University of Virginia Library

It hath been objected by some critics of profound learning and known abilities, that this is a misnomer, and that our poet stumbleth in the very threshold: since this, being of a nature different from the former, and celebrating another hero, is not properly another book of the Dunciad, but a new Dunciad rather: or I should conceive the poet should, in imitation of the greater poets, have given it a name from the hero, and have added the termination ad to his name, or something similar thereto, whereby he would have sufficiently distinguish'd this poem or Dunciad from any other.—It may be worth while to reflect on the vanity and short-sightedness of mortals, display'd in this hero of our poem, who writeth in his celebrated D---e L---n, amongst various other matters, of the epic poem, and saith, that species being already complete, we henceforth must expect no more, little deeming at that time, he was himself destin'd to be the hero of another heroic poem. J. F. Scriblerus, jun.

Imitations. The learned reader is indebted to a celebrated divine for the many choice passages he will find hereafter, collected from ancient authors, which our poet plainly imitateth; but all Greek we have avoided with great and diligent caution, for our own and his sake.

We spell the word as Milton doth. See Book the 2d, ver. 21 of his Paradise Lost, Dr Newton's Edition.

Of revolutions—plainly from Milton—Of man's first disobedience. B. I. I. 1.

Relate, O goddess.—Musa! mihi causas memora.—Virgil, B. I. See too most of the beginnings of all Epic Poems.

A poetical phrase to outdoe his best outdoings: this work appears line 68 to be the new edition of the Dunciad. See remark there.

A thing our hero is eminent for; witnesses to which truth are those very long digressions to be found, in the work hinted at, of which only a part hath yet appeared; the main scope whereof is well nigh lost in the multitude of other matters, à re, there treated of.

A curious piece so called, lately published by W. Warburton, equal to his other works: so true is old Flaccus's remark,

The author of the Supplement to Mr Warburton's Shakespear, commonly called the Canons of Criticism: “Ill would that scholiast discharge his duty, who should neglect to honour those whom Dulness has distinguish'd; or suffer them to lie forgotten when their rare modesty would have left them nameless. Let us not therefore overlook the services which have been done her cause, by one Mr Thomas Edwards, a Gentleman, as he is pleased to call himself, of Lincoln's Inn; but in reality a gentleman only of the Dunciad: or to speak him better, in the language of our honest ancestors to such mushrooms, a gentleman of the last edition; who, nobly eluding the solicitude of his careful father, very early retained himself in the cause of Dulness against Shakespear, and hath now happily finished the Dunce's progress in personal abuse. For a Libeller is nothing but a Grubstreet critic run to feed.” Scriblerus, or Warburton, in his Dunciad Complete. B. 4. ver. 567.

We need make no observations, or Hypercritica, on this curious annotation.

Plainly from the author of the first Dunciad,

The ancients addrest their deities in the same manner, as might be proved by a thousand instances,

A well known author, who hath favoured the world with two witty and ingenious pieces, wherein he speaketh much to our hero's commendation: and, as the text observeth, treateth right prudently his subject in syllogistical order, according to the manner of the aforesaid heroe. Let him speak for himself! “I mention that gentleman's (Mr W*rb---n's) name, who now unquestionably stands foremost in the catalogue of British writers, with the most profound respect; and it wou'd afford me infinite pleasure, if he wou'd give this subject a discussion in the next Vol. of his Divine Legation, whenever he pleases to oblige the world with that long expected work: or if, by chance, he should happen to have no room for it, being already furnished with his complement of digressions, (see l. 11. foregoing) (and to be sure one book can hardly contain everything) still I have the vanity to expect a letter from him by the first post, to thank me, according to custom, for the honourable mention I have made of him, (see l. 171. and the annotation) and with some compliments on my performance, to make an overture of his acquaintance.”—See Lucina sine concubitu, edit. 1. p. 26, where he hinteth at Mr W*rb*n's skill in chopping logic.—And surely nothing can be imagined more pure and genuine than the applause this most judicious physician bestoweth on our hero! never was so happy a man, as to meet with encomiums from all the learned faculties, law, physic, and divinity! Scriblerus, junior.

Dulness is well conceived by our author to be of large bulk, and he expresseth himself well by calling her carcase a mighty load; supposing she hath much of the vis inertiæ (as the philosophers speak) in her, which absorbeth the divinam particulam auræ, as faith an excellent ancient poet. Scriblerus. See also the design to Mr Warburton's Dunciad.

It may be proper to defer the particularizing these several pieces, till the account of those which compose the altar, mentioned at the end of the book, is given by the poet himself: and we hear of several other learned persons who are composing heroic poems at this present time, which it will be my duty, as a faithful scholiast, if worthy thereof, hereafter to mention in these my observations explanatory. Scriblerus, sen.

The matter contained in these lines is so well known, that it needeth little explanation: we being determined, in the course of our remarks, to avoid the errors of former commentators, who are copious on well-known matters, but very sparing in such as require their assistance. But one thing it may be proper to observe, that our poet speaketh not of volumes in the common acceptation, but as parts of a work; in which sense the passage is clear.

The author of the former Dunciad, speaking of Tibbald's Shakespear, has it,

but our author calleth him slash'd Shakespear, and riseth as much above the expression of the former, as his hero's edition excelleth that of Tibbald; for if poor Shakespear be only just sore from the one, he is slash'd, cut and hack'd all to pieces by the other.

A common mode of expression amongst poets.—So Thompson,—The goddess of the fearless eye. Liberty, Part 2.

All this speech of the mob is natural enough; 'tis such language as at elections, or any things of that kind, is used by them: huzza, is a word expressing some mode or degree of joy. Warburton.

Absurd: The poet never gave it so. Was not Bacchus a God? What—a God save a God? The blunder of some ignorant transcriber: The author gave it

Oh brave is a term expressing great exultation among us; the same as Io pæan with the Greeks and Latins. Bentley.

A latinism—So mitis sapientia Læli, for Lælius, besides a thousand more, we cou'd quote, and, if the reader suspecteth our learning, will hereafter; though every school-boy knoweth them.

Mr Warburton calleth his the Dunciad complete, and so in truth he hath made it.

Milton.

'Twill be worth the reader's while carefully to examine this speech of the Goddess, which, by men of sound erudition, hath been adjudg'd an original of its kind, not only for the sound moral, and just politics it contains, but also for the fine and elegant encomium it bestows on the hero, and that amazingly judicious turn in it, where she triumphs over her great adversary the author of Dunciad the first; and where at length, willing to wrest all things (as all mankind are wont) to her own advantage, she seems to see his design in chusing William Warburton for his commentator, namely, to make her amends for all the disservice he had done her, by giving her all his works with the commentary of that chosen critic.

He (Mr Pope) was desirous I should give a new edition of this poet, as he tho't that it might contribute to put a stop to a prevailing folly of altering the text of celebrated authors without talents or judgment. And he was willing that his edition should be melted down into mine, as it would, he said, afford him (so great is the modesty of an ingenuous temper) a fit opportunity of confessing his mistakes. In memory of our friendship, I have, therefore, made it our joint edition. Warburton's preface to Shakespear, p. 19.

We think it should be spelt hero, without the e. We would have the learned reader observe through our work, once for all, how careful we have been to preserve the proper and original spelling. Somebody.

—Virg.

Poets generally use similies on these occasions. See Milt. B. 2. 1. 284.

The disingenuity of poets is amazing: one may perceive how they borrow almost all their works from others, as I have already made clear in my Milton's imitation of the moderns; (which see) “a poet I have now reduced to his true standard, who appears mortal and uninspired, and in ability little superior to the poets above-mentioned, (viz. Cowley, Waller, Denham, Dryden, Prior, Pope;) but in honesty and open dealing, the best quality of the human mind, not inferior perhaps to the most unlicensed plagiary that ever wrote. (p. 160 of my work). I say, 'tis plain how all of them borrow their works from others, (see p. 160 of my work) and yet confess not, or give the least intimation of their having translated or imitated from any author whatever.” In this author I could trace out innumerable passages, which I find a great Divine hath done to my hands; however, these two lines, unobserved by him, supply us with a flagrant instance of it: Hail—is met with in Milton—Hail holy light, and in the Latin, salve or hail, (and I am told in the Greek). Saturnian days, &c. is from Virgil's Pollio—redeunt Saturnia regna—of lead, is from the former Dunciad, as well as almost the whole subsequent line,

The first Dunciad.—

“This industrious concealment of his helps is highly ungenerous in our poet, nay, criminal to the last degree, and absolutely unworthy of any man of common probity and honour,”—therefore he will not be angry at my condemning it, since Sua quisque exempla debet æquo animo pati. Pages 163 and 164 of my work. W. Lauder. P. T. C. See a letter concerning this my work in the Gentleman's Magazine for April 1750. p. 155.

Virg.

—Milton.

Our poet hath here taken a thought from Shakespear,—where he tells us Anthony's genius was ever rebuk'd by Cæsar's.—See Macbeth, and also Anthony and Cleopatra (in my edition). Now a person who understands Shakespear, as I do, will immediately see, this is the very thing he hints at, when he makes Cibber's genius know mine by instinct, and be so far rebuk'd by its superior excellence, as to run away! Warburton.

For a more full account, and lively description, nay, the very original portraits, of these champions, see all our hero's works, courteous reader, if thou can'st throw away so much of thy precious time. Scriblerus.

For a complete commentary on these verses, see a Metzotinto print of Mr W*r---t*n, in a very curious and philosophic attitude: For we judge no method so proper to explain the poets, as applying to their sister art; A method beautifully commended, and elegantly pursued by two very great enemies of Dulness—very dreaded names in these parts, Addison and Spence.

We judge these compound epithets of great and singular excellence: several of them may be found in the life of Socrates, and in the poem of a certain gentleman, on the peace.

As we propose to give future critics an idea what we would have all critics be, so we shall here too lay down another rule, very proper to be pursued in explaining difficult matters: namely, that of consulting contemporary authors, when the author's own context will not direct us, and seeing if from them we can throw any light on the passage in question; which we hope in the present passage we have done, as also in the next, very obscure in themselves, and of which we would not predicate any thing; only therefore will we give from two authors a short quotation or two, and if, reader, thou thence can'st draw any conclusion—it will be well for thee. “Upon looking into the history of the works of the learned, to my regret, I found that his remarks (Mr Warburton's on Milton) were continued no farther than the three first books; and what is become of his other papers, and how they were mislaid and lost, neither he nor I can apprehend! but the excellence of those which remain, sufficiently evinces the great loss we have sustained in the others, which cannot now be recovered! He has done me the honour too of recommending this edition to the public, in the preface to his Shakespear; but nothing could have recommended it more effectually, than if it had been adorned by some more of his notes and observations.” Again—“Mr Warburton has favoured me with a few other notes in manuscript: I wish there had been more of them, for the sake of the reader: for the loose hints of such writers, like the slight sketches of great masters in painting, are worth more than the labour'd pieces of others.”—Hear, friendly reader, what the same author thinketh of his Shakespear.—“And as, according to the old proverb, the best guesser was the best diviner, so he may be said, in some measure too, to be the best editor of Shakespear, as Mr Warburton hath proved himself by variety of conjectures, and many of them very happy ones, upon the most difficult passages.”—See Dr Newton's preface to his Milton. Thus, 'tis hoped, some light is thrown on these four lines; our next remark proceedeth in the same way, and desireth the proemium hereto affixed, be conceived at it. J. F. Scriblerus, jun.

“It appeared then to the writer of these sheets, that it might be of use, if in the opportunities of his leisure he employed some pains in clearing the sense, connecting the method, and ascertaining the scope and purpose of this admired epistle.”—Again—“I chuse therefore to rest on the single authority of a great author, who hath not disdain'd to comment a like piece of a late critical poet. What was indeed the amusement of his pen, becomes, it must be owned, the labour of inferior writers. Yet on these unequal terms it can be no discredit to have aim'd at some resemblance of one of the least of those merits, which shed their united honours on the name of the illustrious friend and commentator of Mr Pope.”—See first and last pages of the introduction to a commentary on Horace's Art of Poetry, by an anonymous writer, who hath been unjustly suspected, from the intrusion of one unlucky metaphysical note, to be a very judicious person, who is, we are assured, much superior to such a work. Had it not been too large, we wou'd have quoted the whole introduction, as it well deserveth a place here: the reader will see we desire him to read it all, by quoting only from the begining and from the end.

The hypercritica to both these notes unluckily came too late, but they shall be inserted in a future edition.—See Abraham Johnson's Lucina sine concubitu, p. 35, where he hinteth at this writer.

An old word, signifying to behold, view, or see: the next line is from Shakespear.—

A raven and a crow is the same bird of prey: the first name taken from its nature, the other from its voice: we should therefore read,

Though we cannot but commend the author's choice of words here, each being adapted to the language, the several species of birds, he characteriseth, severally speaketh;—yet it is an improper simile for an epic poem—at least these two lines should be thrown out, and therefore we have inclosed them in uncæ or hooks. F. H.

is Shakespear's and Milton's: “and we have been the more willing to explain and illustrate our author by similar expressions and sentiments in Shakespear, not only because Milton was a great reader and admirer of his works, but also because we conceive Shakespear and Milton to be two of the most extraordinary genius's, and greatest poets, whom any country or any time has produc'd.” Newton's Milton.

So Milton, when Beelzebub is about to speak, faith,

B. 2. L. 307.

The hint of this simile is plainly taken from Shakespear: he says,

Our poet maketh the owls cease, to hear the musick of the ass! These creatures, 'tis well known, are the prime ministers in the state of Dulness.—The author of the first Dunciad informs us, Dulness herself was the dry-nurse of her own owls.

And in various places speaketh much to the laud of these honourable creatures, owls and asses.

'Tis worth while to observe how judiciously our poet soundeth the praise of his hero; for, in this place, he raiseth him to such a pitch of glory, as even to make him of a species superior to mankind, of a nature elevated beyond human; and yet he doth it so artfully, that our stomachs nothing nauseate the flattery! I remember I once was told our hero, (who is a divine) refused to preach at any time before any common congregation, yea even Mr A---'s at B---, because he could not express himself so as to be understood by the vulgar, the οι πολλοι! How like is he to all the great divines since our Saviour's time!— Scriblerus, sen.

This is prettily imagined: silence sitteth mourning the delay of his speech, and at length is eased—The poet had in his eye Shakespear's passage,

To readers unacquainted with our hero's writings, the following speech will appear somewhat harsh: and therefore for their sakes it is, he hath consented his own annotations on such words or passages as have aught difficult, be added. The speech might be properly divided into three parts: his menace, contained in the first eight lines; his intention, contained in the next twelve; and his command, to the end: in all of which the judicious reader will find little or nothing to the purpose, as it seems the poet—or speaker intended: giving hereby the judicious reader a good notion of the rest of our hero's works, which are all similar hereto!

i. e. Deceived. Warburton.

i. e. A bastard, base-born. Warburton.

Fief'd is a word I have introduc'd to Shakespear's acquaintance. See Macbeth Act. I. Sc. 6.— Warburton.

i. e. Praised, celebrated; the word is obsolete. Warburton.

The author has not done me justice here,—my manner of reading a passage in Shakespear is,

But this of our poet is much softer than I could wish.

i. e. Pikemen of prince Maurice's army. Warburton. See my Shakespear.

i. e. The fattening liquor so called. So I explain it in my Shakespear, V. I. p. 272. Warburton.

i. e. Much. Warburton. Shakespear, V. 7. p. 378.

“Indeed there was little or nothing in the work confuted (Dr Rutherforth's Essay on Virtue) but sophistical wrangling and disingenuous tergiversation, embarrass'd by an understanding more than ordinarily condensed with the frigid subtilty of school-moonshine.” See Remarks upon the principles and reasonings of Dr Rutherforth's Essay on the nature and obligation of virtue: publish'd by Mr Warburton, with a Preface. From this curious preface we have taken the above, from whence the reader may judge of the rest, which we assure him is all of a piece. The work itself hath been said to be wrote by an old woman; we believe the writer of the preface is the writer of the whole, or he had not so strongly defended it, and abused Dr Rutherforth; whom we would take upon us to clear from his aspersions, was not that writer's great good-nature, and judgment, solid sense, and extensive learning, so well, so universally known and esteemed, that any applause of this kind would be as unable to assist, as any dispraise of Mr Warburton's to blemish his high character. J. F. Scriblerus, jun.

i. e. I will exert my utmost endeavours to prejudice all mankind against any thing of taste or learning, that would be likely to do harm to our empire,—by writing prefaces, unask'd, (as I am known to have done, to that hurtful work (to us I mean) call'd Clarissa) and perverting the author's meaning all I possibly can. Warburton.

This is a word I have restored to Shakespear, where, when the vulgar reading is damp,—I amend that nonsense, and read trempe, i. e. moisten. Warburton. V. 4. p. 97. Jargon and nonsense are words of all others most pleasing to me; for them see almost every page of my Shakespear.

i. e. My writings shall be as long and unending as that tale from whence the plot of Measure for Measure is taken, which Cynthio begun to write on Dec. 8, and continued writing the whole year round till Nov. 5. So my friend Mr Pope means by his abbreviations of Dec. 8. Nov. 5. Warburton.

This is a manner of expression I have introduced to Shakespear's acquaintance, as a trial of skill for future players; and whoever can speak it, I promise them, for reward, to make honourable mention of them, in some of my future commentaries on the remaining part of Mr Pope's works. In Shakespear the text was

In mine I read it, and I assure you right,

'Twere not unpleasing to observe how very plain the hero speaks on a matter where his honour is concerned.—There's not one uncommon word, 'tis observable, to be found there,—except that phrase the hero's self in the next remark taketh notice of, and which is undoubtedly foisted in by some ignorant transcriber.

Shakespear has an absurd expression of the same sort:

“Or e're I go, is not English, and should be helped thus:

And in our poet it should be helped too thus:

i. e. before. We assure you, these abbreviations of words, as 'gin, for begin; 'gainst, for against, and the like are very usual with the best poets,—and are besides very great beauties,—I have shewn this in many of my annotations on Shakespear. Warburton.

There is no conjecturing who this bard may be, there being such a number of words rhyming to spoke: therefore we will not take upon us to determine ought concerning this intricate point from hence. Other marks are given; 'tis not impossible we may smell him out from these: the word Muggletonian, we find, is borrowed from us, in our annotations on the former Dunciad: See B. 2. v. 138; but we presume not to gather ought from hence; however it appears, this bard is an ode-wright; and, from the following account of his subjects, it appeareth to be that anonymous poet, who hath favour'd us with two curious odes already, on Beauty, and Martial virtue.—Pindarics. See 1. 245. Scriblerus, sen.

Is a word of Milton's, Titanian, or earth born;—'tis worth while to observe how judiciously the poet stileth these lays, earth-born, as sprung from the meanest and lowest seat,—and not like Homer's and Milton's descended from Heaven!

An old French word, signifying the being in the wrong, is much in use amongst our old English writers, which those who have not read them may collect from its being found in the etymologicon of the judicious Skinner. Warburton, V. 7. p. 267.

i. e. Make my encomium. Warburton's Shakespear, V. 6. p. 541.

See a pleasing instance of what the hero desireth in the four first stanzas of the Ode on martial virtue: It consisteth of 8 stanzas.

i. e. censure. So I would understand it in a nonsensical passage of Shakespeare. Warburton.

i. e. without sense: as a word without vowels is jargon, and contains no idea. See my Shakespeare, vol. 7. p. 398. Warburton.

No wonder the bookseller is in such haste to get the speech printed, when Dulness has so many thousand subjects ready to receive it,—for, tho' a famous bookseller told me two years ago; “Oh Sir—“any thing of Mr W---n's will sell!” The tables are turn'd now, and his luck strangely alter'd!

From this and the following line, it is plain the elder Scriblerus is much mistaken in his conjecture concerning the bard here notified: For it cannot be the author of the Odes on Beauty, and Martial Virtue, since that learned Gentleman biddeth not Taste to fly, but saith it is his sole endeavour to inform us what true Taste is:—And for that reason, he proposeth himself to give both the precept and example at once, in a series of odes, before which he constantly intendeth to fix certain useful dissertations. See those before the Odes on Beauty, and Martial Virtue.

So Milton.

and Virgil.

Nothing can equal the proper manner in which the poet closes his first book; when our expectations are rais'd to the height.—So he leaves us, and we are anxious to know what heroes are to shine in his future strains! A copious theme; and every day, every hour supplieth new matter; so that, courteous reader, I much fear, if our author deferreth his account much longer, the labour will be too great; and the catalogue so tedious, not even Homer's dread one will equal it.—Yet he telleth me, he hath heart to undertake it, if properly encouraged, and as he doubteth not of many friendly and unfriendly remarks, encomiums, and the contrary on his poem, so he feareth not to find proper matter to compleat the design he hath engag'd in, to the utter ruin of all Taste, and the serene establishment of the throne of Mr. W--- and his beloved queen Dulness. Scriblerus, sen.