I

T will be fufficient to fay of this Edition, that the

reader bas here a much more correct and compleat

copy of the DuNCIAD, than has hitherto appeared: I cannot answer but some mistakes may have flipt into it, but a vast number of others will be prevented, by the Names being now not only fet at length, but justiFed by the authorities and reafons given. I make no doubt, the Author's own motive to use real rather than feign'd names, was his care to preferve the Innocent from any falfe Applications; whereas in the former editions which had no more than the Initial letters, he was made, by Keys printed here, to hurt the inoffenfive; and (what was worse) to abufe his friends, by an impreffion at Dublin.

The Commentary which attends the Poem was fent me from several bands, and confequently must be unequally written; yet will it have one advantage over most Commentaries, that it is not made upon conjectures, or at a remote distance of time: and the reader cannot but derive one pleasure from the very Obfcurity of the perfons it treats of, that it partakes of the nature of a Secret, ·which most people love to be let into, tho the Men or the Things be ever fo inconfiderable or trivial.

Of the Perfons it was judg'd proper to give some account for fince it is only in this monument that they must expect to furvive, and here furvive they will, as long as the English tongue fall remain fuch as it was in the reigns of Queen ANNE and King GEORGE)

it feemd but bumanity to beftow a word or tevo upon each, just to tell what he was, what be writ, when he liv'd, or when he dy d.

If a word or two more are added upon the chief Offen ders; 'tis only as as a paper pinn'd upon the breast, to mark the Enormities for which they fuffer'd; left the Correction only should be remember'd, and the Crime forgotten.

In fome Articles, it was thought fufficient barely to tranfcribe from Jacob, Curl, and other writers of their own rank, who were much better acquainted with them than any of the Authors of this Comment can pretend to be. Most of them had drawn each other's Characters on certain occafions ; but the few here inferted, are all that could be faved from the general deftruction of fuch Works. need fay nothing: bis and approved by all but thofe who are too much concern,d to be judges.

Of the part of Scriblerus Manner is well enough known,

The Imitations of the Ancients are added, to gratify thofe who either never read, or may have forgotten them together with some of the Parodies, and Allufions to the most excellent of the Moderns. If any man from the frequency of the former, may think the Poem too much a Cento; our Poet will but appear to have done the fame thing in jeft, which Boileau did in earnest and upon which Vida, Fracaftorius, and many of the most eminent -Latin Poets profefsedly valued themselves.

9

A

LETTER

TO THE

PUBLISHER,

Occafioned by the present

Edition of the DUNCIAD.

I

T is with pleasure I hear that you

have procured a correct Copy of the DUNCIA D, which the many furreptitious ones have rendered fo neceffary; and it is yet with more, that I am informed it will be attended with a COMMENTARY: a work fo requifite, that I cannot think the Author himself would have omitted it, had he approv'd of the firft appearance of this Poem.

Such Notes as have occurr'd to me I herewith fend you: You will oblige me by inferting them amongst thofe which are, or will be, tranfmitted to you by others;

B

fince not only the Author's friends, but even ftrangers, appear ingag'd by humanity to fome care of an orphan of so much genius and spirit, which its parent feems to have abandoned from the very beginning, and fuffered to step into the world naked, unguarded, and unattended.

It was upon reading fome of the abufive papers lately publish'd, that my great regard to a perfon whofe friendship I esteem as one of the chief honours of my life, and a much greater refpect to Truth than to him or any man living, ingag'd me in Enquiries, of which the inclos'd Notes are the fruit.

I perceiv'd, that most of these authors had been (doubtless very wifely) the first Aggreffors. They had try'd till they were what was to be got by railing at weary, each other no body was either concern'd, or furpriz'd, if this or that fcribler was prov'd a dunce; but every one was curious to read what could be faid to prove Mr. POPE one, and was ready to pay fomething for fuch a difcovery: A ftratagem, which wou'd they fairly own, might not only reconcile them to me, but fcreen them from the refentment of their lawful fupe

riors, whom they daily abufe, only (as I charitably hope) to get that by them, which they cannot get from them.

- I found this was not all: ill fuccefs in that had tranfported them to perfonal abuse, either of himself, or (what I think he could lefs forgive) of his friends. They had call'd men of virtue and honour Bad Men, long before he had either leifure or inclination to call them Bad Writers: and fome had: been fuch old offenders, that he had quite' forgotten their perfons, as well as their flanders, till they were pleas'd to revive them.

any

Now what had Mr. Po PE done before, to incense them? He had publifh'd those works which are in the hands of every body, in which not the leaft mention is made of of them. And what has he done fince? He has laugh'd and written the DUNCIAD. What has that faid of them? a very ferious truth which the publick had said before, that they were dull: And what it had no fooner faid, but they themselves were at great pains to procure or even purchase room in the prints, to teftify under their hands to the truth of it.