(23)

TESTIMONIES

OF

AUTHORS,

Concerning our

POET and his WORKS.

MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS, Lectori S

B

EFORE we prefent thee with our Exercitations on the moft delectable Poem of the Dunciad (drawn from the many volumes of our Adverfaria of modern Authors) we fhall here, according to the laudable ufage of Editors, collect the various judgments of the Learned concrning our Poet: Various indeed, not only of different authors, but of the fame author at different feafons. Nor fhall we ga ther only the Teftimonials of fuch eminent Wits as would of courfe defcend to pofteri and confequently be read without our

ty,

collection;

collection; but we fhall likewife with incredible labour feek out for divers others, which but for this our diligence, could never at the diftance of a few months, appear to the eye of the most curious. Hereby thou may'st not only receive the delectation of Variety, but also arrive at a more certain judgment, by a grave and circumfpect comparison of the witneffes with each other, or of each with himself. Hence alfo thou wilt be enabled to draw reflections, not only of a critical but of 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 criticks and commentators are wont to infift upon fuch, and how material they seem to themselves if to none other. Forgive me therefore gentle reader, if (following learned example) I ever and anon become tediou's allow me to take the fame pain to find whe ther my author were good or bad, well or ill-natured, modeft or arrogant; as another, whether his were fair or brown, fhort or tall, or whether he wore a coat or a caf fock?

We purposed to begin with his Life, Pa rentage and Education: but as to thefe, even his Cotemporaries do exceedingly differ. One

faith, he was educated at home (a); another that he was bred abroad at St. Omer's by Je fuits (b); a third, not at St. Omer's, but at Oxford (c); a fourth, that he had no Univerfity education at all (d). 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 (e); a fecond, that he was an itinerant prieft (f); a third, that he was a parfon (g); one calleth him a fecular clergyman of the church of Rome (b); another, a Monk (). As little agree they about his Father; whom one fuppofeth, like the father of Hefiod, a tradefman or merchant (k); another a husbandman, &c. (1) Nor hath an author been wanting to give our Poet fuch a Father, as Apuleius hath to Plato, Tamblicus to Pythagoras, and divers to Homer; namely a Damon: For thus Mr. Gildon (m). "Certain it is, that his Origi "nal is not from Adam but the devil, and that he wanteth nothing but horns and

(a) Giles Jacob's Lives of Poets, vol. 2. in his life. (b) Dennis's reflect. in the Effay on Crit. (c) Dunciad diffected, p. 4. (d) Guardian, No. 40. (e) Facob, ib. (ƒ) Dunc. diff. ibid. (g) Farmer P. and his fon, ibid. verfe 32. (b) Dunc. diff. (i) Characters of the Times, p. 45. (k) Female Dunciad, pag. ult. (1) Dunc. diffect. (m) Whom Mr. Curl (Key to the Dunc Ift edit.) declares to be author of the Character of Mr. Pope and his Writings, in a letter to a friend, printed for S. Popping, 1716, where this paffage is to be found, pag.

10.

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"tail

<tail to be the exact resemblance 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 shall defer writing the life of our Poet, till authors can determine among themselves what 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 firft the moft Ancient of criticks,

Mr. JOHN DENNIS.

"His precepts are falfe, or trivial, or "both his thoughts are crude, and abor❝tive, his expreffions abfurd, his numbers harth, and unmufical, without cadence, or variety, his rhymes trivial, and common"instead of majefty, we have fomething "that is very mean; inftead of gravity, "fomething that is very boyish: and instead

of perfpicuity, and lucid order, we have "but too often obfcurity and confufion." What rare NumAnd in another place." What rare Num"bers are here? would not one fwear this youngster had efpoufed fome antiquated "mufe, who had fued out a divorce from "foine fuperannuated finner upon account "of impotence, and who being post by "her former fpoufe, has got the gout in

her