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concerneth the Plagiary, to whom he giveth the name of Moore; the second the libellous Novelist, whom he styleth Eliza; the third, the flattering Dedicator; the fourth, the bawling Critic, or noisy Poet; the fifth, the dark and dirty Party-writer; and so of the rest; assigning to each some proper name or other, such as he could find.

As for the Characters, the Public hath already acknowledged how justly they are drawn. The manners are so depicted, and the sentiments so peculiar to those to whom applied, that surely to transfer them to any other or wiser personages, would be exceeding difficult: and certain it is, that every person concerned, being consulted apart, hath readily owned the resemblance of every portrait, his own excepted. So Mr. Cibber calls them " a parcel of poor wretches, 66 so many silly flies*" but adds, our Author's "wit is remarkably more bare and barren whenever "it would fall foul on Cibber than upon any other 68 person whatever."

The Descriptions are singular, the Comparisons very quaint, the Narration various, yet of one colour; the purity and chastity of Diction is so preserved, that in the places most suspicious, not the Words, but only the Images have been censured; and yet are those Images no other than have been sanctified by ancient and classical authority, (though, as was the manner of those good times, not so curiously

* Cibber's Letter to Mr. P. p. 9, 12, 41.

wrapped up) yea, and commented upon by the most grave doctors and approved critics.

As it beareth the name of Epic, it is thereby subjected to such severe indispensable rules as are laid on all Neoterics, a strict imitation of the Ancients; insomuch that any deviation, accompanied with whatever poetic beauties, hath always been censured by the sound critic. How exact that imitation hath been in this piece, appeareth not only by its general structure, but by particular allusions infinite, many whereof have escaped both the Commentator and Poet himself; yea, divers, by his exceeding diligence, are to altered and interwoven with the rest, that several have already been, and more will be, by the ignorant abused, as altogether and originally his own.

In a word, the whole Poem proveth itself to be the work of our Author, when his faculties were in full vigour and perfection; at that exact time when years have ripened the judgment without diminish ing the imagination; which, by good critics, is held to be punctually at forty: for at that season it was that Virgil finished his Georgics; and Sir Ri chard Blackmore, at the like age, composing his Arthurs, declared the same to be the very acme and pitch of life for epic poesy; though, since, he hath altered it to sixty, the year in which he published his Alfred. True it is that the talents for criticism,

* See his Essays.

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The Destcuts at sagular, the Comparis ℗ cast, de Sarean unions, yet of cze colou ve and chastey of Duction is so preservi tea de pars most suspicious, not the Work, bat aur the images have been censured; and yo are mese larges no other than have been sanctiisi be ancient and classical authority, (though enamer of these good times, not

Caber's Letter to Mr. P

1, and commented upon by the most
d approved critics.

the name of Epic, it is thereby sub-
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ic. How exact that imitation hath been
appeareth not only by its general struc-
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word, the whole Poem proveth itself to be rk of our Author, when his faculties were in gour and perfection; at that exact time when have ripened the judgment without diminishthe imagination; which, by good critics, is to be punctually at forty: for at that season it that Virgil finished his Georgics; and Sir Ri rd Blackmore, at the like age, composing his Art irs, declared the same to be the very me and tch of 1 for epic poesy; though, since, he hath the year in which he published his that the talents for criticism.

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namely, smartness, quick censure, vivacity of -remarks, certainty of asseveration, indeed all but acerbity, seem rather the gifts of youth than of riper age: but it is far otherwise in poetry; witness the works of Mr. Rymer and Mr. Dennis, who beginning with Criticism, became afterwards such poets as no age hath paralleled. With good reason, therefore, did our Author choose to write his Essay on that subject at twenty, and reserve for his maturer years this great and wonderful work of THE DUNCIAD. P.

RICARDUS ARISTARCHUS

OF THE HERO OF THE POEM.

Or the nature of Dunciad in general, whence derived, and on what authority founded, as well as of the art and conduct of this our Poem in particular, the learned and laborious Scriblerus hath, according to his manner, and with tolerable share of judgment, dissertated; but when he cometh to speak of the Person of the Hero fitted for such poem, in truth he miserably halts and hallucinates: for, misled by one Monsieur Bossu, a Gallic critic, he prateth of I cannot tell what phantom of a hero, only raised up to support the fable. A putid conceit! as if

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