In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and die. REMARK 5. 650 elaftic fluid, which pervaded all body. By this means, instead of really advancing in natural enquiries, we were brought back again, by this ingenious expedient, to an unfatisfactory fecond caufe: For it might ftill, by the fame kind of objection, be afked, what was the cause of that elafticity? See this folly cenfured, 475 W. VER. 645, 646. Phyfic of Metaphyfic, &c.And Metaphyfic calls, &c.] Certain writers, as Malbranche, Norris, and others, have thought it of importance, in order to fecure the exiftence of the foul, to bring in queftion the reality of body; which they have attempted to do by a very refined metaphysical reasoning: While others of the fame party, in order to perfuade us of the neceffity of a Revelation which promises immortality, have been as anxious to prove that thofe qualities which are commonly fuppofed to belong only to an immaterial Being, are but the refult from the fenfations of matter, and the foul naturally mortal. Thus between these different reasonings, they have left us neither Soul and Body; nor the Sciences of Phyfics and Metaphyfics the leaft fupport, by making them depend upon, and go a begging to, one another. W. VER. 647. See Mystery to Mathematics fly !] A fort of men, who make human Reason the adequate measure of all Truth, having pretended that whatsoever is not fully comprehended by it, is contrary to it; certain defenders of Religion, who would not be outdone in a paradox, have gone as far in the opposite folly, and attempted to fhew that the myfteries of Religion may be mathematically demonftrated; as the authors of Philofophic, or Aftronomic Principles of Religion, natural and revealed; who have much prided themselves on reflecting a fantastic light upon religion from the frigid fubtilty of school moonshine. W. VER. 649. Religion blushing veils her facred fires,] Blushing, as well at the memory of the paft overflow of dulnefs, when the 2 Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine; REMARKS. 656 barbarous learning of fo many ages was wholly employed in corrupting the fimplicity, and defiling the purity of Religion, as at the view of these her false fupports in the prefent; of which it would be endless to recount the particulars. However amidst the extinction of all other Lights, fhe is faid only to withdraw hers; as hers alone in its own nature is unextinguishable and eternal. W. VER. 650. And unawares Morality expires.] It appears from hence that our Poet was of very different fentiments from the Author of the Characteristics, who has written a formal treatise on Virtue, to prove it not only real but durable, without the fupport of Religion. The word unawares alludes to the confidence of thofe men, who fuppofe that Morality would flourish beft without it, and confequently to the furprize fuch would be in (if any fuch there are) who indeed love Virtue, and yet do all they can to root out the Religion of their Country. W. FINI S. VOL. V. T 6 By the AUTHOR A DECLARATION. WHEREAS certain Haberdashers of Points and. Particles, being instigated by the spirit of Pride, and affuming to themselves the name of Critics and Reftorers, have taken upon them to adulterate the common and curzent fenfe of our Glorious Ancestors, Poets of this Realm, by clipping, coining, defacing the images, mixing their own bafe allay, oz otherwile fallifying the fame, which they publish, utter, and vend as genuine : The faid haberdashers having no right thereto, as neither heirs, executo2s, adminißratozs, affigns, 02 in any fort related to fuch Poets, to all og any of them: Now We, having carefully revised this our Dunciad, a beginning * Read thus confidently, inftead | ing and not blind :) The Editor beginning with the word himself confefs'd as much in his Books,and ending with the word flies," as formerly it flood; Read alfo," containing the entire "fam of one thousand, Seven hun"dred, and fifty fix verfes," instead of "6 one thousand and "twelve lines; fuch being the initial and final words, and fuch the true and entire contents, of of " 36 Preface: And no two poems were ever published in fo arbitrary a manner. The Editor of this, had as boldly fuppreffed whole Paffages, yea the entire last book, as the Editor of Paradise 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 juftice to both; and prefume we fhall live, in this our laft labour, as long as in any of our others. BENTL. with the words The Mighty Mother, and ending with the words buries All, containing the entire fum of One thousand seven hundred and fifty four verses, declare ebezy wozd, figure, point, and comma of this impzel fion to be authentic: And do therefore trialy enjoin and forbid any perfon 02 persons wbatfoever, to erale, reverse, put between hooks, 02 by any other means, dis realy 02 indirealy, change o2 mangle any of them. And we do hereby earnefly exhost all our bzethren to follow this our example, which we heartily with our great Predecellozs had heretofore set, as a remedy and prevention of all fuch abuses. Provided always, that nothing in this Declazation shall be conftrued to limit the lawful and undoubted right of every subject of this Realm, to judge, cenfure, oz condemn, in the whole oz in part, any Poem oz 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. |