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himself entirely from all the avocations and pleasures of the world, to attend diligently to its correction and perfection; and fix years more he intended to beftow upon it, as it fhould feem by this verfe of Statius, which was cited at the head of his manufcript.

Oh mihi biffenos múltum vigilata per annos,

(b) Duncia!

Hence alfo we learn the true Title of the Poem; which with the fame certainty as we call that of Homer the Iliad, of Virgil the Eneid, of Camoens the Lufiad, of Voltaire the Henriad (i), we may pronounce could have been, and can be no other, than

The DUNCIAD.

It is ftyled Heroic, as being doubly fo; not only with refpect to its nature, which according to the beft Rules of the Ancients and ftricteft ideas of the moderns, is critically fuch; but also with regard to the Heroical difpofition and high courage of the Writer, who dar'd to ftir up fuch a formidable, irritable, and implacable race of mortals.

The time and date of the Action is evidently in the laft reign, when the office of City Poet expir'd upon the death of Elkanah Settle, and he has fix'd it to the Mayoralty of Sir Geo. Thorold. But there may arife fome obfcurity in Chronology from the Names in the Poem, by the inevitable removal of fome Authors, and infertion of others, in their Niches. For whoever will confider the Unity of the whole defign, will be fenfible, that the Poem was not made for thefe Authors, but thefe Authors for the Poem And I fhould judge they were clapp'd in as they rofe, fresh and fresh, and chang'd from day to day,

(b) The fame learned Prefacer took this word to be really in Statius. By a quibble on the word Duncia, the Dunciad is formed," pag. 3. Mr. Ward alfo follows him in the fame opinion.

(i) The Henriad.] The French Poem of Monfieur Voltaire, entitled Henriada, had been publish'd at London the year before,

in like manner as when the old boughs wither, we thrust new ones into a chimney

I would not have the reader too much troubled or anxious, if he cannot decypher them; fince when he fhall have found them out, he will probably know no more of the Perfons than before.

Yet we judg'd it better to preferve them as they are, than to change them for fictitious names, by which the Satyr would only be multiplied, and applied to many inftead of one. Had the Hero, for inftance, been called Codrus, how many would have affirm'd him to be Mr. W- Mr. D. but now, all that unjuft fcandal is faved, by calling him Theobald, which by good luck happens to be the name of a real perfon

Sir R

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I am indeed aware, that this name may to fome appear too mean, for the Hero of an Epic Poem: But it is hoped, they will alter that opinion, when they find, that an Author no less eminent than la Bruyere has thought him worthy a place in his Characters,

Voudriez vous, THEOBALDE, que je cruffe que vous etes baiffe? que vous n'etes plus Poete, ni bel efprit? que vous etes prefentement auffi mauvais Juge de tout genre d'Ouvrage, que mechant Auteur? Votre air libre & prefumptueux ne raffure, & me perfuade tout le contraire, &c. Characteres, Vol. I. de la Societe & de la Converfation, p. 176. Edit. Amft, 1720.

II..

A

LIST

O F

BOOKS, PAPERS, and VERSES,

IN WHICH

Our AUTHOR was abused, printed before the Publication of the Dunciad: With the true Names of the Authors.

R

EFLECTIONS Critical and Satyrical on a late Rhapfody called an Effay on Criticifm. By Mr. Dennis. Printed for B. Lintot. price 6 d.

A New Rehearsal, or Bays the Younger, containing an Examen of Mr. Rowe's Plays, and a word or two upon Mr Pope's Rape of the Locke. Anon. [Charles Gildon.] Printed for y. Roberts, 1.714. price I s.

Homerides, or a Letter to Mr. Pope, occafion'd by his intended Tranflation of Homer. By Sir Iliad Doggrel.. (T.. Burnet and G. Ducket. Efquires] Printed for W. Wilkins, 375 price 6d.

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Efop at the Bear-garden. A Vifion in imitation of the Temple of Fame. By Mr. Preston. Sold by John Mor¬ phew, 1715. price 6 d.

The Catholic Poet, or Proteftant Barnabys forrowful Lamentation, a Ballad about Homer's Iliad [by Mrs. Centlivre and others] 1715. price 1 d.

An Epilogue to a Puppet-show at Bath, concerning the faid Iliad, by George Ducket Efq; Printed by E. Curl.

A compleat Key to the What-d'ye-call-it, Anon. [Mr. TE] Printed for 7. Roberts, 1715

A true character of Mr. Pope and his Writings, in a Letter to a Friend, Anon. [Meffieurs Gildon and Dennis.] Printed for S. Popping, 1716. price 3 d.

The Confederates, a Farce. By Jofeph Gay [7. D. Breval.] Printed for R. Burleigh, 1717. price Is

Remarks upon Mr. Pope's Translation of Homer, with two Letters concerning the Windfor Forrest and the Temple of Fame, by Mr. Dennis. Printed for E. Curl, 1717. price 1 s. 6 d.

Satires on the Tranflators of Homer, Mr. P. and Mr T. Anon. [Bez. Morris.] 1717. price 6 d.

The Triumvirate, or a Letter from Palæmon to Celia at Bath. Anon. [Leonard Welfted.] price 1s. 1718. Folio. The Battle of Poets, a Heroic Poem. [By Tho. Cooke.] Printed for y. Roberts. Folio. 1725.

Memoirs of Lilliput, Anon. [Mrs. Eliz. Hayswood.] 89. printed 1727.

An Effay on Criticifm, in Profe, by the Author of the Critical History of England [y. Oldmixon] 8° 1728.

Gulliveriana, and Alexandriana. With an ample Preface and Critique on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies [By Fonathan Smedley.] printed for y. Roberts 8o 1728. Advertifed before the publication of the Dunciad in the Daily Journal, April 13, 1728.

Characters of the Times, or an Account of the Writings, Characters, &c. of feveral Gentlemen libell'd by Sand P in a late Mifcellany, 8° 1728. [C and Wd.]

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Remarks on Mr. Pope's Rape of the Locke, in Letters to a Friend. [By Mr. Dennis. Written in 1714, tho not printed till 1728. 8°.

Verfest

Verfes, Letters, Effays, or Advertisements in the publick Prints.

British Journal, Nov. 25, 1727. A Letter on Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. [Writ by Concanen.]

Daily Journal, March 18, 1728. A Letter by Philomauri. [James Moore Smyth.]

Id. March 29. A Letter about Therfites and accufing the Author of Difaffection to the Government. [7 Moore Smyth.] Mift's Weekly Journal, March 30. An Effay on the Arts of a Poet's finking in reputation, Or a fupplement to the Art of finking in Poetry [fuppofed by Mr. Theo

bald.

Daily Journal, April 3. A Letter under the name of Philo-ditto [by 7. Moore Smyth.]

Flying-Poft, April 4. A Letter against Gulliver and Mr. P. [Mr. Oldmixon.]

Daily Journal, April 5. An Auction of Goods at Twyckenbam, by J. Moore Smyth.]

Flying-Poft, April 6. A Fragment of a Treatife upon Swift and Pope, [by Mr, Oldmixon.]

The Senator, April 9. On the fame, [by Edw. Roome.] Daily Journal, April 8. Advertisement, [by 7. Moore Smyth.]

Daily Journal, April 9. Letter and Verfes against Dr. Swift, [by ** Efq;]

Flying-Foft, April 13. Verfes against the fame, and againft Mr. P's Homer, [by 7. Oldmixon.]

Daily Journal, April 16. Verfes on Mr. P. [by * * Efq;]

Id. April 23. Letter about Tranflation of the character of Therfites in Homer, [J-D-, &c.]

Mift's Weekly Journal, April 27. A Letter of Lewis Theobald.

Daily Journal, May 11. A Letter against Mr. P: at large, Anon. [John Dennis.]

All these were afterwards reprinted in a Pamphlet entitled, A collection of all the Verfes, Effays, Letters and Advertisements occafion'd by Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies. Prefaced by Concanen, Anonymous. 8°. Printed

for

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