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we publish this fourth. It was found merely by | accident, in taking a furvey of the library of a late eminent nobleman; but in fo blotted a condition, and in fo many detached pieces, as plainly showed it to be not only incorrect, but unfinished. That the author of the three first books had a defign to extend and complete his poem in this manner, appears from the differtation prefixed to it, where it is said, that the design is more extenfive, and that | we may expect other epifodes to complete it: And from the declaration in the argument to the third book, that the accomplishment of the prophecies therein would be the theme hereafter of a greater Dunciad. But whether or no he be the author of this, we declare ourselves ignorant. If he be, we are no more to be blamed for the publication of it, than Tucca and Varius for that of the last fix books of the Æneid, though perhaps inferior to the former.

If any perfon be poffeffed of a more perfect copy of this work, or of any other fragments of it, and will communicate them to the publisher, we fhall make the next edition more complete: In which we also promife to infert any criticisms that fhall be published (if at all to the purpose) with the names of the authors; or any letters fent us (though not to the purpose) fhall yet be printed under the title of "Epiftolæ Obfcurorum Virorum;" which, together with fome others of the fame kind, formerly laid by for that end, may make no unpleasant addition to the future impreffions of this poem.

V.

ADVERTISEMENT

To the complete Edition of 1743

I HAVE long had a design of giving fome fort of notes on the works of this poet. Before I had the happiness of his acquaintance, I had written a commentary on his Effay on Man, and have fince finish ed another on the Effay on Criticifm. There was one already on the Dunciad, which had met with general approbation: But I still thought fome ad

ditions were wanting (of a more ferious kind) to the humorous notes of Scriblerus, and even to those written by Mr. Cleland, Dr. Arbuthnot, and others. I had lately the pleasure to pass fome months with the author in the country, where I prevailed upon him to do what I had long defired, and favour me with his explanation of feveral paffages in his works. It happened, that juft at that juncture was published a ridiculous book against him, full of perfonal reflections, which furnished him with a lucky opportunity of improving this poem, by giving it the only thing it wanted, a more confiderable hero. He was always fenfible of its defect in that particular, and owned he had let it pafs with the hero it had, purely for want of a better, not entertaining the leaft expectation that fuch an one was referved for this poft, as has fince obtained the laurel : But since that had happened, he could no longer deny this juftice either to him or the Dunciad.

And yet I will venture to say, there was another motive which had ftill more weight with our author: This perfon was one, who from every folly (not to fay vice) of which another would be afhamed, has conftantly derived a vanity and therefore was the man in the world who would leaft be hurt by it. W. W.

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 abufe, but a great truth. We cannot alter this opinion without some reason; but we promife to do it in respect to every perfon who thinks it an injury to be reprefented as no wit or poet, provided he procures a certificate of his being really tuch, from any three of his companions in the Dunciad, or from Mr. Dennis, fingly, whe is esteemed equal to any three of the number.

VII.

A PARALLEL

Of the Characters of MR. DRYDEN and MR. PORE, as drawn by certain of their Contemporaries. MR. DRYDEN, bis Politics, Religion, Morals. MR DRYDEN is a mere renegado from monarchy, poctry, and good sense (a). A true republican fon of monarchical church (b). A republican atheift (),

(a) Milbourne on Dryden's Virgil, 8v0, 1698, p. 6. Page 3 (6) Page 192.

VII.

A PARALLEL

Of the Characters of MR. POPE and MR. DRYDEN, as drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

MR. POPE, bis Politics, Religion, Morals. MR. Pope is an open and mortal enemy to his country and the commonwealth of learning (a). Some call him a Popifh whig, which is dire&lg

(a) D.nnis, Rem. on the Rape of the Looke, Pref.

p. 12.

Dryden was from the beginning an àλλopóœœλλos, and I doubt not will continue so to the last (d). § In the poem called Abfalom and Achitophel, are notoriously traduced the King, the Queen, the Lords and Gentlemen, not only their honourable perfons expofed, but the whole Nation and its Reprefentatives notoriously libelled. It is fcandalum magnatum, yea of Majesty itself (e). ·

He looks upon God's Gospel as a foolish fable, like the Pope, to whom he is a pitiful purveyor (ƒ). His very Chriftianity may be queftioned (g). He ought to expect more feverity than other men, as he is most unmerciful in his own reflections on others (b) with as good a right as his Holiness, he fets up for poetical infallibility (i).

:

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 (4). 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 queftion (1).

MR DRYDEN'S Virgil.

Tonfon calls it Dryden's Virgil, to show that this is not that Virgil fo admired in the Auguftian age; but a Virgil of another stamp, a filly, impertinent, nonfenfical writer. None but a Ba vius, a Mævius, or a Bathyllus, carped at Virgil (m); 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, &c. requires ftrength of lines, weight of words, and closeness of expreffion; 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 expref. Lion (o).

MR. DRYDEN underflood no Greek nor Latin. Mr. Dryden was once, I have heard, at Weftminster fchool: Dr. Busby would have whipt him for fo childish a paraphrafe (p). The meaneft pedant in England would whip a lubber of twelve for conftruing fo abfurdly (g). The translator is mad every line betrays his ftupidity (r). The faults are innumerable, and convince me that Mr. Dryden did not, or would not understand his author (). This shows how fit Mr. D. may be to

(d) Milbourne en Dryden's Virgil, 8vo, 1698, p. 8. (e) Whip and Key, 4to, printed for R. Janeway, 1682. Pref. (f) Ibid. (g) Milbourne, p. 9. (b) Ibid. p. 175. (i) Pag. 39. (k) Whip and Key, Pref (1) Oldmixon, Essay on Criticism, p. 84. () Milbourne, p. 2. (n) Page 35. (0) Milb. p. 22, and 192. (p) Page 72.

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The Homer which Lintot prints, does not talk like Homer, but like Pope; and he who translated him, one would swear, had a hill in Tipperary for his Parnaffus, and a puddle in fome bog for his Hippocrene (m). He has no admirers, among those that can distinguish, difcern, and judge (»).

He hath a knack at smooth verfe, but without either genius or good sense, or any tolerable knowledge of English. The qualities which diftinguish Homer are the beauties of his diction, and the harmony of his versification-But this little author, who is fo much in vogue, has neither fenfe in his thoughts, nor English in his expreffions (9).

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(b) Dunciad diffected. (c) Pref. to Gulliveriana. (d) Dennis, Character of Mr. P.

(e) Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22, 1728.

1

(f) Lift, at the end of a Collection of Verses, Letters, Advertisements, 8vo, printed for A. Moore, 1728, and the Preface to it, p. 6. (g) Dennis's Remarks on Homer, p 27. (b) Preface to Guiliveriana, p. 11. (i) Dedication to the Collection of Verfes, Letters, &c. p. 9. (k) Miff's Journal of June 8. 1728. (1) Character of Mr. P. and Dennis on Hom. (m) Dennis's Remarks on Pope's Homer, p. 12. (n) lb. p. 14.

(0) Character of Mr. P. p. 17. and Remarks on

tranflate Homer! A mistake in a fingle letter might fall on the printer well enough, but we for ixg must be the error of the author: nor had Le art enough to correct it at the prefs (t). Mr. Dryden writes for the Court Ladies-He writes for the ladies, and not for use (u).

The tranflator puts in a little burlesque now and then into Virgil, for a ragout to his cheated subfcribers (w).

MR DRYDEN tricked bis Subfcribers.

I wonder that any man, who could not but be conscious of his own unfitness for it, fhould go to amufe the learned world with fuch an undertaking: A man ought to value his reputation more than money; and not to hope that those who can read for themselves, will be impofed upon, merely by a partiality and unfeasonably celebrated name (x). "Poetis quidlibet audendi" shall be Mr. Dryden's motto, though it should extend to picking of pockets (v).

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An Ape.] A crafty ape dreft up in a gawdy gown-Whips put into an ape's paw, to play pranks with None but apifh and Papish brats will heed him (z).

An Afs.] A camel will take upon him no more burden than is fufficient for his ftrength, but there is another beaft that crouches under all («).

A Frog.] Poet fquab endued with poet Maro's fpirit! an ugly, croaking kind of vermin, which would fwell to the bulk of an ox (b).

A Coward.] A Clinias or a Damætas, or a man of Mr. Dryden's own courage ().

A Knave.] Mr. Dryden has heard of Paul the knave of Jefus Chrift: And if I mistake not, I've read fomewhere of John Dryden, fervant to his Majesty (d).

A Fool.] Had he not been fuch a felf-conceited fool (c)-Some great poets are pofitive blockheads (ƒ).

A Thing. So little a thing as Mr. Dryden (g).

(1) Milb. p. 19. (u) Page 144, 190.

(y) Page 125.
Milb. p. 105.
(d) Page 57.
(f) Milb. p. 34.

67. (*) Page 192. and Key, Pref. (a) (c) Page 176. and Key, Pr. P. 35.

(w) Page (3) Whip (b) Page II. (e) Whip (g) Ibid.

wonder how this gentleman would look, fhould i' be difcovered, that he has not tranflated ten verTM fes together in any book of Homer with justice to the poet, and yet he dares reproach his fellow writers with not understanding Greek (9). He has ftuck fo little to his original, as to have his knowledge in Greek called in question (†) I fhould be glad to know which it is of all Homer's excellencies which has fo delighted the ladies, and the gentlemen who judge like ladies (s).

But he has a notable talent at burlesque; his genius flides fo naturally into it, that he hath burlefqued Homer without defigning it (†).

MR. POPE tricked his Subfcribers.

It is indeed fomewhat bold, and almost prodigious, for a fingle man to undertake fuch a work: But it is too late to diffuade by demonstrating the madness of the project. The fubfcribers ex pectations have been raifed in proportion to what their pockets have been drained of (u). Pope has been concerned in jobs, and hired out his name to bookfellers (w).

Names befored on MR. POPE.

An Ape.] Let us take the initial letter of his Chriftian name, and initial and final letters of his furname, viz. APE. and they give you the fame idea of an ape as his face (x), &c.

An Afs. It is my duty to pull off the lion's fkin from this little afs (y).

A Frog. A fquab thort gentleman-a little creature that, like the frog in the fable, fwells, and is angry that it is not allowed to be as big as an ox (z).

A Coward.] A lurking, way-laying coward (a). A Knave. He is one whom God and nature have marked for want of common honesty (b).

A Fool. Great fools will be chriftened by the names of great poets, and Pope will be called Homer (<).

A Thing A little abject thing (d).,

(4) Daily Journal, April 23. 1728 (r) Suppl. to the Profound, Pref. (s) Oldmixon, Effay on Criticism, p. 66. (1) Dennis's Remarks, p. 28. (u) Homerides, p. I, &c. (c) British Journal, Nov. 25. 1727. (x) Dennis, Daily Fournal, May 11. 1728. (y) Dennis's Rem. on Hom Pref. (z) Dennis's Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, Pref. p. 9. (a) Char. of Mr. P. p. 3. (b) lbid. (c) Dennis's Rem. on Homer, p 37. (d) Ibid. p. 8. Q iiij

INDEX

OF PERSONS CELEBRATED IN THIS POEM.

The first Number shows the Book, the fecond the Verfe.

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FOR, Daniel, i. 103. ii

Foe, Nortov, ii. 415

Horneck, Philip, iii. 152.

Heywood, Eliza, ii. 157, &c.

Howard, Edward, i. 297.

Henley, John, the orator, ii. 2. 425. iii. 199. &c.

Huns, iii. 90.

Heywood, John, i. 98.

Harpsfield, i. 153.
Hays, iv. 560.

JouN, King, i. 352.

James I. iv. 176.

Jacob, Giles, iii. 149.

J

Janffen, a gamefter, iv. 326.

K

KNIGHT, Robert, iv. 561.
Kuster, iv. 257.

L

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THE FIRST NUMBER DENOTES THE BOOK, THE SECOND THE VERSE AND NOTE ON IT. TEST, TESTIMONIES.

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AP. APPENDIX.

Anger, one of the characteristics of Mr. Dennis'a Critical writings, i, 106.

Affirmation, another: Teft.

[To which are added by Mr. Theobald, Ill-nature, Spite, Revenge, i. 106.]

Altar of Cibber's Works, how built, and how founded, i. 159, &c. fchylus, iii. 313.

Affes, at a citizen's gate in a morning, ii. 247. Appearances, that we are never to judge by them, efpecially of poets and divines, ii. 426. Alehoufe, the birth-place of Mr. Cook, ii. 138. one kept by Edw. Ward, i. 233. and by Taylor the water-poet, iii. 19.

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