Book II.
The Dunciad.
87
Th'embroider'd suit at least he deem'd his prey,
That suit an unpay'd taylor[R 1] snatch'd away.
No rag, no scrap, of all the beau, or wit,
That once so flutter'd, and that once so writ. 120
Heav'n rings with laughter: Of the laughter vain,
Dulness, good Queen, repeats the jest again.
Three wicked imps, of her own Grubstreet choir,
She deck'd like Congreve, Addison, and Prior;[R 2]
Mears, Warner, Wilkins[R 3] run: delusive thought! 125
Breval, Bond, Besaleel,[R 4] the varlets caught.
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 118. an unpay'd taylor] This line has been loudly complained of in Mist, June 8, Dedic. to Sawney, and others, as a most inhuman satyr on the poverty of Poets: But it is thought our author would be acquitted by a jury of Taylors. To me this instance seems unluckily chosen; if it be a satyr on any body, it must be on a bad paymaster, since the person to whom they have here applied it, was a man of fortune. Not but poets may well be jealous of so great a prerogative as non-payment; which Mr. Dennis so far asserts, as boldly to pronounce that "if Homer himself was not in debt, it was because nobody would trust him." Pref. to Rem. on the Rape of the Lock, p. 15.
- ↑ Ver. 124. like Congreve, Addison, and Prior;] These authors being such whose names will reach posterity, we shall not give any account of them, but proceed to those of whom it is necessary.—Besaleel Morris was author of some satyrs on the translators of Homer, with many other things printed in news-papers.–"Bond writ a satyr against Mr. P-. Capt. Breval was author of The Confederates, an ingenious dramatic performance to expose Mr. P. Mr. Gay, Dr. Arb. and some ladies of quality," says Curl, Key, p. 11.
- ↑ Ver. 125. Mears, Warner, Wilkins] Booksellers, and Printers of much anonymous stuff.
- ↑ Ver. 126. Breval, Band, Besaleel,] I foresee it will be objected from this line, that we were in an error in our assertion on ver. 50. of this book, that More was a fictitious name, since these persons are equally represented by the poet as phantoms. So at first sight it may seem; but be not deceived, reader; these also are not real persons. 'Tis true, Curl declares Breval, a captain, author of a piece called The Confederates; but the same Curl first said it was written by Joseph Gay: Is his second assertion to be credited any more than his first? He likewise affirms Bond to be one who writ a satyr on our
