86 See how the world its pretty flaves rewards! "Thefe gentlemen are undoubtedly the first pla "giaries that pretend to make a reputation by stealing "from a man's works in his own life-time, and out of a publick print." Let us join to this what is written by the author of the Rival Modes, the faid Mr. James Moore Smith, in a letter to our author himfelf, (who had informed him, a month before that play was acted, Jan. 27. 1726-7. that these verfes which he had before given him leave to infert in it, would be known for his, fome copies being got abroad) "He "defires nevertheless, that fince the Lines had been "read in his Comedy to feveral, Mr. P. would not "deprive it of them, &c." Surely if we add the teltimonies of the LORD BOLINGBROKE, of the Lady to whom the faid verfes were originally addreft, of Hugh Bethel, Efq; and others who knew them as our author's long before the faid gentleman compofed his play; It is hoped, the ingenuous that affect not error, will rectify their opinion by the fuffrage of fo honourable perfonages. And yet followeth another charge, infinuating no lefs than his enmity both to church and state, which could come from no other Informer than the faid Mr. JAMES MOORE SMITH. b." The Memoirs of a Parish clark was a very dull • and unjust abuse of a person who wrote in defence of our Religion and Conftitution; and who has been "dead many years." Verily this also feemeth most untrue; it being known to divers that these memoirs were written at the feat of the Lord Harcourt in Oxfordshire before that excellent person (Bishop Burnet's) death, and many years before the appearance of that History of which they are pretended to be an abuse. b. Daily Journal, April 3. 1728, Moft Most true it is, that Mr. Moore had such a defign,' and was himself the man who preft Dr. Arbuthnot and Mr. Pope to affift him therein and that he borrow'd those memoirs of our author when that history came forth, with intent to turn them to fuch abuse. But being able to obtain from our author but one fingle Hint, and either changing his mind or having more minḍ than ability, he contented himself to keep the faid memoirs and read them as his own to all his acquaintance. A noble perfon there is, into whofe company Mr. Pope once chanced to introduce him, who well remembreth the converfation of Mr. Moore to have turned upon the " contempt he had for the work of that re verend prelate, and how full he was of a defign he "declared himself to have, of expofing it." This noble perfon is the EARL of PETERBOROUGH. Here in truth fhould we crave pardon of all the forefaid right honourable and worthy perfonages, for having mention'd them in the fame page with fuch weekly riff-raff railers and rhymers; but that we had their own ever-honour'd commands for the fame, and that they are introduc'd not as witnefles in the controversy, but as witneffes that cannot be controverted; not to difpute, but to decide. Certain it is, that dividing our writers into two claffes, of fuch who were acquaintance, and of fuch who were ftrangers to our author; the former are thofe who fpeak well, and the other those who speak evil of him. Of the first class, the most noble MY JOHN Duke of BUCKINGHAM fums up his perfonal character in these lines, c. And yet fo wond'rous, fo fublime a thing, As the great Iliad, fcarce fhould make me fing, Unless I juftly could at once commend A good companion, and as firm a friend; One moral, or a meer well-natur'd deed, Can all defert in fciences exceed. c. Verfes to Mr. P. on his tranflation of Homer. Se L So alfo is he decypher'd by the honourable SIMON HARCOURT. d. Say, wond'rous youth, what column wilt thou chufe What laurel'd arch, for thy triumphant Mufe? -Tho' each great Ancient court thee to his fhrine, Tho' ev'ry laurel thro' the dome be thine, Go to the good and just, an awful train! Thy foul's delight Recorded in like manner for his virtuous difpofition, and gentle bearing, by the ingenious Mr. WALTER HART, in this Apostrophe. e. O! ever worthy, ever crown'd with praise! Dr. EDWARD YOUNG, wifhing fome check to the corruption and evil manners of the times, calleth out upon our poet, to undertake a task fo worthy of his virtue. f. Why flumbers Pope, who leads the Mufes' train, Nor hears that Virtue, which he loves, complain? To the fame tune also fingeth that learned Clerk of Suffolk Mr. WILLIAM BROOME: g. Thus, nobly rifing in fair virtue's caufe, From thy own life transcribe th' unerring laws. And divers more, with which we will not tire the reader. d. Poem prefix'd to his works. e. In his poems, printed for B. Lintot. f. Univerfal Paffion, Satyr 1. g. In his poems, and at the end of the Odyffey. Let Let us rather recreate thee by turning to the other fide, and fhewing his character drawn by those with whom he never convers'd, and whose countenances he could not know, tho' turned against him: First again commencing with the high-voiced, and neverenough-quoted JOHN DENNIS; Who in his reflections on the Essay on Criticism thus defcribeth him. "A little affected hypocrite, "who has nothing in his mouth but candour, truth, "friendship, good nature, humanity, and magnanity. "He is fo great a lover of falfhood, that whenever he "has a mind to calumniate his cotemporaries, he up“ braids them with fome defect which is just contrary "to fome good quality, for which all their friends and "their acquaintance commend them. He feems to "have a particular pique to People of Quality, and au“thors of that rank—He must derive his religion from "St. Omer's."-But in the character of Mr. P. and his writings, (printed by S. Popping 1716,) he faith, "tho' he is a Profeffor of the worft religion, yet he laughs at it; but that, "nevertheless, he is a viru"lent Papift; and yet a Pillar for the Church of "England." Of both which opinions Mr. THEOBALD feems alfo to be; declaring in Mi's Journal of June 22. 1728: "That if he is not fhrewdly abus'd, he "hath made it his practice to cackle to both parties in "their own fentiments." But, as to his Pique against people of quality, the fame Journaliit doth not agree, but faith (May 8, 1728.) "he had by fome means or "other the acquaintance and friendship of the whole "body of our nobility." However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gilden in the character laft cited, make it all plain, by affuring us: "That he is a creature that recon"ciles all contradictions: he is a beaft, and a man : a Whig, and a Tory: a writer (at one and the fame time) of Guardians and Examiners; an affertor of liberty, and of the difpenfing power of kings; a jefuitical profeffor of truth, a bafe and a foul pre 66 66 "tender *tender to candour." So that, upon the whole ac tount, we must conclude him either to have been a great hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible impofer upon both parties, or very moderate to either? Be it, as to the judicious reader fhall feem good. Sure it is, he is little favour'd of certain authors; whose wrath is perilous: For one declares he ought to have a price fet on his head and to be hunted down as a wild beast. h. Another protefts that he does not know what may happen, advises him to infure his perfon, fays he has bitter enemies, and exprefly declares, it will be well if he escape with his life. i. One defires he wou'd cut his own throat or hang bimfelf: k. But Pafquin feem'd rather inclined it fhou'd be done by the government, representing him ingag'd in grievous defigns with a Lord of Parliament, then under profecution. 7. Mr. Dennis himself hath written to a Minifter, that he is one of the moft dangerous perfons in this kingdom; m. and affureth the publick, that he is an open and mortal enemy to his Country; a monfter, that will, one day, fhow as daring a foul as a mad Indian who runs a muck (to kill the first Chriftian he meets) n. Another gives information of Treafon difcover'd in his poem: 0. Mr. Curl boldly fupplies an imperfect verse with Kings and Princesses; p. and another yet more impudent publishes at length the Two moft SACRED NAMES in this Nation as members of the Dunciad! 9. b. Theobald, Letter in Miff's Journal, June 22, 1728. i. Smedley, Pref. to Gulliveriana, p. 14. 16. k. Gulliveriana, pag. 332. 1. Anno 1723. m. This prefent year. n. Preface to Rem. on Rape of the Lock, pag. 12. and in the last page of that Treatife. 9. Pag. 6,7. of the Preface to a Book intitled, a Collection of all the Letters, Effays, Verfes, and Advirtisements, occafion'd by Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies, printed for A. Moore, 89. 1728. p. Key to the Dunc. 3dedit. p. 18. 9. A Lift of perfons, &c. at the end of the foremention'd Collection of all the Letters, Elays, &c. F This |