Keen, hollow winds howl thro' the bleak recess,
Emblem of Music caus'd by Emptiness.

Hence Bards, like Proteus long in vain tied down1,
Escape in Monsters, and amaze the town.
Hence Miscellanies spring, the weekly boast

Of Curl's chaste press, and Lintot's rubric post2:
Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lines3,
Hence Journals, Medleys, Merc'ries, MAGAZINES 4;
Sepulchral Lies 5, our holy walls to grace,

And New-year Odes, and all the Grub-street race.
In clouded Majesty here Dulness shone;
Four guardian Virtues, round, support her throne:
Fierce champion Fortitude, that knows no fears
Of hisses, blows, or want, or loss of ears:
Calm Temperance, whose blessings those partake
Who hunger, and who thirst for scribbling sake:
Prudence, whose glass presents th' approaching jail:
Poetic Justice, with her lifted scale,

Where, in nice balance, truth with gold she weighs,
And solid pudding against empty praise.

Here she beholds the Chaos dark and deep 7,

Where nameless Somethings in their causes sleep,

'Till genial Jacob, or a warm Third_day,
Call forth each mass, a Poem, or a Play:

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How hints, like spawn, scarce quick in embryo lie,
How new-born nonsense first is taught to cry,
Maggots half-form'd in rhyme exactly meet,
And learn to crawl upon poetic feet.

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 streets), 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. P.

1Ov. Metam. XIII. [v. 918]. Warburton. A very close resemblance to the lines of Young in his first epistle on the authors of the age, addressed to Mr Pope. Warton.

2 Curl'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. P.

3 Ver. 41 in the former Editions, 'Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lay, Hence the soft sing-song on Cecilia's Day.' Warburton. Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lines,] It is an ancient English custom for the Malefactors to sing a Psalm at their execution at Tyburn; and no less customary to print Elegies on their deaths, at the same time, or before. P.

4 MAGAZINES.] The common name of those upstart collections in prose and verse; in which, at some times,

бо

-new born nonsense first is taught to cry; at others, dead-born Scandal has its monthly funeral, where Dulness assumes all the various shapes of Folly to draw in and cajole the Rabble. The eruption of every miserable Scribbler; the scum of every dirty News-paper; or Fragments of Fragments, picked up from every Dunghill, under the title of Papers, Essays, Reflections, Confutations, Queries, Verses, Songs, Epigrams, Riddles, &c. equally the disgrace of human Wit, Morality, Decency, and Common Sense. P. and Warburton.

5 Sepulchral Lies,] Is a just satire on the Flatteries and Falsehoods admitted to be inscribed on the walls of Churches, in Epitaphs. P.

6 New-year Odes,] Made by the Poet Laureate for the time being, to be sung at Court on every New-year's day, the words of which are happily drowned in the voices and instruments. The New-year Odes of the Hero of this work were of a cast distinguished from all that preceded him, and made a conspicuous part of his character as a writer, which doubtless induced our Author to mention them here so particularly. P. 7 Compare Milton, Par. Lost, Bk. III. V. II. Wakefield.

8 [Jacob Tonson the bookseller: 'left-legged Jacob,' as he was afterwards called, who published for both Dryden and Pope.]

Here one poor word an hundred clenches makes 1,
And ductile Dulness new meanders takes;
There motley images her fancy strike,

Figures ill pair'd, and Similes unlike.
She sees a Mob of Metaphors advance,
Pleas'd with the madness of the mazy dance;
How Tragedy and Comedy embrace;
How Farce and Epic get a jumbled race;
How Time himself2 stands still at her command,
Realms shift their place, and Ocean turns to land.
Here gay Description Egypt glads with show'rs,
Or gives to Zembla fruits, to Barca flow'rs;
Glitt'ring with ice here hoary hills are seen,
There painted valleys of eternal green;

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In cold December fragrant chaplets blow,

And heavy harvests nod beneath the snow.

All these and more the cloud-compelling Queen

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Beholds thro' fogs, that magnify the scene.
She, tinsell'd o'er in robes of varying hues,
With self-applause her wild creation views;
Sees momentary monsters rise and fall,
And with her own fools-colours gilds them all.

'Twas on the day when * * rich and grave 3,

85

Like Cimon, triumph'd both on land and wave:
(Pomps without guilt, of bloodless swords and maces,

Glad chains, warm furs, broad banners, and broad faces)
Now Night descending, the proud scene was o'er,
But liv'd in Settle's numbers one day more 4.

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Now May'rs and Shrieves all hush'd and satiate lay,
Yet ate, in dreams, the custard of the day;
While pensive Poets painful vigils keep,
Sleepless themselves, to give their readers sleep.

1 Here one poor word an hundred clenches makes,] It may not be amiss to give an instance or two of these operations of Dulness out of the works of her Sons, celebrated in the Poem. A great Critic formerly held these clenches in such abhorrence, that he declared, "he that would pun, would pick a pocket." Yet Mr Dennis's works afford us notable examples in this kind; "Alexander Pope hath sent abroad into the world as many Bulls as his namesake Pope Alexander.-Let us take the initial and final letters of his name, viz. A. P-E, and they give you the idea of an Ape.-Pope comes from the Latin word Popa, which signifies a little Wart; or from poppysma, because he was continually popping out squibs of wit, or rather Popysmata, or Popisms." DENNIS on Hom. and Daily Journal, June 11, 1728. P. [A 'clench' or 'clinch' was a cominon expression for a pun.]

2 How Farce and Epic-How Time himself, &c.] Allude to the transgressions of the Unities in the Plays of such Poets. For the Miracles wrought upon Time and Place, and the mixture of Tragedy and Comedy, Farce

and Epic, see Pluto and Proserpine, Penelope, &c. if yet extant.

P.

3 Ver. 85 in the former Editions, "Twas on the day when Thorold, rich and grave.'

Sir George Thorold, Lord Mayor of London in the year 1720. The Procession of a Lord Mayor is made partly by land, and partly by water.-Cimon, the famous Athenian General, obtained a victory by sea, and another by land, on the same day, over the Persians and Barbarians. P. [The battle of the Eurymedon.]

4 But liv'd in Settle's numbers one day more.] A beautiful manner of speaking, usual with poets in praise of poetry. Settle was poet to the City of London. His office was to compose yearly panegyrics upon the Lord Mayors, and verses to be spoken in the pageants: But that part of the shows being at length frugally abolished, the employment of City-poet ceased; so that upon Settle's demise there was no successor to that place. P. [Part om.] [As to Elkanah Settle, see To the Author of a Poem entitled Successio; in Miscellaneous Poems.]

Much to the mindful Queen the feast recalls
What City Swans once sung within the walls;
Much she revolves their arts, their ancient praise,
And sure succession down from Heywood's1 days.
She saw, with joy, the line immortal run,
Each sire imprest, and glaring in his son:
So watchful Bruin forms, with plastic care,
Each growing lump, and brings it to a Bear.
She saw old Prynne in restless Daniel2 shine,
And Eusden eke out 3 Blackmore's endless line,
She saw slow Philips creep like Tate's poor page,
And all the mighty Mad in Dennis rage.
In each she marks her Image full exprest,
But chief in BAYS's5 monster-breeding breast:

1 John Heywood, whose Interludes were printed in the time of Henry VIII. P.

Old Prynne in restless Daniel] The first edition had it,

She saw in Norton all his father shine: a great mistake! for Daniel De Foe had parts, but Norton De Foe was a wretched writer, and never attempted Poetry. Much more justly is Daniel himself made successor to W. Pryn, both of whom wrote Verses as well as Politics. And both these authors had a semblance in their fates as well as writings, having been alike sentenced to the Pillory. P. [Part om. William Prynne was in the year 1633 sentenced to a fine of £5000, placed in the pillory, and sentenced to imprisonment till he should recant, on account of his Histriomastix, written in condemnation of plays and supposed to reflect on Queen Henrietta Maria. De Foe underwent a similar punishment in 1703 for his book the Shortest Way with the Dissenters, but was not, like Prynne, subjected to the penalty of losing his ears, as Pope implies infra, Bk 1. v. 147.]

3 And Eusden eke out, &c.] Laurence Eusden, Poet Laureate [before Cibber]. Mr Jacob gives a catalogue of some few only of his works, which were very numerous. Of Blackmore, see Book II. Of Philips, Book 1. 262 and Book III. prope fin.

Nahum Tate was Poet Laureate, a cold writer, of no invention; but sometimes translated tolerably when befriended by Mr Dryden. In his second part of Absalom and Achitophel are above two hundred admirable lines together of that great hand, which strongly shine thro' the insipidity of the rest. Something parallel may be observed of another author here mentioned. P. [Part om.] 4 And all the mighty Mad] This is by no means to be understood literally, as if Mr Dennis were really mad, according to the Narrative of Dr Norris in Swift and Pope's Miscellanies. No-it is spoken of that Excellent and Divine Madness, so often mentioned by Plato: that poetical rage and enthusiasm, with which Mr D. hath, in his time, been highly possessed; and of those extraordinary hints and motions whereof he himself so feelingly treats in his preface to the Rem. on Pr. Arth. Mr John Dennis was the son of a Saddler in London born in 1657. He paid court to Mr Dryden; and having obtained some

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correspondence with Mr Wycherley and Mr Congreve, he immediately obliged the public with their Letters. He made himself known to the Government by many admirable schemes and projects; which the Ministry, for reasons best known to themselves, constantly kept private. For his character as a writer, it is given us as follows: "Mr Dennis is excellent at Pindaric writings, perfectly regular in all his performances, and a person of sound Learning. That he is master of a great deal of Penetration and Judgment, his criticisms (particularly on Prince Arthur) do sufficiently demonstrate." From the same account it also appears "that he writ Plays more to get Reputation than Money." DENNIS of himself. See Giles Jacob's Lives of Dram. Poets, p. 68, 69, compared with p. 286. [For an account of the life-long combat between Pope and his arch-enemy Dennis, of which the former had by no means invariably the best, see Introductory Memoir. The Narrative on the Frenzy of J. Ď. was written by Pope in 1713.]

[As to Colley Cibber and Theobald see Introductory Remarks to the Dunciad.]

But chief in Bays's, &c.] In the former Edd.

thus,

But chief, in Tibbald's monster-breeding breast; Sees Gods with Dæmons in strange league ingage, And earth, and heav'n, and hell her battles wage. She ey'd the Bard, where supperless he sate, And pin'd, unconscious of his rising fate; Studious he sate, with all his Books around, Sinking from thought to thought, &c.'

Var. Tibbald] Author of a pamphlet intitled, Shakespear restor'd. During two whole years while Mr Pope was preparing his Edition of Shakespear, he published Advertisements, requesting assistance, and promising satisfaction to any who could contribute to its greater perfection. But this Restorer, who was at that time soliciting favours of him by letters, did wholly conceal his design, till after its publication; (which he was since not ashamed to own, in a Daily Journal of Nov. 26, 1728). And then an outcry was made in the Prints, that our Author had joined with the Bookseller to raise an extravagant subscription; in which he had no share, of which he had no knowledge, and against which he had publickly advertised in his own proposals for Homer. Pro

Bays, form'd by nature Stage and Town to bless1,
And act, and be, a Coxcomb with success.
Dulness, with transport eyes the lively Dunce,
Remembring she herself was Pertness once.
Now (shame to Fortune 2!) an ill Run at Play
Blank'd his bold visage, and a thin Third day 3:
Swearing and supperless the Hero sate,

Blasphem'd his Gods, the Dice, and damn'd his Fate;
Then gnaw'd his pen, then dash'd it on the ground,
Sinking from thought to thought, a vast profound!
Plung'd for his sense, but found no bottom there;
Yet wrote and flounder'd on in mere despair.
Round him much Embryo, much Abortion lay 5,
Much future Ode, and abdicated Play;
Nonsense precipitate, like running Lead,

That slipp'd thro' Cracks and Zig-zags of the Head;
All that on Folly Frenzy could beget,
Fruits of dull Heat, and Sooterkins

of Wit,

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Next, o'er his Books his eyes began to roll,

In pleasing memory of all he stole,

How here he sipp'd, how there he plunder'd snug,
And suck'd all o'er, like an industrious Bug.

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Here lay poor Fletcher's half-eat scenes, and here
The Frippery of crucify'd Moliere;

There hapless Shakespear, yet of Tibbald sore,
Wish'd he had blotted 10 for himself before.

bably that proceeding elevated Tibbald to the dig-He roll'd his eyes that witness'd huge dismay nity he holds in this Poem, which he seems to deserve no other way better than his brethren; unless we impute it to the share he had in the Journals, cited among the Testimonies of Authors prefixed to this work. P.

1 Bays, form'd by nature, &c.] It is hoped the poet here hath done full justice to his Hero's character, which it were a great mistake to imagine was wholly sunk in stupidity: he is allowed to have supported it with a wonderful mixture of Vivacity. This character is heightened according to his own desire, in a Letter he wrote to our author. "Pert and dull at least you might have allowed me. What am I only to be dull, and dull still, and again, and for ever." He then solemnly appealed to his own conscience, "that he could not think himself so, nor believe that our Poet did; but that he spoke worse of him than he could possibly think; and concluded it must be merely to shew his Wit, or for some Profit or Lucre to himself," Life of C. C. chap. vii. and Letter to Mr P. pag. 15. 40. 53. P.

2 Shame to Fortune ] Because she usually shews favour to persons of this Character, who have a three-fold pretence to it. P.

3 [A thin Third day, i.e. of the performance of one of his plays.]

4 From Lord Rochester on Man:
'Stumbling from thought to thought.'

Warton.

5 Round him much Embryo, &c.] In the former Editions thus,

Where yet unpawn'd much learned lumber lay
Volumes, whose size the space exactly fill'd,
Or which fond authors were so good to gild,
Or where, by sculpture made for ever known,
The page admires new beauties not its own.
Here swells the shelf, &c.- Warburton.
6 [False births.]

7 Poor Fletcher's half-eat scenes,] A great number of them taken out to patch up his Plays.

P.

8 The Frippery] "When I fitted up an old play, it was as a good housewife will mend old linen, when she has not better employment." Life, p. 217. octavo. P.

Hapless Shakespear, &c.] It is not to be doubted but Bays was a subscriber to Tibbald's Shakespear. He was frequently liberal this way; and, as he tells us, "subscribed to Mr Pope's Homer, out of pure Generosity and Civility; but when Mr Pope did so to his Nonjuror, he concluded it could be nothing but a joke." Letter to Mr P. p. 24,

This Tibbald, or Theobald, published an edition of Shakespear, of which he was so proud himself as to say, in one of Mist's Journals, June 8, "That to expose any Errors in it was impracticable. And in another, April 27, "That whatever care might for the future be taken by any other Editor, he would still give above five hundred emendations, that shall escape them all." P.

10 Wish'd he had blotted] It was a ridiculous praise which the Players gave to Shakespear,

The rest on Out-side merit but presume1,
Or serve (like other Fools) to fill a room;
Such with their shelves as due proportion hold,
Or their fond parents drest in red and gold;
Or where the pictures for the page atone,

And Quarles is sav'd by Beauties not his own.
Here swells the shelf with Ogilby the great 3;

There, stamp'd with arms, Newcastle shines complete1: Here all his suff'ring brotherhood retire,

And 'scape the martyrdom of jakes and fire :

A Gothic Library! of Greece and Rome

Well purg'd, and worthy Settle, Banks, and Broome 5. But, high above, more solid Learning shone,

The Classics of an Age that heard of none;
There Caxton slept, with Wynkyn at his side,
One clasp'd in wood, and one in strong cow-hide;
There sav'd by spice, like mummies, many a year,
Dry Bodies of Divinity appear;