Names beftowed on Mr. DRYDEN. An Ape.] A crafty ape drest up in a gawdy gown -Whips put into an ape's paw to play pranks with -None but apifh and Papish brats will heed him *. An Afs.] A camel will take upon him no more burden than is fufficient for his strength, but there is another beast that crouches under all †. A Frog.] Poet Squab, endued with Poet Maroe's fpirit! an ugly, croaking kind of vermin, which would fwell to the bulk of an ox t. A Coward.] A Clinías, or a Damætus, or a man of Mr. Dryden's own courage §. A Knave.] Mr. Dryden has heard of Paul, the knave of Jefus Chrift: and, if I ́mistake not, I have read fomewhat of John Dryden, fervant to his Majefty |. A Fool. ]Had he not been such a self-conceited fool**. -Some great poets are pofitive blockheads ††. A Thing.] So little a thing as Mr. Dryden ‡‡. Whip and Key, pref. + Milbourn, p. 105. **Whip and Key, pref. Ib. Ib. p. 11. ++ Milbourne, p. 34. Names beftowed on Mr. POPE. An Ape.] Let us take the initial letter of his Chriftian name, and the initial and final letters of his furname, viz. A. P. E. and they give you the fame idea of an ape as his face *, &c. An Afs.] It is my duty to pull off the lion's skin from this little afs +. A Frog.] A fquab fhort gentleman-a little creature that, like the frog in the fable, iwells, and is angry that it is not allowed to be as big as an ox . A Coward.] A lurking, way-laying coward §. A Knave.] He is one whom God and Nature have marked for want of common honefty |. A Fool.] Great fools will be chriftened by the names of great poets, and Pope will be called Homer **, A Thing.] A little abject thing tt. + Dennis's Rem, on Hom. *Dennis's Daily Journal, May 11, 1728. pref. Dennis's Rem, on the Rape of the Lock, pref. p. 9. of Mr. P. p. 3. Ibid. **Dennis's Rem. on Homer, p. 37. P. 8. Char. tt Ibid. VOL. III. 6 M BY BY AUTHORITY. BY virtue of the Authority in Us vefted by the A& for fubjecting Poets to the Power of a Licenser, We have revised this Piece; where, finding the style and appellation of KING to have been given to a certain Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, or Phantom, of the name of TIBBALD; and apprehending the fame may be deemed in fome fort a reflection on Majefty, or at least an infult on that Legal Authority which has bestowed on another Perfon the Crown of Poesy: We have ordered the faid Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, or Phantom, utterly to vanish and evaporate out of this Work; and do declare the faid Throne of Poef from henceforth to be abdicated and vacant, unless duly and lawfully fupplied by the LAUREATE himself. And it is hereby enacted, that no other Perfon do prefume to fill the fame. WHEREAS certain Haberdafhers of Points and Particles, being inftigated by the spirit of Pride, and affuming to themselves the name of Critics and Reftorers, have taken upon them to adulterate the common and current sense of our Glorious Ancestors, Poets of this Realm, by clipping, coining, defacing the images, mixing their own bafe alloy, or otherwise falfifying the fame; which they publish, utter, and vend as genuine; the faid Haberdashers having no right thereto, as neither heirs, executors, administrators,assigns, or in any fort related to fuch Poets, to all or any of them: Now We, having carefully revised this our Dunciad, beginning with the words The mighty Mother, and ending with the words buries All, containing the entire fum of One thousand seven hundred and fiftyfour verfes, declare every word, figure, point, and comma, of this impreffion to be authentic: and do therefore ftrictly enjoin and forbid any perfon or perfons whatfoever, to erase, reverse, put between hooks, or by any other means, directly or indirectly, change or mangle any of them. And we do hereby earnestly exhort all our brethren to follow this our example, which we heartily wish our great Predecessors had heretofore fet, as a remedy and prevention of all fuch abufes: Provided always, that M 2 Read thus confidently, inftead of "beginning with the word Books, "and ending with the word Flies," as formerly it tood: read alfo, containing the entire fum of One thoufand feven hundred and fifty"four verfes," instead of "One thoufand and twelve lines;" fuch being the initials and final words, and fuch the true and entire contents of this Poem. that nothing in this Declaration shall be conftrued to limit the lawful and undoubted right of every subject of this Realm to judge, cenfure, or condemn, in the whole, or in part, any Poem or Poet whatsoever. Given under our hand at London, this third day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred thirty and two. Declarat' cor' me, JOHN BARBER, Mayor, Thou art to know, Reader! that the first edition thereof, like that of Milton, was never feen by the Author, (though living, and not blind:) the editor himself confeffed as much in his preface; and no two poems were ever publifhed in fo arbitrary a manner. The editor of this had as boldly fuppreffed who e paffages, yea the entire laft book, as the editor of Paradife Loft added and augmented. Milton himself gave but ten books, his editor twelve: this Author gave four books, his editor only three. But we have happily done justice to both; and prefume we shall live, in this our laft labour, as long as in any of our others. BENTLEY. |