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Additions to Bond's Register of
Burlesque Poems
by
A. J. Sambrook
The following works are not listed in the 'Register of Burlesque Poems' appended to Richmond P. Bond's English Burlesque Poetry 1700-1750, New York, 1932, reissued 1964. The data follow Bond's pattern.
1730
The Censoriad: a poem. Written originally by Martin Gulliver. The second edition. London printed, and Dublin re-printed, and sold by James Hoey and George Faulkner. 1730.
pp. 5-17. h.c.
Mock-heroic.
"The Commentator's Proeme Unto the Courteous Reader," in Spenserian prose. A libel referring to a fracas in Trinity College, Dublin, the details of which are obscure. (At this period there were many student riots.)
He boldly stagger'd to a Scholar's Room;
Thrice knock'd with pond'rous Feet and Mutton Fists,
And thrice the bolted Door his Rage resists:
At length he tries the Prowess of his Pate,
And open flies the barricado'd Gate;
For what is Oak or Iron, but a Sham,
Against the Force of such a batt'ring Ram?
The Censor enters — and about he flings
The injur'd Glasses, and the Chamber rings.
See Locke and Clarke in Floods of Liquor swim,
He seiz'd the Scholar, and the Scholar him. [pp. 11-12]
The mock-pedantic Annotations are more bulky than the poem itself. They are in the manner of the Dunciad Variorum, and are signed with such names as Vossius, Heinsius and Bentleius.
A third edition appeared in 1730 in Dublin: The Censoriad . . . third edition . . . [imprint as above]; and in London: The Censoriad . . . London, Re-printed from the Dublin Third Edition, for Weaver Bickerton. MDCCXXX. This third edition has additional matter, with an Advertisement for 'a curious Collection of Notes, which we promise faithfully to insert in the next Edition.' I have not traced any later editions — or the first edition.
1730
The Heraldiad; A Satyr upon a certain Philosopher. Containing a Description of the Grub-street Debate held the 22d of this present Month. By Martin Gulliver. Printed in the Year, 1730.
single sheet. o.c.
Hudibrastic.
With Copper Skull, and Brain of Lead,
Who late appear'd in Chair of Wood,
And Schoolmen's Arguments withstood. [Opening.]
1730
Threnodia, or, an Elegy On the unexpected and unlamented Death of the Censor: Together With some Account of his Last Will and Testament: All faithifully collected from the Genuine MSS. in the Grub-street Vatican. Written Originally by Martin Gulliver, and now revis'd and publish'd by the Commentator on the Censoriad. Printed in the Year 1730.
pp. 3-7. anapaestic l.c.
Mock-elegiac.
"The Proeme," in Spenserian prose.
Another libel against the hero of The Censoriad.
Ye dealers in Doggrel, ye taggers of Rimes,
Ye scourges of Dullness, ye bold Pamphleteers
Who spare not the Vices of Fellows, or P——rs,
Ye fool-hating Authors of ev'ry degree,
Ye Hawkers of Scandal, come mourn with me;
With me, O Lament, for the Censor deceast,
Who dy'd, as he's said to have liv'd, Like a Beast. [Opening, p. 3.]
On the last page is an advertisement: "Curteous Reader, Not having Room in this Paper for his last Will and Testament, we must inform thee, that in a few Days it will be added to a new Edition of this Poem, when it will appear with several curious Annotations, and Remarks; and thereunto will be annexed a more Correct Edition of the Censoriad also; to which will be prefix'd the Life of Martin Gulliver both in Latin and English." I have not traced the "Will" or the "Life."
Threnodia, The Censoriad (and probably The Heraldiad) appear to be directed against Hugh Graffan (1701-1743), Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, from 1724.
1742
The Scribleriad. Being an Epistle to the Dunces. On Renewing their Attack upon Mr. Pope, under their Leader the Laureat. By Scriblerus. London: Printed for W. Webb. 1742.
pp. 3-29. h.c.
Mock-heroic.
A reply to the attacks made upon Pope by Cibber and Lord Hervey in July and August 1742.
After some discursive satire against Court, Administration and City the poem settles down into a "Sessions of the Dunces" at which the Goddess of Puffs awards the prize to Cibber.
"Colley, thy Hand! I'm thine alone for Life;
"Thine be the Prize, and Emblem of thy Wit,
"Which tho' not so, yet some will take for it:
"But 'tis not long, ev'n me thou must forsake;
"My last, my best, Advice then friendly take,
"Who scorn the Field of fell Debate to quit,
"Howe'er [Pope] lash you, still the war pursue,
"Your Ignorance brings all his Wit to view;
"The Insects hov'ring in the breezy Air
"Shew th'approaching vernal Season near;
"The Maggot that in Sun-beams basking lies,
"Tho' the Heat scorch him, by that Heat he flies."
She spake, and then, unseen, unheard retir'd,
Born in a Breath, she with a Sigh expir'd. [Conclusion.]
1747
Harvest; or the Bashful Shepherd. A Pastoral. In the Cumberland Dialect.
[in]
A Miscellany of Poems. By the late Reverend Josiah Relph of Sebergham, Cumberland. Glasgow. Printed by Robert Foulis for Mr. Thomlinson in Wigton. MDCCXLVII.
pp. 1-6. h.c.
Mock-eclogue.
A love-complaint by Robin, who has been too shy to tell Betty of his love for her, but now resolves to sell his flute, buy a "book of compliments" and write to her.
When to the stationers I'll stright repair,
And bauldly for thur compliments enquear;
Care I a fardin, let the prentice jeer.
That duine — a handsome letter I'll indite,
Handsome as ever country lad did write;
A letter 'at sall tell her aw' I feel,
And aw my wants without a blush reveal. [p.6]
1747
HayTime; or the Constant Lovers. A Pastoral.
[in Relph's Miscellany of Poems above.]
pp. 12-18. h.c.
Mock-eclogue.
A dialogue in the Cumberland dialect between Cursty and Peggy, in which the burlesque element is almost dispelled by kindly sentiment.
And luik — whae's yon 'ats walking to the well?
Up, Cursty, up; for God's sake let me gang,
For fear the maister put us in a sang. [Conclusion.]
1747
St.Agnes Fast; or the Amorous Maiden. A Pastoral.
[in Relph's Miscellany of Poems above.]
pp. 94-97. h.c.
Mock-eclogue.
The speaker has fasted all day and hopes to do so all night in order to bring Roger, whom she loves, to her side. All the omens point to Roger loving her — her
O' ane wi' neen it was my luck to light:
This fain I underneath my bouster lied,
And gat as fast as e'er I cou'd to bed:
I dreamt — the pleasant dreem I's neer forgit:
And ah this cruel Roger comes not yet.
A pippin frae an apple fair I cut,
And clwose atween my thoom and finger put:
Then cry'd, whore wons my Luive, come tell me true:
And even forret stright away it flew;
It flew as Roger's house it wad hev hit,
And ah this cruel Roger comes not yet. [p.95]
As it appears that Roger is fated to come to her eventually, she concludes that there is no need for her to fast any longer:
With easy fingers op'd the silent door;
Thrice to her head she rais'd the luncheon brown
Thrice lick'd her lips and three times laid it down;
Purpos'd at length the very worst to prove:
'Twas easier sure to dye of ought than love. [Conclusion.]
This pastoral is even more obviously inspired by Gay's The Shepherd's Week than are Relph's other two.
Relph's Miscellany of Poems contains two poems entitled A Burlesque Epistle, and five other Epistles written in a similar style to those two, but none of the seven appears to be a burlesque in any of Bond's definitions.
All the poems by Relph mentioned above were included in Poems by . . . J. Relph . . . With the life of the author and a pastoral elegy on his death. By T. Sanderson, London, 1797. This work was reprinted in Carlisle, 1798.
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