OF

AUTHORS

CONCERNING

Our POET and his WORKS.

M. SCRIBLERUS Lectori S.

BEFORE we present thee with our exercitations on this most delectable Poem (drawn from the many volumes of our Adverfaria on modern Authors) we Shall here, according to the laudable ufage of editors, collect the various judgments of the Learned concerning our Poet: Various indeed, not only of different Authors, but of the fame author at different seasons. Nor shall we gather only the Testimonies of fuch eminent Wits, as would of courfe defcend to Pofterity, and confequently be read without our collection; but we fhall likewife with incredible labour feck out for divers others, which, but for this our diligence, could never at the distance of a few months appear to the eye of the most curious. Hereby thou may't not only receive the delectation of variety, but also arrive at a more certain judgment, by a grave and circumfpe& comparison of the Witneffes with each other, or of

each with himself. Hence also thou wilt be enabled to draw reflections, not only of a critical, but a moral nature, by being let into many particulars of the Perfon as well as Genius, and of the fortune as well as merit, of our Author: in which if I relate fome things of little concern peradventure to thee, and fome of as little even to him; I entreat thee to confider how minutely all true Critics and commentators are wont to infift upon fuch, and how material they feem to themselves, if to none other. Forgive me, gentle reader, if (following learned example) I ever and anon become tedious: allow me to take the fame pains to find whether my author were good or bad, well or ill-natured, modeft or arrogant; as another, whether his author was fair or brown, short or tall, or whether he wore a coat or a caflock.

We proposed to begin with his life, Parentage, and Education: But as to thefe, even his.contemporaries do exceedingly differ. One faith *, he was educated at home; another †, that he was bred at St. Omer's, by Jefuits; a third ‡, not at St. Omer's, but at Oxford; a fourth ||, that he had no University education at all. Those who allow him to be bred at home, differ as much concerning his Tutor: One faith §, he was kept by his father on purpose; a second ¶, that he was an

*Giles Jacob's Lives of the Poets, vol. ii. in his Life. + Dennis's Reflections on the Essay of Crit. Dunciad diffected, p. 4. Jacob's Lives, &c. vol. ii.

Guardian, N° 40. Dunciad diffect. p. 4.

itinerant prieft; a third *, that he was a parfon; onet, calleth him a fecular clergyman of the Church of Rome; another ‡, a monk. As little do they agree about his Father, whom one || supposeth, like the Father of Hefiod, a tradesman or merchant; another §, a husbandman; another ¶, a hatter, &c. Nor has an author been wanting to give our Poet fuch a father as Apuleius hath to Plato, Jamblichus to Pythagoras, and divers to Homer, namely a Daemon: For thus Mr Gildon 4: Certain it is, that his original is not 'from Adam, but the Devil; and that he wanteth 'nothing but horns and tail to be the exact refem'blance of his infernal Father.' Finding, therefore, fuch contrariety of opinions, and (whatever be ours of this fort of generation) not being fond to enter into controverfy, we fhall defer writing the life of our Poet, 'till authors can determine among themselves what

* Farmer P. and his fon. Characters of the times, p. 45.

+ Dunciad diffected. Female Dunciad, Roome, Paraphrafe + Character of

p. ult. Dunciad diffected. on the iv. of Genefis, printed 1729. Mr. P. and his writings, in a Letter to a Friend, printed for S. Popping, 1716, p. 10. Curl, in his Key to the Dunciad (firft edit. faid to be printed for A. Dodd) in the 10th page, declared Gildon to be the Author of that libel; and tho' in the fubfequent editions of his Key he left out this assertion, and affirmed (in the Curliad, p. 4. and 8.) that it was written by Dennis only.

Parents or Education he had, or whether he had any Education or Parents at all.

Proceed we to what is more certain, his Works, tho' not lefs uncertain the judgments concerning them; beginning with his ESSAY on CRITICISM, of which hear first the most ancient of Critics,

His precepts are falfe or trivial, or both; his thoughts are crude and abortive, his expreffions abfurd, his numbers harsh and unmusical, his rhymes "trivial and common ;-instead of majesty, we have 6. fomething that is very mean; instead of gravity, 'fomething that is very boyish; and instead of perfpicuity and lucid order, we have but too often obfcurity and confufion.' And in another place:, What rare numbers are here! Would not one fwear that this youngster had efpoufed fome antiquated mufe, who had fued out a divorce from fome fuperannuated finner, upon account of impotence, and who, being poxed by the former spouse, has got the gout in her decrepid age, which makes her hobble fo damnably *.

No lefs peremptory is the cenfure of our hypercritical hiftorian

Mr. OLDMIXON.

I dare not fay any thing of the Effay on Criticifm,

* Reflections critical and fatirical on a Rhapfody, called, an Effay on Criticism. Printed for Bernard Lintot, octavo,

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' in verfe; but if any more curious reader has difcover'ed in it fomething new which is not in Dryden's pre" faces, dedications, and his effay on dramatic poetry, 'not to mention the French critics, I fhould be very, " glad to have the benefit of the discovery

He is followed (as in fame, fo in judgment) by the modeft and fimple-minded

Mr. LEONARD WELSTED,

Who, out of great refpect to our poet not naming him, doth yet glance at his Effay, together with the Duke of Buckingham's and the Criticisms of Dryden, and of Horace, which he more openly taxeth †: As to the numerous treatifes, effays, arts, &c. both in ' verfe and profe, that have been written by the mo'derns on this ground-work, they do but hackney the 'fame thoughts over again, making them still more • trite. Most of their pieces are nothing but a pert, 'insipid heap of common place. Horace has even in his Art of Poetry thrown out feveral things which · plainly fhew, he thought an Art of Poetry was of 'no ufe, even while he was writing one,'

To all which great authorities, we can only oppofe that of

Mr. ADDISON.

'The Art of Criticism (faith he) which was pu

* Effay on Criticism in profe, octavo, 1728, by the author of the Critical History of England.

+ Preface to his Poems, p. 18, 53.

Spectator, N 253.