Durgen Or, A Plain Satyr upon a Pompous Satyrist. Amicably Inscrib'd, by the Author, to those Worthy and Ingenious Gentlemen misrepresented in a late invective Poem, call'd, The Dunciad [by Edward Ward] |
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Nor will initial Types, or Hyphens, skreen
A Man, at whom an Author darts his spleen,
Without a Name, the Character alone
Will speak the Person, if its truly drawn:
Then how much more is he that writes to blame,
If to false Scandal he applies a Name?
Or, by a Capital before a dash,
Points out the Object he's about to lash?
What, if in his defence the Poet says,
Initials may be constru'd several ways,
And that a thousand Names, as well as one,
May with the same Great-letter be begun.
If that's a Plea sufficient, then, I hope,
A P may stand for Puppit or for P*pe,
Or C that with a dash may pass for Churl,
Be meant as well for Coxcomb or for C***l:
Poor shifts, t'evade the Law, and only fit
To show the Author's Fear, instead of Wit.
But should our Satyrist presume to vent
Dark or ambiguous Flirts at Government,
No Asterisks would palliate the offence,
Or Hyphens favour his bifarious Sense,
But Inuendo's would at large explain
The daring Strokes of his unguarded Pen,
And make him feel the justice of an injur'd Reign.
A Man, at whom an Author darts his spleen,
Without a Name, the Character alone
Will speak the Person, if its truly drawn:
Then how much more is he that writes to blame,
If to false Scandal he applies a Name?
Or, by a Capital before a dash,
Points out the Object he's about to lash?
16
Initials may be constru'd several ways,
And that a thousand Names, as well as one,
May with the same Great-letter be begun.
If that's a Plea sufficient, then, I hope,
A P may stand for Puppit or for P*pe,
Or C that with a dash may pass for Churl,
Be meant as well for Coxcomb or for C***l:
Poor shifts, t'evade the Law, and only fit
To show the Author's Fear, instead of Wit.
But should our Satyrist presume to vent
Dark or ambiguous Flirts at Government,
No Asterisks would palliate the offence,
Or Hyphens favour his bifarious Sense,
But Inuendo's would at large explain
The daring Strokes of his unguarded Pen,
And make him feel the justice of an injur'd Reign.
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