ESPECT to Dryden, Sheffield justly pay'd, And noble Villiers honour'd Cowley's fhade: THE The DUNCIAD, fic MS. It may well be difputed whether this be a right reading: Ought it not rather to be fpelled Dunceiad, as the Etymology evidently demands? Dunce with an e, therefore Dunceiad with an e. That accurate and punctual Man of Letters, the Reftorer of Shakspeare, conftantly obferves the prefervation of this very Letter e, in fpelling the Name of his beloved Author, and not like his common carelefs Editors, with the omiffion of ore, DUNCI A D: nay fometimes of two ce's (as Shakespear) which tion. то DR. JONATHAN SWIFT. BOOK THE FIRST. ARGUMENT. THE Profefition, the Invocation, and the InfcripThen the Original of the great Empire of Dulrefs, and cause of the continuance thereof. The College of the Goddess in the City, with her private Academy for Pots in particular; the Gvernors of it, and the four Cardinal Virtues. Then the Poem Laftes into the midst of things, prefenting her, on the evening of a Lord Mayor's day, revolving be long juceffion of her Sons, and the glories faft and to come. She fix. her eyes on Bays to be the firument of that great Event which is the fubje&i of the Peem. He is defcribed penfive among his Books, giving up the Caufe, and apprehending the Period of her Empire: After debating whether to betake himself to the Church, or to Gaming, or to Party-writing, he Tales an iltar of proper books, and (making fuft his folemn prayer and declaration) purpojes thereon i facrifice all his unecesful critings. As the file is indied, the Goddeys beholdig the fame from or jeat, flies and puts it out by cafting upon it the form of Thule. She forthwith reveals herjelf to hum, transports him to her, unfolds her Arts, and initiates Am into her Myfteries; the announcing the death of Erfden the Poet Laureat, enoints Aim, carries b'm to court, and proclams him Succeffer is utterly unpardonable. "Nor is the neglect of a "Single Letter fo trivial as to fome it may appear; "the alteration whereof in a learned language is "an atchievement that brings honour to the "Critic who advances it; and Dr. Bentley will be "remembered to pofterity for his performances of "this fort, as long as the world shall have any ef"teem for the remains of Menander and Phi"lemon." THEOBALD. This is furely a flip in the learned author of the foregoing note; there having been fince produced by an accurate Antiquary, and Autograph of Shakespeare himfelf, whereby it appears that he fpelled his own name without the first e. And upon this authority it was, that thofe moft Critical Curators of his Monument in Westminster Abbey erafed the former wrong reading, and restored the new spelling on a new piece of old gyptian Granite. Nor for this only do they deferve our thanks, but for exhibiting on the fame Monument the firft Specimen of an Edition of an author in Marble; where (as may be feen on comparing the Tomb with the Book) in the space of five lines, two Words and a whole Verfe are changed, and it is to be hoped will there stand, and outlait whatever hath been hitherto done in Paper, as for the future, our learned Sifter Univerfity (the other Eye of England) is taking care to perpetuate a Total new Shakefpeate at the Clarendon prefs. BENTL. In eldest time, ere mortals writ or read, Ere Pallas iffu'd from the Thunder's head, Dulness o'er ali poffefs'd her ancient right, Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night: Fate in their dotage this fair Idiot gave, Grofs as her fire, and as her mother grave, Laborious, heavy, bufy, bold, and blind, She rul'd, in native anarchy, the mind. Still her old Empire to restore she tries, For born a Goddefs, Dulnefs never dies. RZMARKS. Though I have as just a value for the letter E, as any Grammarian living, and the fame affection for the Name of this Poem as any Critic for that of his Author; yet cannot it induce me to agree with thofe who would add yet another e to it, and call it the Dunceiade; which being a French and foreign termination, is no way proper to a word entirely English, and vernacular. One e therefore in this cafe is right, and two ee's wrong. Yet upon the whole I shall follow the Manufcript, and print it without any e at all; moved thereto by Authority (at all times, with Critics, equal, if not fuperior to Reafon.) In which method of proceeding, I can never enough praife my good friend, the exact Mr. Thomas Hearne; who, if any word occur, which to him and all mankind is evidently wrong, yet keeps he it in the Text with due reverence, and only remarks in the Margin, Sic MS. In like manner we shall not amend this error in the Title itfelf, but only note it obiter, to evince to the learned that it was not our fault, nor any effect of our ignorance or inattention. SCRIBL. This Poem was written in the Year 1726. In the next year an imperfect Edition was published at Dublin, and reprinted at London in twelves; another at Dublin, and another at London in octavo: and three others in twelves the fame year. But there was no perfect Edition before that of London in quarto; which was attended with Notes. We are willing to acquaint Pofterity, that this Poem was prefented to King George the Second and his Queen by the hands of Sir Robert Walpole, on the 12th of March, 1728-9. SCHOL. VIT. It was exprefsly confeffed in the Preface to the firft Edition, that this Poem was not published by the Author himself, It was printed originally in a foreign Country. And what foreign Country? Why, one notorious for blunders; where finding blanks only instead of proper names, these blunderers filled them up at their pleasure. The very Hero of the Poem hath been mistaken to this hour; fo that we are obliged to open our Notes with a difcovery who he really was. We learn from the former Editor, that this piece was prefented by the hands of Sir Robert Walpole to King George II. Now the author directly tells us, his Hero is the Man who brings "The Smithfield Mufes to the ear of Kings." And it is notorious who was the perfon on whom his Prince conferred the honour of the Laurel. Yar. VI. 25 Mourn not, my SWIFT, at aught our Realm ac quires. Here pleas'd behold her mighty wings out-fpread To hatch a new Saturnian age of Lead. REMARK.S It appears as plainly from the Apoftrophe to the Great in the third verfe, that Tibbald could not be the perfon, who was never an Author in fashion or careffed by the Great; whereas this fingle characteristic is fufficient to point out the true Hero: who, above all other Poets of his time, was the Peculiar Delight and Chosen Companion of the Nobility of England; and wrote, as he himself tells us, certain of his works at the earneft defire of Perfons of Quality. Laftly, the fixth verfe affords full proof; this Poet being the only one who was univerfally known to have had a Son fo exactly like him, in his poetical, theatrical, political, and moral Capacities, that it could juftly be faid of him, "Still Dance the second reigns like Dunce the firft." BENTL. Ver. 1. The mighty Mother and her Son, &c.] The Reader ought here to be cautioned, that the Mother, and not the Son, is the principal Agent of this Poem; the latter of them is only chofen as her Colleague (as was anciently the custom in Rome before fome great expedition,) the main action of the Poem being by no means the Coronation of the Laureate, which is performed in the very first book, but the Restoration of the Empire of Dulness in Britain, which is not accomplished until the last. Ver. 2. The Smithfield Mufes.] Smithfield is the place where Bartholomew Fair was kept, whofe shows, machines, and dramatical entertainments, formerly agreeable only to the taste of the Rabble, were by the Hero of this poem, and others of equal genius, brought to the Theaties of Coventgarden, Lincoln's-inn fields, and the Hay-market, to be the reigning pleasures of the Court and Town. This happened in the reigns of K. George I. and II. See Book iii. Ver. 4. By Dulnefs, Jove, and Fate:] i, e. by their Judgments, their interefts, and their Incli nations. Ver. 15. Laborious, heavy, bufy, bold, &c.] I wonder the learned Scriblerus has omitted to advertife the Reader, at the opening of this Poem, that Dulness here is not to be taken contractedly for mere Stupidity, but in the enlarged Senfe of the word, for all Slownefs of Apprehenfion, Shortness of Sight, or imperfect Senfe of things. It includes (as we fee by the Puet's own words) Labour, Induftry, and fome degrees of Activity and Boldness; a ruling principle not inert, but turning topfyturvy the Understanding, and inducing an Anarchy or confused State of Mind. This remark ought to Close to thofe walls where Folly holds her throne, Keen, hollow winds howl thro' the bleak recefs, 35 "Will fee his Work, like Jacob's ladder rife, Ver. 17 Still her old Empire to reftore.] This restoration makes the Completion of the Poem. Vide Book iv. Ver. 22-Laugh and fhake in Rabelais' eafy chair,] The imagery is exquifite; and the equiveque in the laft words, gives a peculiar elegance to the whole expreffion. The eafy chair fuits his age: Rabelais eafy chair marks his character; and he filled and poffeffed it as the right heir and fucceffor of that original genius. Ver. 23. Or praife the Court, or magnify Mankind, Ironice, alluding to Gulliver's reprefentations of both. The next line relates to the papers of the Drapier againft the currency of Wood's Copper coin in Ireland, which, upon the great difcontent of the people, his Majefty was gracioully pleafed to recal. Ver. 26. Mourn not, my Swift! at aught our Realm acquires.] Ironicè iterum. The Politics of England and Ireland were at this time by fome thought to be oppofite, or interfering with each other. Dr. Swift of courfe was in the intereft of the latter, our Author of the former. Ver. 31. By his fim'd father's hand, Mr. CaiusGabrie! Cibber, father of the Poet-laureate. The two Statues of the Lunatics over the gates of Bedlam-hofpital were done by him, and (as the fon justly fays of them) are no il monuments of his fame as an Artift. Ver. 34. Poverty and Poetry.] I cannot here omit a remark that will greatly endear our Author to every one, who hall attentively ohferve that Humanity and Candour, which every where appears in hing towards thofe unhappy objects of the ridicule REMARKS. of all mankind, the bad Poets. He here imputes all fcandalous rhymes, fcurrilous weekly papers, bafe Batteries, wretched elegies, fongs, and verfes (even from thofe fung at Court, ts ballads in the treets,) not fo much to malice or fervility as to Dulnefs; and not fo much to Dulness as to Neceffity. And thus, at the very commencement of his Satire, makes an Apology for all that are to be fatirized. Ver. 40. Curll's chafte prefs, and Lintot's rubric poft:] Two Bookfellers, of whom fee Book ii. The former was fined by the Court of King's Bench for publifhing obfcene Books; the latter ufually adorned his fhop with titles in red letters. Ver: 41. Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lines,] It is an ancient English custom for the Malefactors to fing a Pfalm at their execution at Tyburn; and no lefs cuftomary to print Elegies on their deaths, at the fame time, or before. Ver. 43. Sepulchral lies,] is a juft fatire on the Flatteries and Falfehoods admitted to be infcribed on the walls of Churches, in Epitaphs; which oc cafioned the following Epigram: "Friend! in your Epitaphs, I'm griev'd, Ver. 44. New-year Odes. Made by the Poet Laureat for the time being, to be fung at Court o every New-year's day, the words of which are happily drowned in the voices and inftruments. The New-year Odes of the Hero of this work were of a cat diftinguished from all that preceded him, and made a confpicuous part of his character as writer, which doubtlefs induced our Author to medtion them here fo particularly. Ver. 45. In clouded Majefty here Duinefs fhone.] See this Cloud removed, or rolled back, or gathered up to her head, Book iv. ver. 17, 18. It is worth while to compare this defcription of the Majefty of Duinefs in a fate of peace and tranquillity, with that more bufy feene where the mounts the throne in triumph, and is pot fo mush fupported by her own Virtues, as by the princely confcioufnefs of having deftroyed all other. Ver. 57. genial Jacob] Tonion. The famos race of Bookfellers of that ac Maggots, half-form'd, in rhyme exactly meet, Figures ill-pair'd, and Similes unlike. She fees a Mob of Metaphors advance, 65 70 REMARKS. Ver. 103. Old Prys in reftlefs Daniel.] The firft edition had it, She law in Norton all his f. ther shine: a great Mistake' for Daniel de Foe had parts, but 75 Norton de Foe was a wretched writer, and never attempted Poetry. Much more juttly is Daniel himfelf made fucceffor to W. Pryn, both of whom wrote Veries as well as Politics; as appears by the Poem de Jure Divino, &c. of De Foe, and by fome lines in Cowley's Mifcellanies on the other. And both thefe authors had a refemblance in their *ates as well as their writings. having been alike fentenced to the Pillory. All thefe, and more, the cloud-compelling Queen Beholds through fogs, that magnify the scene. 80 She, tinfel'd o'er in robes f varying hues, With felf-applause her wild creation views; Sees momentary monsters rife and fall, And with her own fools-colours gilds them all. 'Twas on the day, when ** rich and grave, Like Cimon triumph'd both on land and wave: (Pomps without guilt, of bloodlefs fwords and maces, Glad chains, warm furs, broad banners, and broad faces) 85 Now Night defcending, the proud scene was o'er, REMARKS. 95 Ver. 85, 86. 'T was on the day, when *** rich and grave-Like Cimon triumph'd] Viz. 2 Lord Mayor's Day; his name the author had left in blanks, but most certainly could never be that which the Editor foifted in formerly, and which no way agrees with the chronology of the poem. BENTL. The proceffion of a Lord Mayor is made pa tly by land, and partly by water-Cimon, the famous Athenian General, obtained a victory by fa, and another by land, on the fame day, over the Perfians and Barbarians. Ver. 9o. But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more.] A beautiful manner of speaking, ufual with poets in praite of poetry. Ibid But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more.] Settle was poet to the City of London. His office was to compofe yearly panegyrics upon the Lord Mayors, and ve:fes to be ipoken in the Pageants: But that part of the shows being at length frugally abolished, the employment of City poet cealed; fo that upon Settle's demile, there was no fucceffor to that piace Ver. 98. John Heywood, whofe Interludes were printed in the time of Henry VIII. Ver. 104. And Eufden eke out, Scc.] Laurence Eufden, Poet Laureate. Mr. Jacob gives a cataTogue of fome few only of his works, which were very numerous. Mr. Cook, in his Battle of Poetsa faith of him, Mr. Oldmixon, in his Arts of Logic and Rhetoric, p. 413, 414. affirms, "That all the Galimatia's he ever met with, none comes up to fome verfes of this poet, which have as much of the Ridi"culum and the Fuitian in them as can well be "jumbled together, and are of that fort of non"feofe, which fo perfectly confounds all ideas, 44 that there is no diftinct one left in the mind." Farther he fays of him, "That he prophefied his 6. own poetry fhall be fweeter than Catullus, Ovid, and Tibullus; but we have little hope of the ac"complishment of it, from what he hath lately published." Upon which Mr. Oldmixon has not pa ed a reflexion, "That the putting the laurel on the head of one who writ fuch verfes, will give futurity a very lively idea of the judgment and justice of thofe who beftowed it" bid, p. 417. But the well known learning of that noble Perion, who was then Lord Chamberlain, might have fcreened him from this unmannerly reflexion. Nor ought Mr. Oldmixon to complain, fo long after, that the laurel would have better become his own brows, or any other's: It were more decent to acquiefce in the opinion of the Duke of Buckingham upon this matter. "In rush'd Eufden, and cry'd, Who shall have it, "But I, the true Laureate, to whom the King gave it ? "Apollo begg'd pardon, and granted his claim, "But vow'd that till then he ne'er heard of his name." Seffion of Poeta The fame plea might alfo ferve for his Succeffor, In merry Old England it once was a rule, Dulness with transport eyes the lively Dunce, REMARKS. gard him (faith he) as an Enemy, not so much to "me, as to my King, to my Country, to my Re"ligion, and to that Liberty which has been the "fole felicity of my life. A vagary of Fortune, "who is fometimes pleased to be frolickfome, and "the epidemic Madness of the times, have given But now we're fo frugal, I'd have you to know it," him Reputation, and Reputation (as Hobbes fays) That Cibber can ferve both for Fool and for Poet. Of Blackmore, fee Book ii. Of Philips, Book i. ver. 262. and Book iii prope fin. Nahum Tate was Poet Laureat, a cold writer, of no invention; but fometimes tranflated tolerably when befriended by Mr. Dryden. In his fecond part of Abfalom and Achitophel are above two hundred admirable lines together of that great hand, which trongly thine through the infipidity of the reft. Something parallel may be obferved of another author here mentioned. "is Power, and that has made him dangerous. "Therefore I look on it as my duty to King "George, whofe faithful fubjet I am; to my "Country, of which I have appeared a conftant lover; to the Laws, under whofe protection I have fo long lived; and to the Liberty of my "Country, more dear to me than life, of which I have now for forty years been a constant af"fertor, &c. I look upon it as my duty, I fay, to do-you fhall fee what to pull the lion's fkia ❝from this little Afs, which pcpular error has "thrown round him; and to fhew that this Au thor, who has been lately so much in vogue, "has neither fenfe in his thoughts, nor English in "hs expreffions." DENNIS, Rem. on Hom. Pref. p. 2. 91, &c. Ver. 106. And all the mighty Mad in Dennis rage.] Mr. Theobald, in the Cenfor, vol. ii. N. 33calls Mr. Dennis by the name of Furius. "The "modern Furius is to be looked upon more as an "object of pity, than of that which he daily pro- Befides thefe public-fpirited reafons, Mr. D. had vokes, laughter and contempt. Did we really a private one; which, by his manner of exprefknow how much this poor man" [I wish that re-fing it in p. 92, appears to have been equally frong. Alection on poverty might be spared] "fuffers by He was even in bodily fear of his life from the mabeing contradicted, or, which is the fame thing chinations of the faid Mr. P. The ftory (fays he) in effect, by hearing another praised; we should, "is too long to be told, but who would be acin compaffion, fometimes attend to him with a quainted with it, may hear it from Mr. Curl, filent nod, and let him go away with the triumphs my Bookfeller. However, what my reafon has of his ill-nature-Poor Furius (again) when any "fuggefted to me, that I have with a ju " of his contemporaries are spoken well of, quit-" confidence faid. in defiance of his two clandeftine "ting the ground of the prefent difpute, fteps back weapons, his Slander and his Poifun." Which "a thousand years to call in the fuccour of the laft words of his book plainly discover Mr. D.'s ancients. His very panegyric is spiteful, and he suspicion was that of being poifoned, in like man afes it for the fame realon as fome Ladies do ner as Mr. Curll had been before him: of which their commendations of a dead beauty, who would fact see A full and true account of the horrid and "never have had their good word, but that a living barbarous revenge, by poison, on the body of Ed<one happened to be mentioned in their company.mund Curll, printed 1716, the year antecedent to "His applaufe is not the tribute of his Heart, but that wherein these Remarks of Mr. Dennis were the facrifice of his Revenge, &c." Indeed his published. But what puts it beyond all queftion, pieces againft our poet are fomewhat of an angry is a patlage in a very warm treatife, in which Mr. character, and as they are now fcarce extant, a taste D. was alfo concerned, price two pence, called of his ftyle may be fatisfactory to the curious. "A A true Character of Mr. Pope and his Writings, young, fquab, fhort gentleman, whofe outward printed for S. Popping, 1716; in the tenth page form, though it should be that of downright whereof he is faid to have infulted people on "monkey, would not differ fo much from human" thofe calamities and difeafes which he himfelf shape as his unthinking immaterial part does "from human anderftanding.-He is as ftupid and ❝ as venomous as a hunch-back'd toad. A book through which Folly and Ignorance, thofe "brethren fo lame and impotent, do ridiculously look big and very dull, and ftrut and hobble, cheek by jowl, with their arms on kimbo, being led and fupported, and bully-back'd by that blind Hector, Impudence." Reflect, on the Effay on Criticism, p. 26. 29, 30 It would be unjuft not to add his reafons for this Fury, they are fo ftrong and fo coercive. “I re "gave them, by adminiftering Poison to them :" and is called (p. 4.) a lurking waylaying coward, "and a stabber in the dark." Which (with many other things most lively fet forth in that piece) must have rendered him a terror, not to Mr. Dennis only, but to all Chriftian people. This charitable warning only provoked our incorrigible Poet to write the following Epigram: Should Dennis publish you had stabb'd your Brother, Lampoon'd your Monarch, or debauch'd your |