to calumniate them, I mean when out of power or out of fashion. A fatire, therefore, on writers fo notorious for the contrary practice, became no man fo well as himself; as none, it is plain, was fo little in their friendships, or fo much in that of those whom they had moft abused, namely the Greatest and Beft of all Parties. Let me add a further reason, that, though engaged in their Friendships, he never efpoused their Animofities; and can almoft fingly challenge this honour, not to have written a line of any man, which, through Guilt, through Shame, or through Fear, through variety of Fortune, or change of Interefts, he was ever unwilling to own.

I fhall conclude with remarking what a pleafure it must be to every reader of Humanity, to fee all along, that our Author in his very laughter is not indulging his own ill-nature, but only punishing that of others. As to his Poem, thofe alone are capable of doing it juftice, who, to use the words of a great writer, know how hard it is (with regard both to his fubject and his manner)

VETUSTIS DARE NOVITATEM, OBSOLETIS NI

As Mr. Wycherly, at the time the Town declaimed againft his book of Poems; Mr. Walfh, after his death; Sir William Trumbull, when he had refigned the Office of Secretary of State; Lord Bo-Others only in Epitaphs.

lingbroke, at his leaving England after the Queen's death; Lord Oxford in his laft decline of life; Mr. Secretary Craggs, at the end of the South-Sea year, and after his death:

MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS

HIS

Prolegomena and Illustrations

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DUNCIA D:

WITH THE

Hyper-critics of ARISTARCH US.

DENNIS, Remarks on Pr. ARTHUR.

I

Cannot but think it the most reafonable thing in the world, to diftinguish good writers, by discouraging the bad. Nor is it an ill-natured thing, in relation even to the very perfons upon whom the reflections are made. It is true, it may deprive them, a little the fooner, of a fhort profit and a tranfitory 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.

IT is the common cry of the Poetafters of the town, and their fautors, that it is an ill-natured thing to expose the Pretenders to wit and poetry.

B