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racter, either in the state or literature, the public in general afford it a moft quiet reception; and the larger part accept it as favourably as if it were fome kindnefs 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 scriblers, booksellers, and printers whatsoever.

Not to fearch too deeply into the reason hereof, I

There was published in those Mifcellanies, a Treatife of the Bathos, or Art of Sinking in Poetry, in which was a chapter, where the species of bad writers were ranged in claffes, and initial letters of names prefixed, for the most part at random. But fuch was the Number of Poets eminent in that art, that fome one or other took every letter to himself. All fell into fo violent a fury, that for half a year, or more, the common News-papers (in most of which they had fome property, as being hired writers) were filled with the most abufive falfhoods and fcurrilities they could poffibly devife; 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 prefs, 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 flander, it fufficed to fhew what contemptible men were the authors of it. He was not without hopes, that by manifefting the dulnefs of those who had only malice to recommend them; either the booksellers would not find their account in employing them, or the men themselves, when difcovered, want courage to proceed in fo unlawful an occupation. This it was that gave birth to the Dunciad; and he thought it an happiness, that by the late food of flander on him. felf, he had acquired fuch a peculiar right over their Names as was neceffary to his defign.

will only observe as a fa&t, that every week for these two months paft, the town has been perfecuted with b pamphlets, advertisements, letters, and weekly effays, not only against the wit and writings, but against the character and person of Mr. Pope. And that of all thofe 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, Guernfey, the Orcades, those in the new world, and foreigners who have tranflated him into their languages) of all this number not a man hath ftood up to say one word in his defence.

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The only exception is the d author of the following poem, who doubtlefs had either a better in

b pamphlets, advertisements, &c.] See the Lift of those anonymous papers, with their dates and authors annexed, inferted before the Poem.

< about a hundred thousand] It is furprifing with what ftupidity this preface, which is almost a continued irony, was taken by thofe authors. All fuch paffages as these were understood by Curl, Cook, Cibber, and others, to be serious. Hear the Laureate (Letter to Mr. Pope, p. 9.) "Tho' I grant the Dunciad a better poem "of its kind than ever was writ; yet, when I read it with those "vain-glorious encumbrances of Notes and Remarks upon it, &c. -it is amazing, that you, who have writ with fuch mafterly fpirit upon the ruling Paffion, fhould be fo blind a flave to your own, as not to fee how far a low avarice of Praife," &c. (taking it for granted that the notes of Scriblerus and others, were the author's own.)

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The author of the following poem, &c.] A very plain irony, fpeaking of Mr. Pope himself.

fight into the grounds of this clamour, or a better opinion of Mr. Pope's integrity, join'd with a greater perfonal 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, some scandal against this gentleman.

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How I came poffeft of it, is no concern to the reader; but it would have been a wrong to him had I detained the publication; since those names which are its chief ornaments die off daily so fast, as must render it too soon unintelligible. If it provoke the author to give us a more perfect edition, I have my end.

Who he is I cannot say, and (which is a great pity) there is certainly nothing in his ftyle and manner of writing, which can diftinguish or discover him: For if it bears any resemblance to that of

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 only of two or three, whofe dulnefs, impudent fcurrility or felf-conceit, all mankind agreed to have justly entitled them to a place in the Dunciad.

There is certainly nothing in his ftyle, &c.] This irony had fmall effect in concealing the author. The Dunciad, imperfect as it was, had not been published two days, but the whole Town gave it to Mr. Poge.

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Mr. Pope, 'tis not improbable but it might be done on purpose, with a view to have it pafs for his. But by the frequency of his allufions to Virgil, and a laboured (not to fay affected) fhortnefs in imitation of him, I fhould 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 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 seem by this verse of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manuscript,

Ob mihi bilenos multum vigilata per annos,
Dunciah!

the labour of full fix years, &c.] This alfo was honestly and seriously believed by divers gentlemen of the Dunciad. J. Ralph, We are told it was the labour of fix years, pref. to Sawney.

with the utmost affiduity and application: It is no great com"pliment to the author's fenfe, to have employed fo large a sc part of his life," &c. So alfo Ward, pref. to Durgen, "The "Dunciad, as the publisher very wifely confeffes, coft the author "fix years retirement from all the pleasures of life; though it is "fomewhat difficult to conceive, from either its bulk or beauty, "that it could be fo long in hatching, &c. But the length of « time and closenefs of application were mentioned to prepoffefs "the reader with a good opinion of it."

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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

Hence alfo 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 Camoens the Lufiad, we may pronounce, could have been, and can be no other than

The DUNCIAD.

It is ftyled Heroic, as being doubly so; not only with refpect to its nature, which, according to the beft rules of the ancients, and ftri&teft ideas of the moderns, is critically fuch; but alfo with regard to the heroical difpofition and high courage of the writer, who dar'd to stir up fuch a formidable, irritable, and implacable race of mortals.

There may arife fome obfcurity 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, will be fenfible, that the poem was not made for thefe authors, but thefe authors for the poem. I fhould judge that they were clapp'd in as they rofe, fresh and fresh, and chang'd from day to day; in like manner as when the old boughs wither, we thruft new ones into a chimney.

I would not have the reader too much troubled or anxious, if he cannot decypher them; fince when

in Statius: "By a quibble on the word Duncia, the Dunciad is formed." Mr. Ward alfo follows him in the fame opinion,

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