In eldest time, ere mortals writ or read, Ere Pallas issu'd from the thund'rer's head, Dulness o'er all possess'd her ancient right, Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night: REMARKS. 10 shall follow the manuscript, and print it without any e at all; moved thereto by authority (at all times, with critics, equal, if not superior to reason). In which method of proceeding, I can never enough praise my good friend, the exact Mr. Tho. Hearne ; who, if any word occur, which to him and all mankind is evidently wrong, yet keeps he it in the text with due reverence, and only remarks in the margin, sic MS. In like manner we shall not amend this error in the title itself, but only note it obiter, to evince to the learned that it was not our fault, nor any effect of our ignorance or inattention. SCRIBL. This poem was written in the year 1726. In the next year an imperfect edition was published at Dublin, and reprinted at London in twelves; another at Dublin, and another at London, in octavo; and three others in twelves the same year. But there was no perfect edition before that of London, in quarto; which was attended with notes. We are willing to acquaint posterity, that this poem was presented to king George the second and his queen, by the hands of sir Robert Walpole, on the 12th of March, 1728-9. SCHOL. VET. It was expressly confessed in the preface to the first edition, that this poem was not published by the author himself. It was printed originally in a foreign country: and what foreign country? Why, one notorious for blunders; where finding blanks only instead of proper names, these blunderers filled them up at their pleasure. The very hero of the poem hath been mistaken to this hour; so that we are obliged to open our notes with a discovery who he really was. We learn from Fate in their dotage this fair idiot gave, REMARKS. the former editor, that this piece was presented by the hands of sir Robert Walpole to king George II, Now the author directly tells us, his hero is the man -----who brings The Smithfield muses to the ear of kings. And it is notorious who was the person on whom this prince conferred the honour of the laurel. It appears as plainly from the apostrophe to the great in the third verse, that Tibbald could not be the person, who was never an author in fashion, or caressed by the great; whereas this single charac teristic is sufficient to point out the true hero: who, above all other poets of his time, was the peculiar delight and chosen companion of the nobility of England; and wrote, as he himself tells us, certain of his works at the earnest desiré of persons of quality. Lastly, the sixth verse affords full proof; this poet being the only one who was universally known to have had a son so exactly like him, in his poeti cal, theatrical, political, and moral capacities, that it could justly be said of him, Still Dunce the second reigns like Dunce the first. BENTL. Ver. 1. The mighty mother, and her son, &c.J The reader ought here to be cautioned, that the mother, and not the son, is the principal agent of this poem; the latter of them is only chosen as her colleague (as was anciently the custom in Rome before some great expedition), the main action of the poer being by no means the coronation of the laureate, which is performed in the very first book, but Still her old empire to restore she tries, For, born a goddess, Dulness never dies. Oh thou! whatever title please thine ear, Dean, Drapier, Bickerstaff, or Gulliver! REMARKS. 20 the restoration of the empire of dulness in Britain, which is not accomplished till the last. Ver. 2. The Smithfield Muses]. Smithfield is the place where Bartholomew-fair was kept, whose shows, machines, and dramatical entertainments, formerly agreeable only to the taste of the rabble, were, by the hero of this poem, and others of equal genius, brought to the theatres of Covent-garden, Lincoln-inn-fields, and the Hay-market, to be the reigning pleasures of the court and town. This happened in the reigns of king George I. and II. See Book iii. Ver. 4. By Dulness, Jove, and Fate:] i. e. by their judgements, their interests, and their inclinations. Ver. 15. Laborious, heavy, busy, bold, &c.] I wonder the learned Scriblerus has omitted to advertise the reader, at the opening of this poem, that dulness here is not be taken contractedly for mere stupidity, but in the enlarged sense of the word, for all slowness of apprehension, shortness of sight, or imperfect sense of things. It includes (as we see by the poet's own words) labour, industry, and some degrees of activity and boldness; a ruling principle not inert, but turning topsy-turvy the understanding, and inducing an anarchy or confused state of mind. This remark ought to be carried along with the reader throughout the work; and without this caution he will be apt to mistake the importance of many of the characters, as well as of the design of the poet. Hence it is, that some have complained he chooses too mean a subject, and imagined he employs himself like Domitian in killing flies; where Whether thou choose Cervantes' serious air, REMARKS. as those who have the true key will find he sports with nobler quarry, and embraces a larger compass; or (as one saith, on a like occasion) Will see his work, like Jacob's ladder rise, BENTL. Ver. 17. Still her old empire to restore]. This restoration makes the completion of the poem. Vide Book iv. Ver. 22.-laugh and shake in Rabelais' easy chair.] The imagery is exquisite; and the equivoque in the last words, gives a peculiar elegance to the whole expression. The easy chair suits his age: Rabelais' easy chair marks his character; and he filled and possessed it as the right heir and successor of that original genius. Ver. 23. Or praise the court, or magnify mankind,] Ironice, alluding to Gulliver's representations of both. The next line relates to the papers of the Drapier against the currency of Wood's copper coin in Ireland, which, upon the great discontent of the people, his majesty was graciously pleased to recall. Ver. 26. Mourn not, my Swift! at ought our realm acquires.] Ironice iterum. The politics of England and Ireland were at this time by some thought to be opposite, or interfering with each other. Dr. Swift of course was in the interest of the latter, our author of the former. Close to those walls where Folly holds her throne, And laughs to think Monroe would take her down, Where o'er the gates, by his fam'd father's hand, 31 Great Cibber's brazen, brainless brothers stand; One cell there is, conceal'd from vulgar eye, The cave of poverty and poetry. Keen, hollow winds howl through the bleak recess, Hence bards, like Proteus, long in vain tied down, REMARKS. Ver. 31. By his fam'd father's hand,] Mr. CaiusGabriel Cibber, father of the poet-laureate. The two statues of the lunatics over the gates of Bedlamhospital were done by him, and (as the son justly says of them) are no ill monuments of his fame as an artist. Ver. 34. Poverty and poetry.] I cannot here omit a remark that will greatly endear our author to every one, who shall attentively observe that humanity and candour, which every where appears in him towards those unhappy objects of the ridicule of all mankind, the bad poets. He here imputes all scandalous rhymes, scurrilous weekly papers, base flatteries, wretched elegies, songs, and verses (even from those sung at court, to ballads in the street), not so much to malice or servility as to dulness, and not so much to dulness as to necessity. And thus, at the very commencement of his satire, makes an apology for all that are to be satirized. Ver. 40. Curll's chaste press, and Lintot's rubric post:] Two booksellers, of whom see Book ii. The former was fined by the Court of King's Bench for publishing obscene books; the latter usually adorned his shop with titles in red letters. |