whether to betake himself to the Church, or to Gaming, or to Party-writing, he raises an Altar of proper books, and (making first his folemn prayer and declaration) purposes thereon to facrifice all his unsuccessful writings. As the pile is kindled, the Goddefs, bebolding the flame from ber feat, flies and puts it out by cafting upon it the poem of Thulé. She forthwith reveals herself to him, tranfports him to her Temple, unfolds her Arts, and initiates him into her Myfteries; then announcing the death of Eufden the Poet Laureate, anoints him, carries him to Court, and proclaims him Succeffor. Vol. V. facing p.75 Plate XX. F. Hayman inv.etdel. C.Grignion Sculp. Her ample Presence fills up all the Space, Dunciad, Book 1 FIT AMOR DAPIS ATQUE TH BOOK I. 'HE Mighty Mother, and her Son, who brings The Smithfield Mufes to the ear of Kings, VARIATIONS. VER. 1. The Mighty Mother, &c.] In the firft Edit. it was thus, Books and the Man I fing, the first who brings IMITATIONS. Say, great Patricians! fince yourselves infpire Thefe wondrous works— -Dii cœptis (nam vos mutaftis & illas.) Ovid. Met. r. REMARK S. THE DUNCIAD.] It is an inconvenience, to which Writers of reputation are fubject, that the juftice of their refent I fing. Say you, her inftruments the Great! Call'd to this work by Dulnefs, Jove, and Fate; REMARK S. ment is not always rightly understood. For the calumnies of dull Authors being foon forgotten; and they whom they aimed to injure, not caring to call to memory the particulars of falfe and fcandalous abufe, their neceffary correction is fufpected of feverity unprovoked. But, in this cafe, it would be but candid to estimate the chastisement on the general Character of the offender, compared with that of the perfon injured. Let this ferve with the candid Reader, in juftification of the Poet; and, on occafion, of the Editor. N. B. The Notes throughout this Volume which are mark'd with an afterisk are the Editor's; those mark'd with a P. and an afterisk were written by Mr. Pope and the Editor in conjunction. The DUNCIAD, fic MS. It may well be difputed whether this be a right reading: Ought it not rather to be fpel-led Dunceiad, as the Etymology evidently demands? Dunce with an e, therefore Dunceiad with an e. That accurate and punctual Man of Letters, the Reftorer of Shakespeare, conftantly obferves the prefervation of this very Letter e, in fpelling the Name of his beloved Author, and not like his common careless Editors, with the omiffion of one, nay fometimes of two ee's, (as Shakspear) which is utterly unpardonable. "Nor is "the neglect of a Single Letter fo trivial as to fome it may "appear; the alteration whereof in a learned language is an Atchievement that brings honour to the Critic who ad"vances it; and Dr. Bentley will be remembered to pofteri"ty for his performances of this fort, as long as the world "fhall have any esteem for the remains of Menander and Phi"lemon." THEOBALD. This is furely a flip in the learned author of the foregoing note; there having been fince produced by an accurate Antiquary, an Autograph of Shakspeare himself, whereby it appears that he fpelled his own name without the first e. And upon this authority it was, that the most Critical Curators of his Monument in Weftminster Abbey erafed the former wrong reading, and restored the true fpelling on a new piece of old Egyptian Granite. Nor for this only do they deferve our thanks, but for exhibiting on the fame Monument the firft fpecimen of an Edition of an author in Marble; |