and this with impunity, their own perfons and names being to moft, utterly fecret and obfcure.

This induced Mr. POPE to think that he had now fome opportunity of doing good, by detecting and dragging into light, these common enemies of mankind: fince to invalidate their flander, it was fufficient to fhew what contemptible men were the authors of it. This it was which gave birth to the DUNCIAD; and our poet thought it a happiness, that by the late flood of flander on himself, he had acquired fuch a peculiar right over their names, as was neceffary to his purpose.

Soon after he had formed this defign, he communicated it to his excellent friend Dr. Arbuthnot; who, though as a man of wit and learning, he might not have been displeased to fee their common injuries revenged on this pernicious tribe; yet as our author's friend and phyfician, being folicitous for his eafe and health, he was unwilling he should provoke fo large and powerful a party.

Their difference of opinion in this matter, gives occafion for the colloquial epiftle* to the Doctor,

It is proper to obferve, that this Epistle, though not finished till 1733, was begun many years before, as our author affures us in his advertisement prefixed to it; and as it alludes to the DUNCIAD, it was thought proper to mention it at this place, though out of the chronological order

of

Doctor, which is a kind of Prologue to the Satires in imitation of Horace, above taken notice of. In this prologue, our author, in a natural and familiar detail of all his provocations, both from flatterers and flanderers, has artfully interwoven an apology for his moral and poetical character.

Of this epiftle, the learned editor of Mr. POPE's works, has given a very accurate analyfis, to which I refer the curious reader; and fhall only take notice of fuch parts as tend to vindicate Mr. POPE and his writings: taking occafion by the way to point out fome of the most distinguished beauties of this excellent epistle.

Our poet having told his cafe, and humoroully applied to his phyfician, in the manner one would ask for a recipe to kill vermin, he proceeds in the common character of fuch as afk advice, to acquaint his Doctor that he had

of his publications. In this advertisement, Mr. POPE farther affures us, that he had no thoughts of publishing it, till it pleased some perfons of rank and fortune, to attack in a very extraordinary manner, not only his writings, of which being public, the public was judge, but his perfon, morals, and family. Being divided between the neceffity of faying fomething of himself, and his laziness to undertake fo aukward a tafk, he thought it the fhortest way to put the Laft hand to this epiftle. He adds with becoming fpirit, that if it has any thing pleafing, it will be that by which he is moft defirous to pleafe, the truth and the fentiment; and if any thing offenfive, it will be only to thofe he is leaft ferry to offend, the vicious and ungenerous.

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already

already formed his refolution, and determined of his remedy. But, by way of preamble, he introduces a fimile from the ftory of Midas, in which, taking occafion to mention kings, queens, and minifters of ftate, his friend takes the alarm, and begs of him to forbear; advising him to ftick to his fubject, and be eafy under fo common a calamity. To make light of his suffering provokes the poet; he breaks the thread of his difcourfe, and abruptly tells him the application of his fimile.

"Out with it, DUNCIAD! let the Secret pafs, " &c."

His friend, however, perfifting to advise him against such a general attack, the poet replies, that confidering the ftrong antipathy of bad to good, there will always be enemies either open or fecret; and that it admits of no question, but a flanderer is lefs hurtful than a flatterer: for, fays he, in a pleafant fimile, alluding to his friend's profeffion.

"Of all mad creatures, if the learn'd are right, "It is the Slaver kills, and not the Bite.'

He then proceeds to ridicule the abject and extravagant flattery of thofe fycophants, who complimented him even for his infirmities, his bad health, and his inconvenient shape. There is fo much spirit and poignance in his reprehenfion of this fervile adulation, that I cannot resist the pleasure of tranfcribing the lines.

"There

their court,

"There are who to my Person pay "I cough like Horace; and though lean, am

"thort:

"Ammon's great fon, one fhoulder had too high,

"Such Ovid's nofe, and, Sir, you have an 66 eye.

"Go on, obliging creatures, make me fee "All that difgrac'd my betters, meet in me : "Say for my comfort, languifhing in bed, Juft fo immortal Maro held his head."

With the fame fpirit and keen ridicule, he expofes his critics and calumniators; wherein he introduces that inimitable character of Atticus already spoken of: and then ftruck with the fense of that dignity and felicity infeparable from the character of a true poet, he breaks out into a paffionate vow for the continuance of the full liberty attendant on it: and concludes his wifh with a defcription of his temper and difpofition, which was fuch, that he would even execrate his best vein of poetry, if made at the expence of truth and innocence,

"Curft be the verse, how well foe'er it flow, "That tends to make one worthy Man my " foe,

"Give Virtue fcandal, Innocence a fear, "Or from the foft-ey'd Virgin steal a tear.”

Such a noble generosity and amiable tendernefs of fentiment feems to have flowed warm from the heart, and perhaps could not have been

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expreffed

expreffed with fuch feeling and energy by the mere efforts of genius alone,

Our poet then profeffes that the fole object of his refentment was vice and bafenefs, and proceeds to fatirize one under the character of Sporus, who had wantonly injured him in the moft fenfible manner.

This moving him with fresh indignation at his flanderers, he takes the advice of Horace, fume fuperbiam quaefitam meritis, and draws a fine picture of his moral and literary conduct through life: in which he fhews that not Fame, but VIRTUE, which he welcomes in a ftrain of divine enthufiafm, was the conftant object of his ambition. At the fame time, he boldly acknow, ledges, that in his purfuit of vice, he rarely confidered how knavery was circumftanced; but followed it with his vengeance, indifferently; whether it led to the pillory, or the drawing

room,

But left this fhould convey the idea of a favage virtue, he inftances fome particulars which prove him of fo eafy a nature, as to be duped by the flendereft appearances; and withal that he was fo forbearing, as not only to have been filent during a long courfe of calumny on himfelf, but even to have reftrained his refentment under the most shocking of all provocations, abujes on his father and mother,