that he is one of the most dangerous perfons in this kingdom m; and affureth the public,, that he is an open and mortal enemy to his country; a monster, that will one day, fhew as daring a foul as a mad Indian, who runs a muck to kill the firft Chriftian he meets ". Another gives information of Treason discovered in his poem °. Mr Curl boldly fupplies an imperfect verse with Kings and Princesses P. And one Mathew Concanen, yet more impudent, publishes at length the two moft SACRED NAMES in this Nation, as Members of the Dunciad q! This is prodigious! yet it is almost as strange, that in the midst of these invectives his greatest Enemies have (I know not how) borne teftimony to fome merit in him. Mr THEOBALD, in cenfuring his Shakespear, declares," He has fo great an efteem for Mr Pope, and fo high an opinion of bis "genius and excellencies; that, notwithstanding he m Anno 1729. n Preface to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 12. and in the laft page of that treatise. o Page 6, 7, of the Preface, by Concanen, to a book intitled, A Collection of all the Letters, Effays, Verfes and Advertisements, occafioned by Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies. Printed for A. Moore, octavo, 1712. p Key to the Dunciad, 3d edit. p. 18. q A Lift of Perfons, &c. at the end of the forementioned Collection of all the Letters, Effays, &c. profeffes a veneration almost rising to Idolatry for the "writings of this inimitable poet, he would be very "loth even to do him justice, at the expence of that other gentleman's character "." Mr CHARLES GILDON, after having violently attacked him in many pieces, at laft came to wifh from his heart, "That Mr Pope "would be prevailed upon to give us Ovid's Epiftles by his hand, for it is certain we fee the original of "Sappho to Phaon with much more life and likeness "in his version, than in that of Sir Car. Scrope. And "this (he adds) is the more to be wished, because in "the English tongue we have fcarce any thing truly "and naturally written upon Love s." He also, in taxing Sir Richard Blackmore for his heterodox opinions of Homer, challengeth him to answer what Mr Pope hath faid in his preface to that poet. Mr OLDMIXON calls him a great master of our tongue; declares "the "purity and perfection of the English language to be "found in his Homer; and faying there are more "good verses in Dryden's Virgil than in any other "work, except this of our author only t." r Introduction to his Shakespear restored, in quarto, p. 3. s Commentary on the Duke of Buckingham's Essay, octavo, t In his profe Effay on Criticism. 1721, P 97, 98. The Author of a Letter to Mr CIBBER fays, "Pope was so good a verfifier [once] that his "predeceffor Mr Dryden, and his cotemporary Mr "Prior excepted, the harmony of his numbers is equal "to any body's. And, that he had all the merit, ›❝ that a man can have that way." And Mr THOMAS COOKE, after much blemishing our author's Homer, crieth out, "But in his other works what beauties shine! So alfo one who takes the name of H. STANHOPE, the maker of certain verses to Duncan Campbell, in that Poem, which is wholly a fatire upon Mr Pope, confeffeth, "'Tis true, if finest notes alone could show (Tun'd justly high, or regularly low) "That we should fame to these mere vocals give; "Pope more than we can offer should receive: "For when fome gliding river is his theme, "His lines run fmoother than the fmoothest ftream," &c. u Printed by J. Roberts, 1742, p. 11. w Battle of Poets, folio, 15. x Printed under the title of the Progrefs of Dulness, duodecimo 1728. MIST'S JOURNAL, June 8. 1728% Although he says, "The smooth numbers of the Dun"ciad are all that recommend it, nor has it any o"ther merit ;" yet that fame paper hath these words: "The author is allowed to be a perfect master of an "eafy and elegant verfification. In all his works we "find the most happy turns, and natural fimilies, won"derfully short and thick fown." The Efay on the Dunciad also owns, p. 25. it is very full of beautiful images. But the panegyric, which crowns all that can be faid on this poem, is bestowed by our Laureate, Mr COLLEY CIBBER. who "grants it to be a better Poem of its kind than ever was writ:" but adds, "it was a victory over "a parcel of poor wretches, whom it was almost "cowardice to conquer.--A man might as well "triumph for having killed fo many filly flies that "offended him. Could he have let them alone, by "this time, poor fouls! they had all been buried "in oblivion y." Here we fee our excellent Laureate allows the juftice of the fatire on every man in it, but himself; as the great Mr Dennis did before in the most furious of all their works (the forecited y Cibber's Letter to Mr Pope, p. 9. 12. Character, p. 5.) do in concert confefs, That fome "men of good understanding value him for his rhymes." "And (p. 17.) "That he has got, like Mr Bays "in the Rehearsal, (that is, like Mr Dryden) a no"table knack at rhyming, and writing fmooth "verfe." z in concert] Hear how Mr Dennis hath proved our mistake in this place. "As to my writing in concert with Mr Gildon "I declare upon the honour and word of a Gentleman, that "I never wrote fo much as on line in concert with any one "man whatfoever. And thefe two Letters from Gildon will plainly fhew, that we are not writers in concert with each "other. Sir, -The height of my Ambition is to pleafe men of the beft Judgment; and finding that I have entertained my Mafter agreeably, I have the extent of the Reward of my Labour.' • Sir, 'I had not the opportunity of hearing of your excellent 'pamphlet till this day. I am infinitely fatisfied and pleafed with it, and hope you will meet with that encouragement your admirable performance deferves,' &c. CH. GIL DON. "Now is it not plain, that any one who fends fuch compli ⚫ments to another, has not been used to write in partnership "with him to whom he fends them?" Dennis remarks on the Dunc. p. 50. Mr Dennis is therefore welcome to take this piece to himself. |