s than could be expected from a thing so out of the common taste
of the town. It has been played already five nights, and the galleries,
who did not know at first what to make of it, now enter thoroughly into
the humour, and it seems to please in general better than at first. The
parts in general were not so well played as I could have wished, and in
particular the part of Filbert, to speak in the style of the French
Gazette. Penkethman did wonders; Mrs. Bicknell performed miraculously,
and there was much honour gained by Miss Younger, though she was but a
parish child."[2] Filbert was played by Johnson, Jonas Dock by
Penkethman, Joyce ("Peascod's daughter, left upon the parish") by Miss
Younger, and Kitty by Mrs. Bicknell, mentioned by the author in "Mr.
Pope's Welcome from Greece":--

And frolic Bicknell, and her sister young.

The welcome given by the public to the play brought in its train some
annoyance to the author: "I find success, even in the most trivial
things, raises the indignation of scribblers," he wrote to Parnell on
March 18th, "for I, for my 'What D'ye Call It' could neither escape the
fury of Mr. Burnet or the German doctor. Then, where will rage end when
Homer is to be translated? Let Zoilus hasten to your friend's
assistance, and envious criticism shall be no more."[3] A more biting
attack than that of Thomas Burnet's _Grumbler_ (No. 1, February 14th,
1715) or that of Philip Horneck in "The High German Doctor" was the "Key
to 'The What D'ye Call It,'" written by the actor Griffin in
collaboration with Lewis Theobald. About this Gay wrote to Caryll in
April: "There is a sixpenny criticism lately published upon the tragedy
of 'The What D'ye Call It,' wherein he with much judgment and learning
calls me a blockhead and Mr. Pope a knave. His grand charge is against
'The Pilgrim's Progress' being read, which, he says, is directly
levelled at Cato's reading Plato. To back this censure he goes on to
tell you that 'The Pilgrim's Progress' being mentioned to be the eighth
edition makes the reflection evident, the tragedy of 'Cato' being just
eight times printed. He has also endeavoured to show that every
particular passage of the play alludes to some fine part of the tragedy,
which he says I have injudiciously and profanely abused."[4]

Still, Gay could really afford to laugh at those who attacked or
parodied him, for the play brought him, if not fame, at least
notoriety. It also brought him some much-nee