seller proposed the book by subscription, and raised hand to Mr. Addison himself, and never made public, some thousands of pounds for the same: I believe till after their own Journals, and Curll had printed the gentleman did not share in the profits of this ex- the same. One name alone, which I am here autravagant subscription.' 'After the Iliad, he undertook (saith Mist's Journal, June 8, 1728,) the sequel of that work, the Odyssey; and having secured the success by a numerous subscription, he employed some underlings to perform what, according to his proposals, should come from his own hands.' To which heavy charge we can in truth oppose nothing but the words of thorized to declare, will sufficiently evince this truth, that of the right honourable the earl of Burlington. Next is he taxed with a crime (in the opinion of some authors, I doubt, more heinous than any in morality,) to wit, plagiarism, from the inventive and quaint-conceited James Moore Smith, Gent. 'Upon reading the third volume of Pope's Miscellanies, I found five lines which I thought excellent; and happening to praise them, a gentleman produced Mr. Pope's Proposal for the Odyssey, (printed by J. a modern comedy (the Rival Modes) published last Watts, Jan. 10, 1724 :) year, where were the same verses to a tittle. 'I take this occasion to declare that the subscrip- 'These gentlemen are undoubtedly the first plagiation for Shakspeare belongs wholly to Mr. Tonson: ries, that pretend to make a reputation by stealing and that the benefit of this proposal is not solely for from a man's works in his own life-time, and out of a my own use, but for that of two of my friends, who public print." Let us join to this what is written by have assisted me in this work.' But these very gen- the author of the Rival Modes, the said Mr. James tlemen are extolled above our poet himself in another Moore Smith, in a letter to our author himself, who of Mist's Journals, March 30, 1728, saying, 'That he had informed him a month before that play was would not advise Mr. Pope to try the experiment acted, Jan. 27, 1726-7, that, 'These verses, which he again of getting a great part of a book done by as- had before given him leave to insert in it, would be sistants, lest those extraneous parts should unhappily known for his, some copies being got abroad. He ascend to the sublime, and retard the declension of desires, nevertheless, that since the lines had been the whole. Behold! these underlings are become read in his comedy to several, Mr. P. would not degood writers! prive it of them,' &c. Surely, if we add the testimo thor's long before the said gentleman composed his play, it is hoped, the ingenuous, that affect not error, will rectify their opinion by the suffrage of so honourable personages. If any say, that before the said Proposals were nies of the lord Bolingbroke, of the lady to whom printed, the subscription was begun without declara- the said verses were originally addressed, of Hugh tion of such assistance; verily those who set it on Bethel, esq. and others, who knew them as our aufoot, or (as the term is) secured it, to wit, the right honourable the lord viscount Harcourt, were he living, would testify, and the right honourable the lord Bathurst, now living, doth testify, the same is a falsehood. Sorry I am, that persons professing to be learned, or of whatever rank of authors, should either falsely tax, or be falsely taxed. Yet let us, who are only reporters, be impartial in our citations, and proceed. Mist's Journal, June 8, 1728. And yet followeth another charge, insinuating no less than his enmity both to church and state, which could come from no other informer than the said Mr. James Moore Smith. "The Memoirs of a Parish Clerk was a very dull 'Mr. Addison raised this author from obscurity, ob- and unjust abuse of a person who wrote in defence tained him the acquaintance and friendship of the of our religion and constitution, and who has been whole body of our nobility, and transferred his pow-dead many years.'2 This seemeth also most untrue; erful interests with those great men to this rising it being known to divers that these memoirs were bard, who frequently levied by that means unusual written at the seat of the lord Harcourt, in Oxfordcontributions on the public.' Which surely cannot shire, before that excellent person (bishop Burnet's) be, if, as the author of the Dunciad Dissected report- death, and many years before the appearance of that eth, Mr. Wycherley had before introduced him into history, of which they are pretended to be an abuse. a familiar acquaintance with the greatest peers and Most true it is, that Mr. Moore had such a design, brightest wits then living. and was himself the man who pressed Dr. Arbuthnot 'No sooner (saith the same journalist) was his body and Mr. Pope to assist him therein; and that he bor lifeless, but this author, reviving his resentment, libel- rowed those memoirs of our author, when that history led the memory of his departed friend; and what was came forth, with intent to turn them to such abuse. still more heinous, made the scandal public.' Griev- But being able to obtain from our author but one sinous the accusation! unknown the accuser! the per-gle hint, and either changing his mind, or having more son accused no witness in his own cause; the person, mind than ability, he contented himself to keep the in whose regard accused, dead! But if there be liv- said memoirs, and read them as his own to all his acing any one nobleman whose friendship, yea any one quaintance. A noble person there is, into whose gentleman whose subscription Mr. Addison procured company Mr. Pope once chanced to introduce him, to our author, let him stand forth, that truth may ap- who well remembereth the conversation of Mr. pear! Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed magis Moore to have turned upon the 'contempt he had for amica veritas. In verity, the whole story of the libel the work of that reverend prelate, and how full he is a lie; witness those persons of integrity, who se- was of a design he declared himself to have, of exveral years before Mr. Addison's decease, did see and approve of the said verses, in no wise a libel, but a friendly rebuke sent privately in our author's own! 1 Daily Journal, March 18. 1728. 2 Daily Journal, April 3, 1723. posing it. This noble person is the earl of Peter-| borough. 'Now fired by Pope and virtue, leave the age Here in truth should we crave pardon of all the foresaid right honourable and worthy personages, for having mentioned them in the same page with such weekly riff-raff railers and rhymers; but that we had their ever-honoured commands for the same; and in his elegant and philosophical poem the Seasons: that they are introduced not as witnesses in the controversy, but as witnesses that cannot be controverted; not to dispute, but to decide. Certain it is, that dividing our writers into two classes, of such who were acquaintance, and of such who were strangers to our author; the former are those who speak well, and the other those who speak evil of him. Of the first class, the most noble John Duke of Buckingham sums up his character in these lines: And yet so wondrous, so sublime a thing, So also is he deciphered by The Hon. Simon Harcourt. “Say, wondrous youth, what column wilt thou choose, Thy soul's delight.2 Although not sweeter his own Homer sings, Mr. William Broome: 'Thus, nobly rising in fair virtue's cause, 'A soul with every virtue fraught, A genius for each business fit; Whose meanest talent is his wit,' &c. Let us now recreate thee by turning to the other side, and showing his character drawn by those with whom he never conversed, and whose countenances he could not know, though turned against him: First again commencing with the high-voiced and neverenough quoted Mr. John Dennis, who, in his Reflections on the Essay on Criticism, thus describeth him: A little affected hypocrite, who has nothing in his mouth but candour, truth, friend Recorded in like manner for his virtuous disposi- ship, good-nature, humanity, and magnanimity. He tion, and gentle bearing, by the ingenious Mr. Walter Hart, in this apostrophe: 'Oh! ever worthy, ever crown'd with praise! Dr. Edward Young, wishing some check to the corruption and evil man is so great a lover of falsehood, that whenever he has a mind to calumniate his contemporaries, he brands them with some defect which was just contrary to some good quality for which all their friends and acquaintance commend them. He seems to have a particular pique to people of quality, and authors of that rank.-He must derive his religion from St. Omer's.-But in the character of Mr. P. and his writings (printed by S. Popping, 1716) he saith, Though he is a professor of the worst religion, yet he laughs at it;' but that nevertheless he is a virulent papist; and yet a pillar of the church of England.' Of both which opinions Mr. Lewis Theobald ners of the times, calleth out upon our poet to under-seems also to be; declaring in Mist's Journal of June take a task so worthy of his virtue: 'Why slumbers Pope, who leads the Muses' train, Nor hears that virtue, which he loves, complain ?'4 Mr. Mallet, in his epistle on Verbal Criticism: 'Whose life, severely scann'd, transcenos his lays; For wit supreme, is but his second praise.' Mr. Hammond, that delicate and correct imitator of Tibullus, in his Love Elegies, Elegy xiv. 1 Verses to Mr. P. on his translation of Homer. 2 Poem prefixed to his works. 3 In his poems, printed for B. Lintot. 4 Universal Passion, sat. 1. 22, 1718, 'That if he is not shrewdly abused, he made However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gildon, in the character last cited, make it all plain, by assuring us, "That he is a creature that reconciles all contradictions: he is a beast, and a man; a Whig and a Tory; a writer (at one and the same time) of Guardians and Examiners;2 an assertor of liberty, and of the dispensing power of kings; a 1 In his poems at the end of the Odyssey. Mr. Oldmixon Jesuitical professor of truth; a base and foul pretender to candour.' So that, upon the whole account, calls him a great master of our tongue; declares 'the we must conclude him either to have been a great purity and perfection of the English language to be hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible impostor found in his Homer; and, saying there are more good upon both parties, or very moderate to either. verses in Dryden's Virgil than in any other work, except this of our author only.' The Author of a Letter to Mr. Cibber Be it as to the judicious reader shall seem good. Sure it is, he is little favoured of certain authors, whose wrath is perilous; for one declares he ought to have a price set on his head, and to be hunted says: 'Pope was so good a versifier [once] that, his down as a wild beast. Another protests that he predecessor Mr. Dryden, and his contemporary Mr. does not know what may happen; advises him to Prior excepted, the harmony of his numbers is equal insure his person; says he has bitter enemies, and to any body's. And, that he had all the merit that a expressly declares it will be well if he escapes with man can have that way."2 And his life. One desires he would cut his own throat, or hang himself.3 But Pasquin seemed rather inclin Mr. Thomas Cooke, But in his other works what beauties shine, ed it should be done by the government, representing after much bleraishing our author's Homer, crieth him engaged in grievous designs with a lord of par- out: liament then under prosecution.4 Mr. Dennis himself hath written to a minister, that he is one of the most dangerous persons in this kingdom; and assureth the public, that he is an open and mortal enemy to his country; a monster that will one day show as daring a soul as a mad Indian, who runs a-muck to kill the first Christian he meets. Another gives information of treason discovered in his poem.? Mr. the maker of certain verses to Duncan Campbell,4 in Curll boldly supplies an imperfect verse with kings that poem, which is wholly a satire upon Mr. Pope, and princesses and one Matthew Concanen, yet more impudent, publishes at length the two most sacred names in this nation, as members of the Dunciad!? This is prodigious! yet it is almost as strange, that in the midst of these invectives his greatest enemies have (I know not how) borne testimony to some merit in him. Mr. Theobald, in censuring his Shakspeare, declares, 'He has so great an esteem for Mr. Pope, and so high an opinion of his genius and excellences, that, notwithstanding he professes a veneration almost rising to idolatry for the writings of this inestimable poet, he would be very loath even to do him justice, at the expence of that other gentleman's character.'10 Mr. Charles Gildon, confesseth, H. Stanhope, "Tis true, if finest notes alone could show Mist's Journal, June 8, 1728. The Essay on the Dunciad also owns, p. 25, it is after having violently attacked him in many pieces, very full of beautiful images. But the panegyrie at last came to wish from his heart, That Mr. Pope which crowns all that can be said on this poem, is would be prevailed upon to give us Ovid's Epistles bestowed by our laureate, by his hand; for it is certain we see the original of Sappho to Phaon with much more life and likeness Mr. Colley Cibber, in his version, than in that of sir Car Scrope. And who 'grants it to be a better poem of its kind than this (he adds) is the more to be wished, because in ever was writ;' but adds, 'it was a victory over a the English tongue we have scarcely any thing truly parcel of poor wretches, whom it was almost cowand naturally written upon love." He also, in taxing ardice to conquer.-A man might as well triumph for sir Richard Blackmore for his heterodox opinions of having killed so many silly flies that offended him. Homer, challengeth him to answer what Mr. Pope Could he have let them alone, by this time, poor souls! hath said in his preface to that poet. they had all been buried in oblivion.' Here we see our excellent laureate allows the justice of the satire on every man in it, but himself; as the great Mr. Dennis did before him. 1 Theobald, Letter in Mist's Journal, June 22, 1728. 2 Smedley, pref. to Gulliveriana, p. 14, 16. 3 Gulliveriana, p. 332. 4 Anno 1723. 5 Anno 1729. 6 Preface to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 12; and in the last page of that treatise. 7 Page 6, 7, of the Preface, by Concanen, to a book. called, A Collection of all the Letters, Essays, Verses, The said Mr. Dennis and Mr. Gildon, and Advertisements, occasioned by Pope and Swift's in the most furious of all their words (the forecited Miscellanies. Printed for A. Moore, Svo. 1712. 8 Key to the Dunciad, 34 edit. p. 18. 9 A list of Persons, &c. at the end of the foremen tioned Collection of all the Letters, Essays, &c. 10 Introduction to his Shakspeare Restored, in 4to. p 3.| 11 Commentary on the Duke of Buckingham's Essay, Evo, 1721, p. 97, 98 1 In his prose Essay on Criticism. 2 Printed by J. Roberts, 1742, p. 11. 3 Battle of the Poets, folio, p. 15. 4 Printed under the title of the Progress of Dulness, 12mo, 17-8. 5 Cibber's Letter to Mr. Pope, p. 9. 12. Character, p. 5,) do in concert confess, 'that some Otway, and others) have received from this country, men of good understanding value him for his rhymes.' for these last hundred years, I should shift the scene, And (p. 17) that he has got, like Mr. Bayes in the and show all that penury changed at once to riot Rehearsal, (that is, like Mr. Dryden,) a notable knack and profuseness; and more squandered away upon at rhyming, and writing smooth verse.' one object, than would have satisfied the greater part On his Essay on Man, numerous were the praises of those extraordinary men; the reader to whom this bestowed by his avowed enemies, in the imagination one creature should be unknown, would fancy him a that the same was not written by him, as it was print- prodigy of art and nature, would believe that all the ed anonymously. great qualities of these persons were centered in him alone. But if I should venture to assure him, that the people of England had made such a choice--the reader would either believe me a malicious enemy, and slanderer, or that the reign of the last (Queen Anne's) ministry was designed by fate to encourage fools." Thus sang of it even Bezaleel Morris: 'Auspicious bard! while all admire thy strain, Mr. Leonard Welstead But it happens that this our poet never had any place, pension, or gratuity, in any shape, from the said glorious queen, or any of her ministers. All he owed, in the whole course of his life, to any court, was a subscription for his Homer, of £200, from King George I. and £100 from the prince and princess. thus wrote to the unknown author, on the first pub- However, lest we imagine our author's success lication of the said Essay; 'I must own, after the re- was constant and universal, they acquaint us of cerception which the vilest and most immoral ribaldry tain works in a less degree of repute, whereof, alhath lately met with, I was surprised to see what I though owned by others, yet do they assure us he is bad long despaired, a performance deserving the name the writer. Of this sort Mr. Dennis2 ascribes to him of a poet. Such, sir, is your work. It is, indeed, two farces, whose names he does not tell, but assures above all commendation, and ought to have been published in an age and country more worthy of it. If my testimony be of weight any where, you are sure to have it in the amplest manner,' &c. &c. &c. us that there is not one jest in them; and an imitation of Horace, whose title he does not mention, but assures us it is much more execrable than all his works.3 The Daily Journal, May 11, 1728, assures us, 'He is below Tom Durfey in the drama, because (as that Thus we see every one of his works hath been exwriter thinks) the Marriage-Hater Matched, and the tolled by one or other of his most inveterate enemies; Boarding School, are better than the What-d'ye-calland to the success of them all they do unanimously it; which is not Mr. P.'s, but Mr. Gay's. Mr. Gilgive testimony. But it is sufficient instar omnium, to don assures us, in his New Rehearsal, p. 48, 'That behold the great critic, Mr. Dennis, sorely lamenting he was writing a play of the Lady Jane Grey:' but it it, even from the Essay on Criticism to this day of the afterwards proved to be Mr. Rowe's. We are assurDunciad! A most notorious instance (quoth he) of ed by another, ' He wrote a pamphlet called Dr. Anthe depravity of genius and taste, the approbation this drew Tripe;' which proved to be one Dr. Wagstaff's. Essay meets with. 3-1 can safely affirm, that I never Mr. Theobald assures us, in Mist of the 27th of April, attacked any of these writings, unless they had suc-That the treatise of the Profound is very dull, and cess infinitely beyond their merit. This, though an that Mr. Pope is the author of it.' The writer of empty, has been a popular scribbler. The epidemic Gulliveriana is of another opinion; and says, 'The madness of the times has given him reputation.-If, whole, or greatest part, of the merit of this treatise after the cruel treatment so many extraordinary men must and can only be ascribed to Gulliver. [Here, (Spenser, lord Bacon, Ben Jonson, Milton, Butler, gentle reader! cannot I but smile at the strange blindness and positiveness of men? knowing the said In concert] Hear how Mr. Dennis hath proved our Distake in this case: As to my writing in concert with treatise to appertain to none other but to me, MarMr. Gildon, I declare upon the honour and word of a tinus Scriblerus.] gentleman, that I never wrote so much as one line in concert with any one man whatsoever. And these two Etters from Gildon will plainly show, that we are not writers in concert with each other. "Sir, "The height of my ambition is to please men of the best judgment; and, finding that I have entertained my master agreeably, I have the extent of the reward of my labour." We are assured, in Mist of June 8th, 'That his own plays and farces would better have adorned the Dunciad, than those of Mr. Theobald; for he had neither genius for tragedy nor comedy.' Which whether true or not, it is not easy to judge; in as much as he had attempted neither. Unless we will take it for granted, with Mr. Cibber, that his being once very "I had not the opportunity of hearing of your excellent angry at hearing a friend's play abused, was an infal pamphlet till this day. I am infinitely satisfied and lible proof the play was his own; the said Mr. Cibpleased with it, and hope you will meet with that en-ber thinking it impossible for a man to be much concouragement your admirable performance deserves, &c. cerned for any but himself: 'Now let any man judge "CH. GILDON." (saith he) by his concern, who was the true mother of the child.'6 "Sir, Now is it not plain, that any one who sends such compliments to another, has not been used to write in partnership with him to whom he sends them? Dennis, Remarks on the Dunciad, p. 50. Mr. Deunis is there fure welcome to take this piece to himself. 2 In a letter un ler his own hand, dated March 12, 1733. 3 Dennis, Preface to his Reflections on the Essay on Criticism. 4 Preface to his Remarks on Homer. Y But from all that has been said, the discerning reader will collect, that it little avalled our author to of our poem. Margites was the name of this person have any candour, since, when he declared he did age, whom antiquity recordeth to have been Dunce not write for others, it was not credited; as little to the first; and surely from what we hear of him, not have any modesty, since, when he declined writing in unworthy to be the root of so spreading a tree, and any way himself, the presumption of others was im- so numerous a posterity. The poem, therefore, celeputed to him. If he singly enterprised one great brating him was properly and absolutely a Dunciad; work, he was taxed of boldness and madness to a which, though now unhappily lost, yet is its nature prodigy: if he took assistants in another, it was com-sufficiently known by the infallible tokens aforesaid. plained of, and represented as a great injury to the And thus it doth appear, that the first Dunciad was public. The loftiest heroics, the lowest ballads, the first epic poem, written by Homer himself, and treatises against the state or church, satires on lords anterior even to the Iliad or Odyssey. and ladies, raillery on wits and authors, squabbles Now, forasmuch as our poet hath translated those with booksellers, or even full and true accounts of two famous works of Homer which are yet left, he monsters, poisons, and murders; of any hereof was did conceive it in some sort his duty to imitate that there nothing so good, nothing so bad, which hath not also which was lost: and was there fore induced to at one or other season been to him ascribed. If it bestow on it the same form which Homer's is repe. bore no author's name, then lay he concealed; if it ed to have had, namely, that of epic poem; with a did, he fathered it upon that author to be yet better title also framed after the ancient Greek manner, to concealed: if it resembled any of his styles, then was wit, that of Dunciad. it evident; if it did not, then disguised he it on set Wonderful it is, that so few of the moderns have purpose. Yea, even direct oppositions in religion, been stimulated to attempt some Dunciad! since in principles, and politics, have equally been supposed the opinion of the multitude, it might cost less pain in him inherent. Surely a most rare and singular and toil than an imitation of the greater epic. But character: of which let the reader make what he can. possible it is also, that, on due reflection, the maker Doubtless most commentators would hence take might find it easier to paint a Charlemagne, a Brute, occasion to turn all to their author's advantage, and or a Godfrey with just pomp and dignity heroic, than from the testimony of his very enemies would affirm, a Margites, a Codrus, or a Fleckno. that his capacity was boundless, as well as his imagi-| We shall next declare the occasion and the cause nation; that he was a perfect master of all styles, and which moved our poet to this particular work. He all arguments; and that there was in those times, no lived in those days, when (after providence had per other writer, in any kind, of any degree of excellence, mitted the invention of printing as a scourge for the save he himself. But as this is not our own senti- sins of the learned) paper also became so cheap, and ment, we shall determine on nothing; but leave thee, printers so numerous, that a deluge of authors covergentle reader, to steer thy judgment equally between ed the land; whereby not only the peace of the hovarious opinions, and to choose whether thou wilt nest unwriting subject was daily molested, but unmerincline to the testimony of authors avowed, or of authors concealed; of those who knew him, or of those who knew him not. P. MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS OF THE POEM. ciful demands were made of his applause, yea, of his money, by such as would neither earn the one nor deserve the other. At the same time, the licence of the press was such, that it grew dangerous to refuse them either: for they would forthwith publish slanders unpunished, the authors being anonymous, and skulking under the wings of publishers, a set of men who neither scrupled to vend either calumny or blasphemy, as long as the town would call for it. Now our author, living in those times, did conTHIS poem, as it celebrateth the most grave and ceive it an endeavour well worthy an honest satirist, ancient of things, Chaos, Night, and Dulness: so is it to dissuade the dull, and punish the wicked, the only of the most grave and ancient kind Homer (saith way that was left. In that public-spirited view he Aristotle) was the first who gave the form, and (saith laid the plan of this poem, as the greatest service he Horace) who adapted the measure to heroic poesy. was capable (without much hurt, or being slain) to But even before this, may be rationally presumed, render his dear country. First, taking things from from what the ancients have left written, was a piece their original, he considereth the causes creative of by Homer, composed of like nature and matter with such authors, namely, dulness and poverty; the one this of our poet. For of epic sort it appeareth to have born with them, the other contracted by neglect of been, yet of matter surely not unpleasant, witness their proper talents, through self-conceit of greater what is reported of it by the learned archbishop abilities. This truth he wrappeth in an allegory? (as Eustathius, in Odyss. x. And accordingly Aristotle, the construction of epic poesy requireth,) and feigns in his Poetics, chap. iv doth further set forth, that as the Iliad and Odyssey gave example to tragedy, so did this poem to comedy its first idea. From these authors also it should seem, that the hero, or chief personage of it was no less obscure, and his understanding and sentiments no less quaiut and strange (if indeed no more so) than any of the actors 1 Burnet's Homerides, p. 1, of his translation of the Iliad. 2 The Londen and Mist's Journals, on his undertaking the Odyssey. that one of these goddesses had taken up her abode with the other, and that they jointly inspired all such writers and such works. He proceedeth to show the qualities they bestow on these authors, and the effects they produce: then the materials or stock, with which they furnish them; and, above all, that self-opinion which causeth it to seem to themselves |