100 Breval, Bond, Besaleel, the varlets caught. 130 Forth from the heap she pick'd her votary's prayer, | Mears, Warner, Wilkins, run: delusive thought! *nd now the victor stretch'd his eager hand [110 VARIATIONS. Ver. 99.-104. In former edit. thus: (Oft as he fish'd her nether realms for wit, The goddess favour'd him, and favours yet) RRMARKS. | To him the goddess: "Son! thy grief lay down sons. REMARKS. 140 Ver. 126. Breval, Bond, Besaleel,] I foresee it will be objected from this line, that we were in an errour in our assertion on ver. 50 of this book, that More was a fictitious name, since those persons are equally represented by the poet as phantoms. So at first sight it may be seen; but be not deceived, reader; these also are not real per'Tis true, Curll declares Breval, a captain, author of a piece called the Confederates, but Curl first said it was written by Joseph Gay: Is his second assertion to be credited any more than his first? He likewise affirms Bond to be one who writ a satire on our poet: but where is such a satire to be found? where was such a writer ever heard of? As for Besaleel, it carries forgery in the very name; nor is it, as the others are, a surname. Thou may'st depend upon it, no such authors ever lived; all phantoms.-Scribl. Ver 128. Joseph Gay, a fictitious name put by Ver. 101. Where, as he fish'd, &c.] See the Curll before several pamphlets, which made them preface to Swift's and Pope's Miscellanies. Ver. 116. Evans, Young, and Swift.] Some of those persons, whose writings, epigrams, or jests he had owned. See note on ver. 50. pass with many for Mr. Gay's-The ambiguity of the word Joseph, which likewise signifies a loose upper-coat, gives much pleasantry to the idea. Ver. 132. And turn this whole illusion on the town:] It was a common practice of this bookseller to publish vile pieces of obscure hands under the names of eminent authors. Ver. 138. Cook shall be Prior,] The man here specified writ a thing called The Battle of the Poets, in which Philips and Welsted were the Ver. 118. an unpay'd taylor] This line has been loudly complained of in Mist, June 8, Dedic. to Sawney, and others, as a most inhuman satire on the poverty of poets: but it is thought our author will be acquitted by a jury of taylors. To me this instance seems unluckily chosen; if it be a satire on any body, it must be on a bad pay-heroes, and Swift and Pope utterly routed. He master, since the person to whom they have here applied it, was a man of fortune. Not but poets may well be jealous of so great a prerogative as non-payment; which Mr. Dennis so far asserts, as boldly to pronounce, that "if Homer himself was not in debt, it was because nobody would trust him."-Pref. to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 15. Ver. 124. like Congreve, Addison, and Prior;] These authors being such whose names will reach posterity, we shall not give any account of them, but proceed to those of whom it is necessary.— Besaleel Morris was author of some satires on the translators of Homer, with many other things printed in news-papers." Bond writ a satire against Mr. P. Capt. Breval was author of The Confederates, an ingenious dramatic performance to expose Mr. P., Mr. Gay, Dr. Arb. and some ladies of quality," says Curll, Key, p. 11. Ver. 125. Mears, Warner, Wilkins] Booksellers and printers of much anonymous stuff. also published some malevolent things in the British, London, and Daily Journals; and at the same time wrote letters to Mr. Pope, protesting his innocence. His chief work was a translation of Hesiod, to which Theobald writ notes and half notes, which he carefully owned. Ver. 138. and Concanen, Swift:] In the first edition of this poem there were only asterisks in this place, but the names were since inserted, merely to fill up the verse, and give ease to the ear of the reader. Ver. 140. And we too boast our Garth and Addison.] Nothing is more remarkable than our author's love of praising good writers. He has in this very poem celebrated Mr. Locke, sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Barrow, Dr. Atterbury, Mr. Dryden, Mr Congreve, Dr. Garth, Mr. Addison,; in a word, almost every man of his time that deserved it; even Cibber himself (presuming him to be the author of the Careless Husband). It was very difficult to have that pleasure in a poem With that she gave him (piteous of his case, Yet smiling at his rueful length of face) REMARKS. A shaggy tapestry, worthy to be spread, REMARKS. on this subject, yet he has found means to insert their panegyric, and has made even Dulness out of her own mouth pronounce it. It must have been particularly agreeable to him to celebrate Dr. Garth; both as his constant friend, and as Admirably it is observed by Mr. Dennis against he was his predecessor in this kind of satire. The Mr. Law, p. 33. "That the language of BillingsDispensary attacked the whole body of apothe-gate can never be the language of charity, nor caries, a much more useful one undoubtedly than consequently of Christianity." I should else be that of the bad poets; if in truth this can be a tempted to use the language of a critic; for what body, of which no two members ever agreed. It is more provoking to a commentator than to be also did, what Mr. Theobald says is unpardon-hold his author thus pourtrayed? Yet I consider able, draw in parts of private character, and introduced persons independent of his subject. Much more would Boileau have incurred his censure, who left all subjects whatever, on all occasions, to fall upon the bad poets (which, it is to be feared, would have been more immediately his concern.) But certainly next to commending good writers, the greatest service to learning is to expose the bad, who can only that way be made of any use to it. This truth is very well set forth in these lines addressed to our author. The craven rook, and pert jackdaw, (Though neither birds of moral kind) Becomes a precious mummy dead. Ver. 142. rueful length of face] "The decrepid person or figure of a man are no reflections upon his genius. An honest mind will love and esteem a man of worth, though he be deformed or poor. Yet the author of the Dunciad hath libelled a person for his rueful length of face !" Mist's Journal, June 8. This genius and man of worth, whom an honest mind should love, is Mr. Curll. True it is, he stood on the pillory, an incident which will lengthen the face of any man, though it were ever so comely, therefore is no reflection on the natural beauty of Mr. Curll. But as to reflections on any man's face or figure, Mr. Dennis saith excellently; "Natural deformity comes not by our fault; it is often occasioned by calamities and diseases, which a man can no more help than a monster can his deformity. There is no one misfortune, and no one disease, but what all the rest of mankind are subject to.-But the deformity of this author is visible, present, lasting, unalterable, and peculiar to himself. "Tis the mark of God and Nature upon him, to give us warning that we should hold no society with him, as a creature not of our original, nor of our species and they who have refused to take this warning which God and Nature has given them, and have, in spite of it, by a senseless presumption, ventured to be familiar with him, have severely suffered, &c. 'Tis certain his original is not from Adam, but from the Devil," &c.-Dennis, character of Mr. P. octavo, 1716. it really hurts not him! whereas to call some others dull, might do them prejudice with a world too apt to believe it. Therefore, though Mr. D. may call another a little ass or a young toad, far be it from us to call him a toothless lion or an old serpent. Indeed, had I written these notes (as was once my intent) in the learned language, I might have given him the appellations of balatro, calceatum caput, scurra in triviis, being phrases in good esteem and frequent usage among the best learned: but in our mother-tongue, were I to tax any gentleman of the Dunciad, surely it should be in words not to the vulgar intelligible; whereby Christian charity, decency, and good accord among authors, might be preserved.-Scribl. The good Scriblerus here, as on all occasions, eminently shows his humanity. But it was far otherwise with the gentlemen of the Dunciad, whose scurrilities were always personal, and of that nature which provoked every honest man but Mr. Pope; yet never to be lamented, since they occasioned the following amiable verses: While malice, Pope, denies thy page Its own celestial fire; While critics, and while bards in rage, While wayward pens thy worth assail, And envious tongues decry: But when the world's loud praise is thine, When none shall rail, and every lay Devote a wreathe to thee; Shall I lament to see. Ver. 143. shaggy tapestry,] A sorry kind of tapestry frequent in old inns, made of worsted, or some coarser stuff; like that which is spoken of by Donne-Faces as frightful as theirs who whipt Christ in old hangings. This imagery woven in it alludes to the mantle of Cloanthus, in Æn. v. Ver. 144. John Dunton was a broken bookseller, and abusive scribbler; he writ Neck or Nothing, a violent satire on some ministers of state; a libel on the duke of Devonshire and the bishop of Peterborough, &c. scourge] John Tutchin, author of some vile verses, Ver. 148. And Tutchin flagrant from the and of a weekly paper called the Observator. He There Ridpath, Roper, cudgel'd might ye view, Our purgings, pumpings, blanketings, and blows! Ver. 151. Himself among the story'd chiefs he spies,] The history of Curli's being tossed in a blanket, and whipped by the scholars of Westminster, is well known. Of his purging and vomiting, see A full and true account of a horrid Revenge on the body of Edm. Curll, &c. in Swift and Pope's Miscellanies. Ver. 157. See in the circle next, Eliza plac'd,] In this game is exposed, in the most contemptuous manner, the profligate licentiousness of those shameless scribblers (for the most part of that sex which ought least to be capable of such malice or impudence) who, in libellous memoirs and novels, reveal the faults or misfortunes of both sexes, to the ruin of public fame, or disturbance of private happiness. Our good poet (by the whole cast of his work being obliged not to take off the irony) where he could not show his indignation, hath shown his contempt, as much as possible; having here drawn as vile a picture as could be represented in the colours of epic poesy.—Scribl. Ibid. Eliza Haywood; this woman was autoress of those most scandalous books called the Court of Carimania, and the New Utopia. For the two babes of love, see Curil, Key, p. 22. But whatever reflection he is pleased to throw upon this lady, surely it was what from him she little deserved, who had celebrated Curll's undertakings for reformation of manners, and declared herself" to be so perfectly acquainted with the sweetness of his disposition, and that tenderness with which he considered the errours of his fellowcreatures; that, though she should find the little inadvertencies of her own life recorded in his papers, she was certain it would be done in such a manner as she could not but approve."-Mrs. Haywood, Hist. of Clar. printed in the Female Dunciad, p. 18. Ver. 160. Kirkall,] the name of an engraver. Some of this lady's works were printed in four volumes in 12mo, with her picture thus dressed up before them. The goddess then: "Who best can send on high 170 Osborne and Curll accept the glorious strife, (Though this his son dissuades, and that his wife.) One on his manly confidence relies, One on his vigour and superior size. First Osborne lean'd against his letter'd post : It rose, and labour'd to a curve at most.. So Jove's bright bow displays its watery round (Sure sign that no spectator shall be drown'd). A second effort brought but new disgrace, The wild meander wash'd the artist's face : Thus the smail jet, which hasty hands unlock, Spirts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock. Not so from shameless Curll; impetuous spread The stream, and smoking flourish'd o'er his head. So (fam'd like thee for turbulence and horns) [180 Eridanus his humble fountain scorns; Through half the heavens he pours th' exalted urn; His rapid waters in their passage burn. REMARKS. Ver. 167. Osborne, Thomas] A bookseller in Gray's-inu, very well qualified by his impudence to act this part; therefore placed here instead of a less deserving predecessor. [Chapman, the publisher of Mrs. Haywood's New Utopia, &c.] This man published advertisements for a year together, pretending to sell Mr. Pope's subscription books of Homer's Illiad at half the price: of which book he had none, but cut to the size of them (which was quarto) the common books in folio, without copper-plates, on a worse paper, and never above half the value. Upon this advertisement the Gazetteer harangued thus, July 6, 1739, "How melancholy must it be to a writer to be so unhappy as to see his works hawked for sale in a manner so fatal to his fame! How, with honour to yourself, and justice to your subscribers, can this be done! What an ingratitude to be charged on the only honest poet that lived in 1738! and than whom Virtue has not had a shriller trumpeter for many ages! That you were once generally admired and esteemed, can be denied by none; but that you and your works are now despised, is verified by this fact:" which being utterly false, did not in deed much humble the author, but drew this just chastisement on the bookseller. Ver. 183. Through half the heavens he pours th' exalted urn ;] In a manuscript Dunciad (where are some marginal corrections of some gentlemen some time deceased) I have found another reading of these lines: thus, And lifts his urn, through half the heavens to flow; His rapid waters in their passage glow. This I cannot but think the right: for, first, though the difference between burn and glow may seem not very material to others, to me I confess the latter has an elegance, a je ne sçay quoy, which is much easier to be conceived than explained. Secondly, every reader of our poet must have observed how frequently he uses this Swift as it mounts, all follow with their eyes: Still happy Impudence obtains the prize. Thou triumph'st, victor of the high-wrought day, And the pleas'd dame, soft smiling, lead'st away. Osborne, through perfect modesty o'ercome, 189 Crown'd with the jordan, walks contented home. But now for authors nobler palms remain : Room for my lord! three jockeys in his train; Six huntsmen with a shout precede his chair: He grins, and looks broad nonsense with a stare. His honour's meaning Dulness thus exprest, "He wins this patron who can tickle best." 200 He chinks his purse, and takes his scat of state: With ready quills the dedicators wait; Now at his head the dextrous task commence, And, instant, fancy feels th' imputed sense; Now gentle touches wanton o'er his face, He struts Adonis, and affects grimace: Rolli the feather to his ear conveys, Then his nice taste directs our operas: Bentley his mouth with classic flattery opes, And the puff'd orator bursts out in tropes. But Welsted most the poet's healing balm Strives to extract from his soft, giving palin; REMARKS. word glow in other parts of his works: To instance only in his Homer: (1.) Iliad ix. ver. 726.-With one resentment glows. (2.) Iliad xi. ver. 626.—There the battle glows. (3.) Ibid. ver. 985. The closing flesh that instant ceas'd to glow. (4.) Iliad xii. ver. 45.-Encompass'd Hector glows. (5.) Ibid. ver. 475.-His beating breast with generous ardour glows. [6) Iliad. xviii. ver. 591.-Another part glow'd with refulgent aims. (7.) Ibid. ver. 654.—And curl'd on silver props in order glow. I am afraid of growing too luxuriant in examples, or I could stretch this catalogue to a great extent; but these are enough to prove his fondness for this beautiful word, which, therefore, let all future editions replace here. I am aware, after all, that burn is the proper word to convey an idea of what was said to be Mr. Curll's condition at this time: but from that very reason I infer the direct contrary. For surely every lover of our author will conclude he had more humanity than to insult a man on such a misfortune or calamity, which could never befal him purely by his own fault, but from an unhappy communication with another. This note is half Mr. Theobald, half Scribl. Ver. 203. Paolo Antonio Rolli,] an Italian poet, and writer of many operas in that language, which, partly by the help of his genius, prevailed in England near twenty years. He taught Italian to some fine gentlemen, who affected to direct the operas. Ver. 205. Bentley his mouth, &c.] Not spoken of the famous Dr. Richard Bentley, but of one VARIATIONS. Ver. 205. In former edit. Welsted. But Of lixon the poet's healing balm, &c. And again in ver. 109. Unlucky Okduixon ! VOL XH. 209 Unlucky Welsted! thy unfeeling master, "Nowturn to different sports" (the goddess cries) 230 Now thousand tongues are heard in one loud din : The monkey-mimics rush discordant in; REMARKS. Tho. Bentley, a small critic, who aped his uncle in a little Horace. The great one was intended to be dedicated to the lord Halifax, but (on a change of the ministry) was given to the earl of Oxford; for which reason the little one was dedicated to his son the lord Harley. Ver. 207. Welsted] Leonard Welsted, author of the Triumvirate, or a Letter in verse from Palamon to Celia at Bath, which was meant for a satire on Mr. P. and some of his friends about the year 1718. He writ other things which we cannot remember. Smedley, in his Metamorphosis of Scriblerus, mentions one, the Hymn of a Gentleman to his Creator: And there was another in praise either of a Cellar, or a Garret. L W. characterized in the Пg Badevs, or the Art of Sinking, as a didapper, and after as an eel, is said to be this person, by Dennis, Daily Journal of May 11, 1728. He was also characterised under another animal, a mole, by the author of the ensuing simile, which was handed about at the same time: Dear Welsted, mark in dirty hole, Ver. 226. With thunder rumbling from the mustard-bowl,] The old way of making thunder and mustard were the same; but since, it is more advantageously performed by troughs of wood with stops in them. Whether Mr. Dennis was the inventor of that improvement, I know not; but it 250 "Twas chattering, grinning, mouthing, jabbering all, VARIATIONS. [thine. Ver. 241, 242. added since the first edition. REMARKS. is certain, that being once at a tragedy of a new author, he fell into a great passion at hearing some, and cried, "'Sdeath! that is my thunder." Ver. 238. Norton,] See ver. 417.-J. Durant Breval, author of a very extraordinary book of travels, and some poems. See before, note on ver. 126. Ver. 258. Webster-and Whitfield] [The one the writer of a news-paper called the Weekly Miscellany, the other a field-preacher. This thought the only means of advancing religion was by the new-birth of spiritual madness: that by the old death of fire and faggot: and therefore they agreed in this, though in no other earthly thing, to abuse all the sober clergy. From the small success of these two extraordinary persons, we may learn how little hurtful bigotry and enthusiasm are, while the civil magistrate prudently forbears to lend his power to the one, in order to the employing it against the other.] twenty books: Eliza, ten; Alfred, twelve; the But how different is the judgment of the author of Characters of the Times? p. 25, who says, "Sir Richard Blackmore is unfortunate in happening to mistake his proper talents; and that he has not for many years been so much as named, or even thought of among writers." Even Mr. Denis differs greatly from his friend Mr. Gildon: Blackmore's action", saith he, "has neither unity, nor integrity, nor morality, nor universality; and consequently he can have no fable, and no heroic poem: his narration is neither probable, delightful, nor wonderful; his characters have none of the necessary qualifications; the things contained in his narration are neither in their own nature delightful, nor numerous enough, nor rightly disposed, nor surprising, nor pathetic." -Nay, he proceeds so far as to say, sir Richard has no genius; first laying down that " genius is caused by a furious joy and pride of soul, on the conception of an extraordinary hint. Many men (says he) have their hints, without those motions of fury and pride of soul, because they want fire enough to agitate their spirits; and these we call cold writers. Others who have a great deal of fire, but have not excellent organs, feel the fore-mentioned motions, without the extraordinary hints; and these we call fustian writers. But he declares that sir Richard had neither the hints nor the motions."-Remarks on Pr. Arth. octavo, 1696. Preface. "It This gentleman in his first works abused the character of Mr. Dryden; and in his last, of Mr. Pope, accusing him in very high and sober terms of profaneness and immorality (Fssay on Polite Writing, vol. ii. p. 270.) on a mere report from Edm. Curll, that he was author of a travestie on the first psalm. Mr. Dennis took up the same report, but with the addition of what sir Richard had neglected, an argument to prove it; which being very curious we shall here transcribe. is he who burlesqued the psalms of David. It is apparent to me that psalm was burlesqued by a popish rhymester. Let rhyming persons who have been brought up protestants be otherwise what they will, let them be rakes, let them be Ver. 263. Long Chancery-lane] The place scoundrels, let them be atheists, yet education where the offices of chancery are kept. The long has made an invincible impression on thèm in be detention of clients in that court, and the diffi-half of the sacred writings. But a popish rhymeculty of getting out, is humourously allegorized in these lines. ster has been brought up with a contempt for those sacred writings; now show me another popish Ver. 268. Who sings so loudly, and who sings rhymester but he." This manner of argumentation so long] A just character of sir Richard Black-is usual with Mr. Dennis; he has employed the more, knight, who (as Mr. Dryden expresseth it) Writ to the rumbling of his coach's wheels. and whose indefatigable Muse produced no less than six epic poems; Prince and King Arthur, same against sir Richard himself, in a like charge of impiety and irreligion. "All Mr. Blackmore's celestial machines, as they cannot be defended so much as by common received opinion, so are they |