(63) THE DUNCIA D: TO Dr. JONATHAN SWIFT. BOOK the FIRST. ARGUMENT. THE Propofition, the Invocation, and the Infcription. Then the Original of the great Empire of Dulness, and caufe of the continuance thereof. The College of the Goddess in the City, with her private Academy for Poets in particular; the Governors of it, and the four Cardinal Virtues. Then the Poem haftes into the midst of things, prefenting her, on the evening of a Lord Mayor's day, revolving the long fucceffion of her Sons, and the glories paft and to come. She fixes her eye on Bays to be the Inftrument of that great Event which is the Subject of the Poem. He is defcribed penfive among his Books, giving up the Caufe, and apprehending the Period of her Empire: After debating whether to betake bimfelf to the Church, or to Gaming, or to Party-writing, he raises an Altar of proper books, and (making first his folemn prayer and declaration) purposes thereon to facrifice all his unsuccessful writings. As the pile is kindled, the Goddess, beholding the flame from her feat, flies and puts it out by cafting upon it the poem of Thulé. She forthwith reveals herself to him, tranfports him to ber Temple, unfolds her Arts, and initiates him into ber Myfteries; then announcing the death of Eufden the Poet Laureate, anoints him, carries him to Court, and proclaims him Succeffor. F. Hayman inv. et del. C. Grignion Sculp. Her ample Presence fills up all the Space, Dunciad, Book 1. 1 T HE Mighty Mother, and her Son, who brings VARIATIONS. VER. 1. The Mighty Mother, &c. in the first Edd. it was thus, IMITATIONS. Say, great Patricians ! fince your felves infpire Dii coeptis (nam vos mutaftis & illas.) REMARK S. Ovid. Met. i. THE DUNCIAD.] It is an inconvenience, to which Writers of reputation are fubject, that the Juftice of their resentment is not always rightly understood. For the calumnies of dull Authors being foon forgotten, and thofe whom they aimed to injure, not caring to recal to memory the particulars of false and scandalous abuse, their neçeffary correction is suspected of severity unprovoked. But, in this cafe, it would be but candid to estimate the chaftifement on the general Character of the offender, compared with that of the Perfon injured. Let this ferve with the candid Reader, in juftification of the Poet; and, on occafion, of the Editor. The DUNCIAD, fic MS. It may well be difputed whether this be a right reading: Ought it not rather to be spelled Dunceiad, as the Etymology evidently demands? Dunce with ạn e, therefore Dunceiad with an e. That accurate and punctual Man of Letters, the Reftorer of Shakespear, constantly obferves the prefervation of this very Letter e, in fpelling the VOL. V. E |