part accept The publisher.] 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 faid, in a fort, to be author of the Poem. For when he, together with Mr. Pope (for reasons specified in the Preface to their Mifcellanies) determined to own the most trifling pieces in which they had any hand, and to destroy all that remained in their power, the first iketch of this Poem was snatched from the fire by Dr. Swift, who perfuaded his friend to proceed in it, and to him it was therefore infcribed. But the occasion of printing it was as follows. There accept it as favourably as if it were some kindness done to themselves: whereas, if a known fcoundrel or blockhead but chance to be touched upon, a whole legion is up in arms, and it becomes the common cause of all scribblers, booksellers, and printers whatsoever. Not to fearch too deeply into the reason hereof, I will only observe as a fact, that every week, for these two months past, the Town has been perfecuted with pamphlets, advertisements, letters, and weekly essays, not only against the wit and writings, but againft the character and perfon, of Mr. Pope; and that of all those men who have received pleasure from his Works, (which by modeft computation may be about a hundred thousand in these kingdoms of England and Ireland, not to mention Jersey, Guernsey, the Orcades, those in the New World, and foreigners who have translated him into their languages,) of all this number not a man hath stood up to fay one word in his defence. those There was published in these 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 fome one or other took every letter to himself. All fell into so 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 mostabusive falsehoods and scurrilities they could poffibly devise; a liberty no ways to be wondered at in those people, and in those papers, that, for many years, during the uncontrolled licence of the press, 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 these common enemies of mankind; fince, to invalidate this univerfal slander, it fufficed to shew what contemptible men were the authors of it. He was not without hopes that, by manifesting the dulness of those who had only malice to recommend them, either the Bookfellers would not find their account in employing them, or the men themfelves, when discovered, want courage to proceed in so unlawful an occupation. This it was that gave birth to the Dunciad; and he thought it an happiness that, by the late flood of flander on himself, he had acquired fuch a peculiar right over their names as was neceffary to his design. Pamphlets, advertisements, &c.] See the list of those anonymous papers, with their dates and authors annexed, inferted before the Poem. About a hundred thousand.) It is surprising with what stupidity this Preface, which is almost a continued irony, was taken by those authors. All fuch passages as these were understood by Curl, Cook, Cibber, and others, to be ferious. Hear the Laureat (Letter to Mr. Pope, p. 9.) "Though I grant the Dunciad a better poem of its kind than ever was "writ, yet, when I read it with those vain-glorious incumbrances of "notes and remarks upon it, &c.---it is amazing that you, who have "writ with fuch masterly spirit upon the ruling paffion, should be fo blind a flave to your own, as not to fee how far a low avarice of "praise," &c. (taking it for granted that the notes of Scriblerus and others were the Author's own.) The only exception is the author of the following Poem, who doubtless had either a better insfight into the grounds of this clamour, or a better opinion of Mr. Pope's integrity, joined with a greater personal 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 manifests of the most private authors of all the anonymous pieces against him, and from his having in this Poem * attacked no man living who had not before printed or published fome scandal against this gentleman. How I came poffefsed of it is no concern to the reader; but it would have been a wrong to him had I detained the publication; fince those names which are its chief ornaments die off daily so faft, as must render it too foon 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 nothing in his style and manner of writing which can diftinguish or difcover him; for if it bears any refemblance to that of Mr. Pope, it is not improbable but it might be done on purpose, with a view to have it pass for his. But by the frequency of his allusions too Virgil, and a laboured (not to say affected) shortness 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 The Author of the following Poem, &c.] A very plain irony, speaking of Mr. Pope himfelf. 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 oniy of two or three, whose dulness, impudent scurrilities, or felf-conceit, all mankind agreed to have justly entitled them to a place in the Dunciad. There is certainly nothing in his style, &c.] This irony had small effect in concealing the author. The Dunciad, imperfect as it was, had not heen published two days, but the whole Town gave it to Mr. Popc. I have been well informed that this work was the labour of full 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 bestow upon it, as it should feem by this verse of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manufcript: "Oh mihi biffenos multum vigilata per annos, Hence also 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 Camens the Lufiad, we may pronounce could have been, and can be, no other than THE DUNCIAD. It is styled Heroic, as being doubly so; not only. with respect to its nature, which, according to the beft rules of the Ancients, and strictest ideas of the Moderns, is critically such; but also with regard to the heroical disposition and high courage of the writer, who dared to stir up fuch a formidable, irritable, and implacable race of mortals. There may arise some obscurity 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, The labour of full fix years, &c.] This also was honestly and feriously believed by divers gentlemen of the Dunciad. J. Ralph, preface to Sawney: "We are told it was the labour of fix years, with the ut"moft affiduity and application: it is no great compliment to the Au"thor's fenfe to have employed so large a part of his life," &c. So alfo Ward, preface to Durgen: "The Dunciad, as the publisher very "wifely confefses, coft the Author fix years' retirement from all the plea"fures of life; though it is somewhat difficult to conceive, from either " its bulk or beauty, that it could be fo long in hatching," &c. But the length of time and closeness of application were mentioned to prepoffefs the reader with a good opinion of it. They just as well understood what Scriblerus said of the Poem. * 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. |