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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 fince that had happened, he could no longer deny this justice either to him or the Dunciad.

And yet I will venture to fay, there was another motive which had ftill more weight with our Author: This perfon was one, who from every Folly (not fo 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 W. W.

it.

VI.

ADVERTISEMENT

W

Printed in the JOURNALS, 1730.

HEREAS, 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 abuse: 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 some reason; but we promife to do it in refpect to every perfon who thinks it an injury to be represented 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 efteemed equal to any three of the number.

dogóra, and I doubt not will continue fo to the laftd.

In the poem called Abfalom and Achitophel are notoriously 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 It magnatum, yea of MAJESTY itself.

He looks upon God's Gofpel as a foolish fable, like the Pope, to whom he is a pitiful purveyor. His very chriftianity may be questioned. He ought to expect more feverity than other men, as he is most unmerciful in his own reflections on others h. With as good a right as his Holiness, he fets up for poetical infallibility '.

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 *. 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

sid Milbourn on Dryden's Virgil, 8vo, 1691. p. 8.

Whip and Key, 4to printed for R. Janeway, 1682. Pref
Milbourn, p. 9.

Ibid.

i

pag. 39.

k

Whip and Key, Pref.

Effay on Criticism, p. 84.

hibid. p. 175.

1 Oldmixon,

be a tory and high flyer . He is both whig and tory d

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

In his Mifcellanies, the Perfons abufed 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, &c. To make Senfe of fome paffages, they must be conftrued into ROYAL SCANDAL.

He is a Popish Rhymefter, bred up with a contempt of the Sacred Writings. His Religion allows him to destroy Hereticks, not only with his pen, but with fire and fword; and fuch were all those unhappy Wits whom he facrificed to his accurfed Popish Principles . It deferved Vengeance to suggest, that Mr. Pope had lefs Infallibility than his Namefake at Rome i.

Mr. POPE only a Verfifier.

The fmooth numbers of the Dunciad are all that recommend it, nor has it any other merit *. It must

c Pref. to Gulliveriana.

Dennis, Character of Mr. P. e Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22. 1728.

f Lift. at the end, of a Collection of Verfes, Letters, Advertifements, 8vo. Printed for A. Moore, 1728, and the Preface to it, p. 6. • Dennis's Remarks on Homer. p. 27.

h Preface to Gulliveriana, p. 11. Collection of Verfes, Letters, &c. p. 9. of June 8, 1728.

.

i Dedication to the

* Mift's Journal

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 stamp, 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, &c. requires ftrength of lines, weight of words, and clofeness 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 °.

Mr. DRYDEN understood no Greek nor Latin.

Mr. Dryden was once, I have heard, at Westminfter school: Dr. Bufby would have whipt him for fo childish a Paraphrafe P. The meaneft Pedant in England would whip a Lubber of twelve for con. ftruing fo abfurdly . The Tranflator is mad, every line betrays his Stupidity'. The faults are innumerable, and convince me that Mr. Dryden did not, or

Milbourn, p. 2.

• Pag. 22, and 192. • Pag. 203.

A Pag. 35

Milbourn, p. 724
Pag. 78..

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