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VII.

A

PARALLEL

OF THE

CHARACTERS

O F

Mr. DRYDEN and Mr. POPE.

As drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

Mr. DRYDEN.

His POLITICS, RELIGION, MORALS.

R. Dryden is a mere renegado from monarchy, poetry, and good fenfe. A true republican fon of monarchical Church. A republican Atheift. Dryden was from the beginning an αλλοπρόσαλλα, and I doubt not will continue fo to the laft".

In the poem call'd 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 REPRESENTATIVES notoriously libell'd. It is fcandalum magnatum, yea of MAJESTY itself.

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VII.

A

PARALLEL

OF THE

CHARACTERS

O F

Mr. POPE and Mr. DRYDEN.

As drawn by certain of their Contemporaries.

M

Mr. POPE,

His POLITICS, RELIGION, MORALS.

R. Pope is an open and mortal enemy to his country, and the commonwealth of learning. Some call him a popish whig, which is directly inconfiftent. Pope, as a papift, muft be a tory and high flyer. He is both a whig and tory d.

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

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 Establish'd CHURCH, the prefent MINISTRY, &c. To make Senfe of fome paflages, they must be conftrued into ROYAL SCANDAL'.

a Dennis's Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, Pref. p. xii. b Dunciad diffected.

Pref. to Gulliveriana.

e

d Dennis, Character of Mr. P.

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

f Lift, at the end of a Collec

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 queftioned. He ought to expect more feverity than other men, as he is most unmerciful in his own reflections on others". With as good a right as his Holinefs, he fets up for poetical infallibility'.

Mr. DRYDEN only a Verfifier.

His whole Libel is all bad matter, beautify'd (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'.

Mr. DRYDEN'S VIRGIL.

Tonfon calls it Dryden's Virgil, to fhew that this is not that Virgil fo admir'd in the Auguftaan age; but a Virgil of another ftamp, 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 Translator". It is true, foft and eafy lines might become Ovid's Epiftles or Art of Love But Virgil, who is all great and majeftic, &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 Westminster school: Dr. Busby would have whipt him for so childish a Paraphrase 3. The meaneft Pedant in England would whip a Lubber of twelve for conftruing fo abfurdly 9. The Tranflator is mad, every line betrays his Stupidity. The faults are innumerable, and convince me that Mr. Dryden did not, or would not understand his

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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 thofe unhappy Wits whom he facrificed to his accurfed Popish Principles ". It deferved Vengeance to fuggeft, that Mr. Pope had lefs Infallibility than his Namefake at Rome '.

Mr. POPE only a Verfifier.

The smooth numbers of the Dunciad are all that recommend it, nor has it any other merit. It must be owned that he hath got a notable knack of rhyming and writing smooth verse1.

Mr. POPE's HOMER.

The Homer which Lintot prints, does not talk like Homer, but like Pope; and he who tranflated him, one would fwear, had a Hill in Tipperary for his Parnaffus, and a puddle in fome Bog for his Hippocrene ". He has no Admirers among thofe that can diftinguish, difcern, and judge ".

He hath a knack at smooth verfe, but without either Genius or good fenfe, or any tolerable knowledge of English. The qualities which diftinguifh Homer are the beauties of his Diction and the Harmony of his Verfification.-But this little Author, who is fo much in vogue, has neither fenfe in his Thoughts nor English in his Expreffions °.

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Mr. POPE understood no Greek.

He hath undertaken to tranflate Homer from the Greek, of which he knows not one word, into English, of which he understands as little P. I wonder how this Gentleman would look, should it be discover'd, that he has not tranflated ten verses to

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Author. This fhews how fit Mr. D. may be to tranflate Homer! A mistake in a fingle letter might fall on the Printer well enough, but exøg for ixg must be the error of the Author: Nor had he art enough to correct it at the Prefs'. Mr. Dryden writes for the Court Ladies.-He writes for the Ladies, and not for ufe '.

The Tranflator puts in a little Burlefque now and then into Virgil, for a Ragout to his cheated Subfcribers".

Mr. DRYDEN trick'd his Subfcribers.

I wonder that any man, who could not but be conscious of his own unfitnefs for it, fhould go to amuse 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 partially and unfeafonably celebrated Name *. Poetis quidlibet audendi fhall be Mr. Dryden's Motto, tho' it fhould extend to picking of Pockets".

Names beftow'd on Mr. DRYDEN.

An APE] A crafty Ape dreft up in a gaudy gown-Whips put into an Ape's paw, to play pranks with-None but Apish and Papifh brats will heed him ".

An Ass.] A Camel will take upon him no more burden than is fufficient for his ftrength, but there is another beast that crouches under alla.

A FROG.] Poet Squab endued with Poet Maro's Spirit! an ugly, croaking kind of Vermin, which would fwell to the bulk of an Oxb.

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 somewhere of John Dryden, Servant to his Majesty d.

A FOOL.] Had he not been fuch a felf-conceited Fool".Some great Poets are pofitive Blockheads.

A THING.] So little a Thing as Mr. Dryden 5.

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