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DENNIS' Remarks on PR. ARTHUR.

Cannot but think it the most reasonable thing in the world, to distinguish good writers, by discouraging the bad. Nor is it an ill-natured thing, in relation even to the very persons upon whom the reflections are made. It is true, it may deprive them, a little the fooner, of a short profit and a transitory reputation; but then it may have a good effect, and oblige them (before it be too late) to decline that for which they are fo very unfit, and to have recourfe to fomething in which they may be more fuccessful.

CHARACTER of Mr. P. 1716.

THE Perfons whom Boileau has attacked in his writings, have been for the most part Authors, and moft of thofe Authors, Poets: and the cenfures he hath paffed upon them have been confirmed by all Europe.

GILDON, Pref. to his NEW REHEARSAL. IT is the common cry of the Poetafters of the town, and their fautors, that it is an ill-natured thing to expofe the Pretenders to wit and poetry. The Judges and Magiftrates may with full as good reason be reproached with Ill-nature for putting the Laws in execution against a Thief or Impoftor.-The fame will hold in the republic of Letters, if the Critics and Judges will let every ignorant pretender to fcribbling pafs on the World.

VOL. III.

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THEO

THEOBALD, Letter to Mist, June 22, 1728.

ATTACKS may be leveled, either against Failures in Genius, or against the Pretenfions of writing without

one.

CONCANEN, Ded. to the Author of the DUNCIAD. A Satire upon Dulness is a thing that has been used and allowed in All Ages.

Out of thine own Mouth will I judge thee, wicked Scribbler!

TESTIMONIES

OF

AUTHORS

CONCERNING

Our POET and his WORKS.

B

M. SCRIBLERUS Lectori S.

EFORE 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 au-, thors, but of the fame author at different seasons. Nor fhall we gather only the Teftimonies 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 feek 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 mayft not only receive

:

the delectation of Variety, but also arrive at a more certain judgment, by a grave and circumfpect comparifon 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 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 some 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 seem 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, modest or arrogant; as another, whether his author was fair or brown, short or tall, or whether he wore a coat or a caffock.

We proposed to begin with his Life, Parentage, and Education: But as to these, even his contemporaries do exceedingly differ. One faith a, he was educated at home; another b, that he was bred at St. Omer's, by Jefuits; a thirde, 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

a Giles Jacob's Lives of the Poets, vol. ii. in his Life. b Dennis's Reflections on the Essay on Crit. c Dunciad diffected, P: 4. d Guardian, N° 40. e Lives, &c. vol. ii.

Jacob's

by

by his father on purpose; a second, that he was an itinerant priest; a third %, that he was a parfon ; one h calleth him a fecular clergyman of the Church of Rome; anotheri, a monk. As little do they agree about his Father, whom one k fuppofeth, like the Father of Hefiod, a tradesman or merchant; another', a husbandman; anotherm, a hatter, &c. Nor has an author been wanting to give our Poet such a father as Apuleius hath to Plato, Jamblichus to Pythagoras, and divers to Homer, namely a Dæmon: For thus Mr. Gildon":"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 refemblance 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 controversy, 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.

f Dunciad diffected, p. 4. g Farmer P. and his fon. h Dunciad diffected. iCharacters of the times, p. 45. * Female Dunciad, p. ult. 1 Dunciad diffected. " Roome, Paraphrafe on the ivth of Genesis, printed 1729. n Character of Mr. P. and his Writings, in a Letter to a Friend, printed for S. Popping, 1716, p. 10. Curll, 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; though in the fubfequent editions of his Key he left out this affertion, and affirmed (in the Curliad. p. 4. and 8.) that it was written by Dennis only.

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