With pert flat eyes she window'd well its head; So like, that critics said, and courtiers swore, Fear held them mute. Alone, untaught to fear, Stood dauntless Curl"; "Behold that rival here! 1 i. e. A trifling head, and a contracted heart, as the poet, book iv., describes the accomplished sons of Dulness, of whom this is only an image or scarecrow, and so stuffed out with these corresponding materials.-SCRIBL. 2 Our author here seems willing to give some account of the possibility of Dulness making a wit (which could be done no other way than by chance). The fiction is the more reconciled to probability, by the known story of Apelles, who being at a loss to express the foam of Alexander's horse, dashed his pencil in despair at the picture, and happened to do it by that fortunate stroke. 3 Curl, in his Key to the Dunciad, affirmed this to be James More Smith, Esq., and it is probable (considering what is said of him in the Testimonies) that some might fancy our author obliged to represent this gentleman as a plagiary, or to pass for one himself. His case, indeed, was like that of a man I have heard of, who, as he was sitting in company, perceived his next neighbour had stolen his handkerchief. "Sir," (said the thief, finding himself detected), "do not expose me, I did it for mere want; be so good but to take it privately out of my pocket again, and say nothing." The honest man did so, but the other cried out, "See, gentlemen, what a thief we have among us! look, he is stealing my handkerchief!" The plagiarisms of this person gave occasion to the following epigram: More always smiles whenever he recites; He smiles (you think) approving what he writes. A modest man may like what's not his own. His only work was a comedy called the Rival Modes; the town condemned it in the action, but he printed it in 1726-7, with this modest motto, Hic castus artemque repono. It appears from hence, that this is not the name of a real person, but fictitious. More from upos, stultus, papla, stultitia, to represent the folly of a plagiary. Thus Erasmus, Admonuit me Mori cognomen tibi, quod tam ad Moriæ vocabulum accedit quam es ipse a re alienus. Dedication of Moriæ Encomium to Sir Tho. More, the farewell of which may be our author's to his plagiary, Vale, More et moriam tuam gnaviter defende. Adieu, More! and be sure strongly to defend thy own folly.--SCRIBLERUS. 4 We enter here upon the episode of the booksellers; persons whose names being more known and famous in the learned world than those of the authors in this poem, do therefore need less explanation. The action of Mr. Lintot here imitates that of Dares in Virgil, rising just in this manner to lay hold on a bull. This eminent bookseller printed the Kival Modes before-mentioned, 5 We come now to a character of much respect, that of Mr. Edmund Curl. As a plain repetition of great actions is the best praise of them, we shall only say of this eminent man, that he carried the trade many lengths beyond what it ever before had arrived at, and that he was the envy and admiration of all his profession. He possessed The race by vigour, not by vaunts, is won; himself of a command over all authors whatever; he caused them to write what he pleased; they could not call their very names their own. He was not only famous among these: he was taken notice of by the state, the church, and the law, and received particular marks of distinction from each. It will be owned that he is here introduced with all pos sible dignity: he speaks like the intrepid Diomed; he runs like the swift-footed Achilles; if he falls, 'tis like the beloved Nisus; and (what Homer makes to be the chief of all praises) he is favoured of the gods; he says but three words, and his prayer is heard; a goddess conveys it to the seat of Jupiter: though he loses the prize, he gains the victory; the great mother herself comforts him, she inspires him with expedients, she honours him with an immortal present (such as Achilles receives from Thetis, and Æneas from Venus) at once instructive and propheti. cal after this he is unrivaled and triumphant. The tribute our author here pays him is a grateful return for several unmerited obligations. Many weighty animadversions on the public affairs, and many excellent and diverting pieces on private persons, has he given to his name. If ever he owed two verses to any other, he owed Mr. Curl some thousands. He was every day extending his fame, and enlarging his writings: witness innumerable instances; but it shall suffice only to mention the Court Poems, which he meant to publish as the work of the true writer, a lady of quality; but being first threatened, and afterwards punished for it by Mr. Pope, he generously transferred it from her to him, and ever since printed it in his name. The single time that ever he spoke to C. was on that affair, and to that happy incident he owed all the favours since received from him. So true is the saying of Dr. Sydenham," that any one shall be, at some time or other, the better or the worse, for having but seen or spoken to a good or bad man." 6 Occupet extremum scabies; mihi turpe relinqui est. Horat. de Arte. 7 Something like this is in Homer, Il. x. v. 220, of Diomed. Two different manners of the same author in his similes are also imitated in the two following; the first, of the bailiff, is short, unadorned, and (as the critics well know) from familiar life; the second, of the waterfowl, more extended, picturesque, and from rural life. The 59th verse is likewise a literal translation of one in Homer. His state with oary feet. And Dryden, of another's,-With two left legs10 This name, it seems, was taken by one Mrs. T-, who procured some private letters of Mr. Pope's, while almost a boy, to Mr. Cromwell, and sold them without the consent of either of those gentlemen to Curl, who printed them in 12mo, 1727. He discovered her to be the publisher, in his Key, p. 11. We only take this opportunity of mentioning the manner in which those letters got abroad, which the author was ashamed of as very trivial things, (Such was her wont, at early dawn to drop Hear Jove! whose name my bards and I adore, full not only of levities, but of wrong judgments of men and books, and only excusable from the youth and inexperience of the writer. 1 Labitur infelix, cæsis ut forte juvencis -Ut lillus, Hyla, Hyla, omne sonaret.-VIRG. Ecl. vi. Though this incident may seem too low and base for the dignity of an epic poem, the learned very well know it to be but a copy of Homer and Virgil; the very words Eveos and fimus are used by them, though our poet (in compliance to modern nicety) has remarkably enriched and coloured his language, as well as raised the versification, in this episode, and in the following one of Eliza. Mr. Dryden, in Mack-Fleckno, has not scrupled to mention the morning toast at which the fishes bite in the Thames, Pissing-alley, reliques of the bum, &c., but our author is more grave, and (as a fine writer says of Virgil in his Georgies) tosses about his dung with an air of majesty. If we consider that the exercises of his authors could with justice be no higher than tickling, chattering, braying, or diving, it was no easy matter to invent such games as were proportioned to the meaner degree of booksellers. In Homer and Virgil, Ajax and Nisus the persons drawn in this plight are heroes; whereas here they are such with whom it had been great impropriety to have joined any but vile ideas; besides the natural connexion there is between libelers and common nuisances. Nevertheless I have heard our author own, that this part of his poem was (as it frequently happens) what cost him most trouble and pleased him least, but that he hoped it was excusable, since leveled at such as understand no delicate satire. Thus the politest men are sometimes obliged to swear, when they happen to have to do with porters and oyster-wenches. The Bible, Curl's sign; the Cross Keys, Lintot's. 5 See Lucian's Icaro-Menippus, where this fiction is more extended. Orbe locus medio est, inter terrasque, fretumque, Celestesque plagas OVID. Met. xii. Alludes to Homer, Iliad v. δέε δ' ἄμβροτον αἷμα Θεοῖο, Ἰχώρ, οἷος πέρ τε ῥέει μακάρεσσι Θεοῖσιν. A stream of nect'rous humour issuing flow'd. Sanguine, such as celestial spirits may bleed.-MILTON. The Roman goddess of the common sewers. Forth from the heap she pick'd her votary's prayer, And now the victor stretch'd his eager hand Heaven rings with laughter: of the laughter vain, Dulness, good Queen, repeats the jest again. Three wicked imps, of her own Grub-street choir, She deck'd like Congreve, Addison, and Prior 15 Mears, Warner, Wilkins 16 run: delusive thought! Breval, Bond, Besaleel 17, the varlets caught. Turpia membra fimo -VIRG. Æn. v. Effugit imago Par levibus ventis, volucrique simillima somno. 12 Virgil, En. vi. of the Sibyl's leaves, turbata volent rapidis ludibria ventis. 13 Some of those persons whose writings, epigrams, or jests he had owned. See note on ver. 50. 14 This line has been loudly complained of in Mist, June 8, Dedic. to Sawney, and others, as a most inhuman satire on the poverty of poets; but it is thought our author would be acquitted by a jury of tailors. To me this instance seems unluckily chosen; if it be a satire on any body, it must be on a bad paymaster, since the person to whom they have here applied it was a man of fortune. Not but poets may well be jealous of so great a prerogative as non-payment, which Mr. Dennis so far asserts, as boldly to pronounce that if Homer himself was not in debt, it was because nobody would trust him."-Pref. to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 15. 15 These authors being such whose names will reach posterity, we shall not give any account of them, but proceed to those of whom it is necessary.-Besaleel Morris was author of some satires on the translators of Homer, with many other things printed in newspapers.-" Bond writ a satire against Mr. P. Captain Breval was author of The Confederates, an ingenious dramatic performance to expose Mr. P., Mr. Gay, Dr. Arb., and some ladies of quality," says Curl, Key, p. 11. 16 Booksellers, and printers of much anonymous stuff. 17 I foresee it will be objected from this line, that we were in an error in our assertion on ver. 50 of this book, that More was a fictitious name, since these persons are equally represented by the poet as phantoms. So at first sight it may seem; but be not deceived, reader, these also are not Curl stretches after Gay, but Gay is gone, To him the Goddess: Son! thy grief lay down, With that she gave him (piteous of his case, real persons. 'Tis true, Curl declares Breval, a captain, author of a piece called The Confederates; but the same Curl first said it was written by Joseph Gay. Is his second assertion to be credited any more than his first? He likewise affirms Bond to be one who writ a satire on our poet: but where is such a satire to be found? where was such a writer ever heard of! As for Besaleel, it carries forgery in the very name; nor is it, as the others are, a surname. Thou mayest depend upon it, no such authors ever lived: all phantoms.-SCRIBLERUS. 1 Joseph Gay, a fictitious name put by Curl before several pamphlets, which made them pass with many for Mr. Gay's. 2 It was a common practice of this bookseller to publish vile pieces of obscure hands under the names of eminent authors. 3 The man here specified writ a thing called The Battle of Poets, in which Phillips and Welsted were the heroes, and Swift and Pope utterly routed. He also published some malevolent things in the British, London, and Daily Journals; and at the same time wrote letters to Mr. Pope, protesting his innocence. His chief work was a translation of Hesiod, to which Theobald writ notes and half-notes, which he carefully owned. In the first edition of this poem there were only asterisks in this place, but the names were since inserted, merely to fill up the verse, and give ease to the ear of the reader. 5 Nothing is more remarkable than our author's love of praising good writers. He has in this very poem celebrated Mr. Locke, Sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Barrow, Dr. Atterbury, Mr. Dryden, Mr. Congreve, Dr. Garth, Mr. Addison; in a word, almost every man of his time that deserved it; even Cibber himself (presuming him to be author of the Careless Husband). It was very difficult to have that pleasure in a poem on this subject, yet he has found means to insert their panegyric, and has made even Dulness out of her own mouth pronounce it. It must have been particularly agreeable to him to celebrate Dr. Garth, both as his constant friend, and as he was his predecessor in this kind of satire. The Dispensary attacked the whole body of apothecaries, a much more useful one undoubtedly than that of the bad poets; if in truth this can be a body, of which no two members ever agreed. It also did what Mr. Theobald says is unpardonable, drew in parts of private character, and introduced persons independent of his subject. Much more would Boileau have incurred his censure, who left all subjects whatever, on all occasions, to fall upon the bad poets (which, it is to be feared, would have been more immediately his concern). But certainly next to commending good writers, the greatest service to learning is to expose the bad, who can only that way be made of any use to it. This truth is very well set forth in these lines addressed to our author: The craven rook, and pert jackdaw, A shaggy tapestry', worthy to be spread Thus dirty knaves, or chattering fools, And point instruction every way. 6 Risit pater optimus illi.. Me liceat casum miserere insontis amici "The decrepid person or figure of a man are no reflections upon his genius: an honest mind will love and esteem a man of worth, though he be deformed or poor. Yet the author of the Dunciad hath libeled a person for his rueful length of face!"—Mist's Journal, June 8. This genius and man of worth, whom an honest mind should love, is Mr. Curl. True it is, he stood in the pillory, an incident which will lengthen the face of any man, though it were ever so comely, therefore is no reflection on the natural beauty of Mr. Curl. But as to reflections on any man's face or figure, Mr. Dennis saith excellently: "Natural deformity comes not by our fault; 'tis often occa sioned by calamities and diseases, which a man can no more help than a monster can his deformity. There is no one misfortune, and no one disease, but what all the rest of mankind are subject to. But the deformity of this author is visible, present, lasting, unalterable, and pecu liar to himself. 'Tis the mark of God and Nature upon him, to give us warning that we should hold no society with him, as a creature not of our original, nor of our species; and they who have refused to take this warning which God and Nature have given them, and have in spite of it, by a senseless presumption, ventured to be familiar with him, have severely suffered, &c. 'Tis cer tain his original is not from Adam, but from the devil," &c.-DENNIS's Charact. of Mr. P. octavo, 1716. Admirably it is observed by Mr. Dennis against Mr. Law, p. 33, That the language of Billingsgate can never be the language of charity, nor consequently of Christianity." I should else be tempted to use the language of a critic; for what is more provoking to a commentator than to behold his author thus portrayed? Yet I consider it really hurts not him; whereas to call some others dull, might do them prejudice with a world too apt to believe it. Therefore, though Mr. D. may call another a little ass, or a young toad, far be it from us to call him a toothless lion, or an old serpent. Indeed, had I written these notes (as was once my intent) in the learned language, I might have given him the appellations of balatro, calceatum capul, scurra in triviis, being phrases in good esteem and fre quent usage among the best learned. But in our mother tongue were I to tax any gentleman of the Dunciad, surely it should be in words not to the vulgar intelligible; whereby Christian charity, decency, and good accord among authors, might be preserved.--SCRIBLERUS. The good Scriblerus here, as on all occasions, eminently shows his humanity. But it was far otherwise with the gentlemen of the Dunciad, whose scurrilities were always personal, and of that nature which provoked every honest man but Mr. Pope; yet never to be lamented, since they occasioned the following amiable verses: While malice, Pope, denies thy page While critics, and while bards in rage, While wayward pens thy worth assail, These times though many a friend beu til, Earless on high, stood unabash'd De Foe, And Tutchin flagrant from the scourge below3. Two babes of love close clinging to her waist 9; But when the world's loud praise is thine, In one establish'd fame: When none shall rail, and every lay Devote a wreath to thee; That day for come it will) that day Shall I lament to see. 1 A sorry kind of tapestry frequent in old inns, made of worsted, or some coarser stuff, like that which is spoken of by Donne-Faces as frightful as theirs who whip Christ in old hangings. The imagery woven in it alludes to the mantle of Cloanthus, in En. v. 2 Of Codrus the poet's bed, see Juvenal, describing his poverty very copiously, Sat. iii. ver. 103, &c. Lectus erat Codro, &c. Codrus had but one bed, so short to boot, That his short wife's short legs hung dangling out. His cupboard's head six earthen pitchers graced, Beneath them was his trusty tankard placed ; And to support this noble plate, there lay A bending Chiron, cast from honest clay. His few Greek books a rotten chest contain'd, Whose covers much of mouldiness complain'd, Where mice and rats devour'd poetic bread, And on heroic verse luxuriously were fed. 'Tis true poor Codrus nothing had to boast, And yet poor Codrus all that nothing lost.-DRYDEN. But Mr. Concanen, in his Dedication of the Letters, Advertisements, &c. to the author of the Dunciad, assures us that "Juvenal never satirised the poverty of Codrus." John Dunton was a broken bookseller and abusive scribbler; he writ Neck or Nothing, a violent satire on some ministers of state; a libel on the duke of Devonshire and the bishop of Peterborough, &c. John Tutchin, author of some vile verses, and of a weekly paper called the Observator. He was sentenced to be whipped through several towns in the west of England, upon which he petitioned king James II. to be hanged. When that prince died in exile, he wrote an invective against his memory, occasioned by some humane elegies on his death. He lived to the time of Queen Anne. Authors of the Flying-post and Post-boy, two scandalous papers on different sides, for which they equally and alternately deserved to be cudgeled, and were so. Se quoque principibus permixtum agnovit AchivisConstitit, et lacrymans: Quis jam locus, inquit, Achate! Que regio in terris nostri non plena laboris ? VIRG. En. i. The history of Curl's being tossed in a blanket, and whipped by the scholars of Westminster, is well known. Of his purging and vomiting, see a full and true Account of a horrid Revenge on the body of Edm. Curl, &c. in Swift and Pope's Miscell. A parody on these lines of a late noble author: In this game is exposed, in the most contemptuous manner, the profligate licentiousness of those shameless scribblers (for the most part of that sex, which ought least to be capable of such malice or impudence) who in libellous Memoirs and Novels, reveal the faults or misfortunes of both sexes, to the ruin of public fame, or disturbance of Fair as before her works she stands confess'd, The Goddess then: "Who best can send on high With cow-like udders, and with ox-like eyes 11. Osborne 13 and Curl accept the glorious strife, (Though this his son dissuades, and that his wife.) One on his manly confidence relies, One on his vigour 14 and superior size. private happiness. Our good poet (by the whole cast of his work being obliged not to take off the irony' where he could not show his indignation, hath shown his contempt, as much as possible; having here drawn as vile a picture as could be represented in the colours of epic poesy.-SCRIBLEKUS. Eliza Haywood; this woman was authoress of those most scandalous books called the Court of Carimania, and the New Utopia. For the two babes of love, see CURL, Key, p. 22 But whatever reflection he is pleased to throw upon this lady, surely it was what from him she little deserved, who had celebrated Curl's undertakings for reformation of manners, and declared herself" to be so perfectly acquainted with the sweetness of his disposition, and that tenderness with which he considered the errors of his fellow creatures; that, though she should find the little inadvertencies of her own life recorded in his papers, she was certain that it would be done in such a manner as she could not but approve." MRS. HAYWOOD, Hist. of Clar. printed in the Female Dunciad, p. 18. 9 Cressa genus, Pholoë, geminique sub ubere nati. VIRG. En. v. 10 Kirkall, the name of an engraver. Some of this lady's works were printed in four volumes in 12mo., with her picture thus dressed up before them. 11 In allusion to Homer's Βοῶπις πότνια "Ηρη. 12 Tertius Argolica hac galea contentus abito. VIRG. En. vi. In the games of Homer, Il. xxiii. there are set together, as prizes, a lady and a kettle, as in this place Mrs. Haywood and a jordan. But there the preference in value is given to the kettle, at which Mad. Dacier is justly displeased. Mrs. H. is here treated with distinction, and acknowledged to be the more valuable of the two. 13 A bookseller in Gray's-Inn, very well qualified by his impudence to act this part; and therefore placed here instead of a less deserving predecessor. This man published advertisements, for a year together, pretending to sell Mr. Pope's subscription books of Homer's Iliad at half the price: of which books he had none, but cut to the size of them (which was quarto) the common books in folio, without copper-plates, on a worse paper, and never above half the value. Upon this advertisement the Gazetteer harangued thus, July 6, 1739. "How melancholy must it be to a writer to be so unhappy as to see his works hawked for sale in a manner so fatal to his fame! How, with honour to yourself, and justice to your subscribers, can this be done? What an ingratitude to be charged on the only honest poet that lived in 1738! and than whom virtue has not had a shriller trumpeter for many ages! That you were once generally admired and esteemed can be denied by none; but that you and your works are now despised, is verified by this fact:" which being utterly false, did not indeed much humble the author, but drew this just chastisement on the bookseller. 14 Ille-melior motu, fretusque juventa; VIRG. En, T. So Jove's bright bow displays its watery round', The words of Homer, of the rainbow, in Iliad ri. Εν νέφεϊ στήριξε, τέρας μερόπων ἀνθρώπων. Que le fils de Saturn a fondez dans les nues, pour étre dans tous les âges un signe à tous les mortels.-DACIER. 2 Virgil mentions these two qualifications of Eridanus, Georg. iv. Et gemina auratus taurino cornua vultu, Heaven her Eridanus no more shall boast, To shine among the stars, and bathe the gods 3 In a manuscript Dunciad (where are some marginal corrections of some gentlemen some time deceased) I have found another reading of these lines, thus, And lifts his urn, through half the heavens to flow; This I cannot but think the right: for first, though the difference between burn and glow may seem not very material to others, to me I confess the latter has an elegance, a je ne sçay quoy, which is much easier to be conceived than explained. Secondly, every reader of our poet must have observed how frequently he uses this word glow in other parts of his works: to instance only in his Homer. 45. Encompass'd Hector glows. v. 475. His beating breast with generous ardour glows. (6.) Iliad. xviii. v. 591. Another part glow'd will reful(7.) Ibid. gent arms. v. 654. And curl'd on silver props in order glow. I am afraid of growing too luxuriant in examples, or I could stretch this catalogue to a great extent, but these are enough to prove his fondness for this beautiful word, which, therefore, let all future editions replace here. I am aware, after all, that burn is the proper word to convey an idea of what was said to be Mr. Curl's condition at this time: but from that very reason I infer the direct contrary. For surely every lover of our author will conclude he had more humanity than to insult a man on such a misfortune or calamity, which could never befal him purely by his own fault, but from an unhappy communication with another.-This note is half MR. THEOBALD, half SCRIBL, 4 Some affirm, this was originally, well p-st day; but the Poet's decency would not suffer it. Here the learned Scriblerus manifests great anger; he exclaims against all such conjectural emendations in this "Let it suffice, O Pallas! that every noble manner: Osborne, through perfect modesty o'ercome, Crown'd with the jordan, walks contented home. But now for authors nobler palms remain ; Room for my Lord! three jockeys in his train; Six huntsmen with a shout precede his chair: He grins, and looks broad nonsense with a stare. His Honour's meaning Dulness thus exprest, "He wins this patron, who can tickle best." He chinks his purse, and takes his seat of state: With ready quills the Dedicators wait; Now at his head the dexterous task commence, And, instant, fancy feels the imputed sense; Now gentle touches wanton o'er his face, He struts Adonis, and affects grimace: Rollis the feather to his ear conveys, Then his nice taste directs our Operas: Bentley 6 his mouth with classic flattery opes, And the puff'd orator bursts out in tropes. ancient, Greek or Roman, hath suffered the impertinent correction of every Dutch, German, and Switz schoolmaster! Let our English at least escape, whose intrinsic is scarce of marble so solid, as not to be impaired or soiled by such rude and dirty hands. Suffer them to call their works their own, and after death at least to find rest and sanctuary from critics! When these men have ceased to rail, let them not begin to do worse, to comment! Let them not conjecture into nonsense, correct out of all correctness, and restore into obscurity and confusion. Miserable fate! which can befal only the sprightliest wits that have written, and will befal them only from such dull ones as could never write!"-SCRIBL. Paolo Antonio Rolli, an Italian poet, and writer of many operas in that language, which, partly by the help of his genius, prevailed in England near twenty years. He taught Italian to some fine gentlemen, who affected to direct the operas. 6 Not spoken of the famous Dr. Richard Bentley, but of one Thom. Bentley, a small critic, who aped his uncle in a little Horace. The great one was intended to be dedicated to the Lord Hallifax, but (on a change of the ministry) was given to the Earl of Oxford; for which reason the little one was dedicated to his son the Lord Harley. A taste of this classic elocution may be seen in his following panegyric on the peace of Utrecht. Cupimus patrem tuum, fulgentissimum illud orbis Anglicani jubar, adorare. O ingens reipublicæ nostræ columen! O fortunatam tanto heroe Britanniam! Illi tali tantoque viro DEUM | per omnia adfuisse, manumque ejus et mentem direxisse, CERTISSIMUM EST. Hujus enim unius ferme opera, æquissimis et perhonorificis conditionibus, diuturno, heu nimium! bello, finem impositum videmus. O diem æterna memoria dignissimam! qua terrores patriæ omnes excidit, pacemque diu exoptatam toti fere Europæ restituit, ille populi Anglicani amor, Harleius. " Thus critically (that is verbally) translated : Thy father, that most refulgent star of the Angli. can orb, we much desire to adore! Oh mighty column of our republic! Oh Britain fortunate in such a hero! That to such and so great a man GoD was ever present, in every thing, and all along directed both his hand and his heart, is a most absolute certainty! For it is in a manner by the operation of this man alone, that we behold a war (alas! how much too long a one!) brought at length to an end, on the most just and most honourable conditions. Oh day eternally to be memorated! wherein all the terrors of his country were ended, and a PEACE (long wished for by almost all Europe) was restored by HARLEY, the love and delight of the people of England." But that this gentleman can write in a different style may be seen in a letter he printed to Mr. Pope, wherein several noble lords are treated in a most extraordinary language, particularly the Lord Bolingbroke, abused for that very PEACE, which he here makes the single work of the Earl of Oxford, directed by God Almighty. |