poet, to undertake a task so worthy of his

virtue.

(a) Why flumbers Pope, who leads the Muses' train, Nor hears that Virtue, which he loves, complain?

To the fame tune also fingeth that learned Clerk of Suffolk

Mr. WILLIAM BROOME,

(b) Thus, nobly rifing in fair virtue's cause, From thy own life tranfcribe th' unerring laws.

And divers more, with which we will not tire the reader.

Let us rather recreate thee by turning to the other fide, and fhewing his character drawn by those with whom he never convers'd, and whofe countenances he could not know, tho' turned against him: First again commencing with the high-voiced, and neverenough-quoted

JOHN DENNIS

Who in his reflections on the Effay on Criticism thus describeth him..

"A little affected hypocrite, who has no"thing in his mouth but candour, truth, "friendship, good nature, humanity, and "magnanimity. He is fo great a lover of

(a) Univerfal Paffion Satyr. 1. (6) In his poems, and at the end of the Odyffey.

"falfhood,

"falfhood, that whenever he has a mind to "calumniate his cotemporaries, he upbraids "them with fome defect which is juft con

66

trary to fome good quality, for which all their friends and their acquaintance commend "them. He feems to have a particular "pique to People of Quality, and authors of "that rank He muft derive his religion ❝from St. Omer's." But in the character of Mr. P. and his writings, (printed by S. Popping 1716,) he faith, tho he is a Pro"feffor of the worst religion, yet he laughs "at it; but that, "nevertheless, he is a vi "rulent Papift; and yet a Pillar for the "Church of England. Of both which opi

nions.

Mr.THEOBALD

feems alfo to be; declaring in Mift's Journal of June 22, 1728: "That if he is not "threwdly abus'd, he hath made it his prac "tice to cackle to both parties in their own "fentiments." But, as to his Pique against people of quality, the fame Journalist doth not agree, but faith (May 8, 1728.) " he had by fome means or other the acquaintance "and friendship of the whole body of our no*bility.

However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gildon in the character laft cited, make it all plain, by affuring us: "That he is a creature that reconciles all contradictions he is a beaft, and a man:

❝a Whig, and a Tory, a writer (at one and "the fame time) of Guardians and Exami"ners; an affertor of liberty, and of the "difpenfing power of kings; a jefuitical pro"feffor of truth, a bafe and a foul preten"der to candour." So that, upon the whole. account, we must conclude him either to have been a great hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible impofer-upon both parties, or very moderate to either.

Be it, as to the judicious reader shall seem good. Sure it is, he is little favour'd of certain authors; whofe wrath is perillous: For one declares he ought to have a price fet on his head, and to be hunted down as

wild beaft: Another exprefly, that it will be well if he escape with his life: (a) One defires he wou'd cut his own throat or hang bimfelf: (b) Pafquin feem'd rather inclined it thou'd be done by the government, repre fenting him ingag'd in grievous defigns with a Lord of Parliament, then under profecution: (c) Mr. Dennis himself hath written to a Minifter, that he is one of the most dange rous perfons in this kingdom: (d) A third gives information of Treafon difcover'd in his

(b) Gullive(d) This prefent

(a) Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22, 1728. Smedley, Pref. to Gulliveriana, p. 16. riana, P. 332. (c) Anno 1723... year..

pocm::

poem: (a) Mr. Curl boldly fupplies an im perfect verfe with Kings and Princeffes; (b)· and another yet bolder, publishes at length the Two moft SACRED NAMES in this Nation as members of the Dunciad. (c)

This is prodigious! yet is it no leis ftrange, that in the midst of these invectives his ene-mies have (I know not how) born teftimony to fome merit in him:

Mr. THEO BALD,

in cenfuring his Shakespear declares," he has "fo great an efteem for Mr. Pope, and fo "high an opinion of his genius, and excellen"cies; That notwithstanding he profeffes "a veneration almoft rifing to Idolatry for the "writings of this inimitable poet, he would "be very loth even to do him juftice, at the expence of that other gentleman's charac ❝ter (d).

Mr. CHARLES GILDON,..

After having violently attack'd him in many pieces, at last came to wish from his

(a) pag. 6, 7. of the Preface to a Book intitled, a Collection of all the Letters, Effays, Verfes, and Advertisements, occafion'd by Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies, printed for A Moore, 8vo. 1728. (b) Key to the Dunc.. (c) A Lift of perfons, &c. at the end of the foremention'd Collection of all the Letters, Effays, &c. (d) Introduction to his Shakespear re

3d edit. p. 18.

ftor's in quarto, P. 3.

heart,

heart, "That Mr. Pope wou'd be prevailed "upon to give us Ovid's Epiftles by his"hand for it is certain we fee the original "of Sapho to Phaon with much more life "and likeness in his verfion, than in that of. "Sir Car Scrope. And this (he adds) is the "more to be wifh'd, becaufe in the English 66 tongue we have scarce any thing truly and "naturally written upon Love (a). alfo, 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. One who takes the name of

H. STANHOPE,

»He

the maker of certain verfes to Duncan Camp bell (b), in that poem which is wholly a fatyr on Mr. Pope, confeffeth,

'Tis true, if fineft notes alone could fhow
(Tun'd juftly high, or regularly low).

That we should fame to thefe meer vocals give;
Pope, more than we can offer, fhould receive:
For when fome gliding river is his theme,

His lines run smoother than the smootheft ftream, &c.

(a) Commentary on the

Sco. 1721, p. 97, 98.
of the Progrefs of Dulness,

Duke of Buckingham's Effay, (b) Printed under the Title129, 1728.

Mr.