DENNIS, Remarks on PR. ARthur.

[Cannot but think it the most reasonable thing in

the world, to distinguish good writers, by difcouraging the bad. Nor is it an ill-natured thing, in relation even to the very persons upon whom the reflections are made. It is true, it may deprive them, a little the sooner, of a short profit and a transitory reputation; but then it may have a good effect, and oblige them (before it be too late) to decline that for which they are so very unfit, and to have recourse to fomething in which they may be more fuccessful.

CHARACTER of Mr. P. 1716.

THE Perfons whom Boileau has attacked in his writings, have been for the most part Authors, and most of those Authors, Poets: and the cenfures he hath paffed upon them have been confirmed by all Europe.

GILDON, Pref. to his New Rehearsal.

The

IT is the common cry of the Poetafters of the town, and their fautors, that it is an ill natnred thing to expofe the Pretenders to wit and poetry. Judges and Magistrates may with full as good reason be reproached with Ill nature for putting the Laws in execution against a Thief or Impoftor.-The fame will hold in the republic of Letters, if the Critics and Judges will let every ignorant pretender to scribbling pass on the World.

THEOBALD, Letter to Mist, June 22, 1728. ATTACKS may be levelled, either against Failures in Genius, or against the Pretenfions of writing without one.

CONCANEN, Dedication to the Author of the

DUNCIAD.

A Satire upon Dulness is a thing that has been ufed and allowed in All Ages.

Out of thine own Mouth will I judge thee, wicked Scribbler!

of the POEM.

THIS poem as it celebrateth the most grave and ancient of things, Chaos, Night, and Dulnefs; fo is it of the most grave and antient kind. Homer (faith Aristotle) was the first who gave the Form, and (saith Horace) who adapted the Measure, to heroic poefy. But even before this, may be rationally prefumed from what the Ancients have left written, was a Piece by Homer composed of like nature and matter with this of our Poet. For of Epic fort it ap→ peareth to have been, yet of matter furely not unpleasant, witness what is reported of it by the learn→ ed archbishop Euftathius, in Ody. x. And accordingly Ariftotle, in his Poetic, chap. iv. doth further fet forth, that as the Iliad and Odyffey gave example to Tragedy, so did this poem to Comedy its first idea.

From these authors also it should seem, that the Hero, or chief perfonage of it was no lefs obfcure, and his understanding and fentiments no less quaint and strange (if indeed not more fo) than any of the actors of our poem. MARGITES was the name of this perfonage, whom Antiquity recordeth to have been Dunce the firft; and furely from what we hear of him, not unworthy to be the root of so spreading a tree, and fo numerous a posterity. The poem therefore celebrating him was properly and abfolutely a Dunciad; which though now unhappily lost, yet is its nature

fufficiently known by the infallible tokens aforefaid. And thus it doth appear, that the firft Dunciad was the first Epic poem, written by Homer himself, and anterior even to the Iliad or Odyssey.

Now, forafmuch as our poet had tranflated those two famous works of Homer which are yet left, he did conceive it in fome fort his duty to imitate that alfo which was loft: and was therefore induced to beftow on it the fame form which Homer's is reported to have had, namely that of Epic poem: with a title alfo framed after the antient Greek manner, to wit, that of Dunciad.

Wonderful it is, that fo few of the moderns have been stimulated to attempt fome Dunciad! fince in the opinion of the multitude, it might coft lefs pain and toil than an imitation of the greater Epic. But poffible it is alfo, that, on due reflection, the maker may find it easier to paint a Charlemagne, a Brute, or a Godfrey, with just pomp and dignity heroic, than a Margites, a Codrus, or a Fleckno.

He

We shall next declare the occafion and the caufe which moved our poet to this particular work. lived in those days, when (after Providence had permitted the invention of Printing as a scourge for the fins of the learned) Paper also became fo cheap, and Printers fo numerous, that a deluge of authors covered the land; Whereby not only the Peace of the honeft unwriting fubject was daily molefted, but unmerciful demands were made of his applause, yea of his money, by fuch as would neither earn the one, nor

deferve the other. the Prefs was fuch, that it grew dangerous to refufe them either: for they would forthwith publish flanders unpunished, the authors being anonymous, and skulking under the wings of publishers, a set of men who never fcrupled to vend either Calumny or Blafphemy, as long as the Town would call for it.

At the fame time, the licence of

*Now our author, living in thofe times, did conceive it an endeavour well worthy an honest Satirist, to diffuade the dull, and punish the wicked, the only way that was left. In that public-fpirited view he laid the plan of this poem, as the greateft fervice he was capable (without much hurt, or being flain) to render his dear country. First, taking things from their original, he confidereth the caufes creative of fuch Authors, namely Dulness and Poverty; the one born with them, the other contracted by neglect of their proper talents, through felf conceit of greater abilities. This truth he wrappeth in an Allgory † (as the conftruction of Epic poefy requireth)and feigns that one of thefe Goddeffes had taken up her abode with the other, and that they jointly inspired all fuch writers and fuch works. He proceedeth to fhew the qualities they bestow on these authors, and the effects they produce then the materials, or ftock, with which they furnish them §; and (above all) that felf-opinion ¶

:

* Vide Boffu, Du Poeme Equique, chap. viii. Book I. ver. 32, &c,

+ Boffu, chap. vii.

Ver. 45 to 54. § Ver 57 to 77.

¶ Ver. 80.