n with the original Design of the _Dunciad_, and the real Reasons of
its Production. This Piece, which has been honour'd by Booksellers of
Quality, contains only the Poetical Part of Dulness, extracted from a
Libel, call'd, _The Progress of it_, and which included several other
Branches of Science, and perhaps some of those Gentlemen, who have in
the warmest Manner asserted the Cause of the _Dunciad_, might have seen
a Publication of a Work, upon the Death of this Writer, in which no past
Friendship could have screen'd them from Lampoon for any Pretences to
excel in any Science whatever: It appears, therefore, that he was teaz'd
into a Publication of these Cantos, which regarded the Writers of the
Age, by some Attacks, that were made upon him about that Time: We must
refer to a Miscellany of Poems published by Him and _Swift_, to which
is prefix'd, _An Essay on the Profund_, to consider if those Attacks
were justifiable; Mr. Dean _Swift_ never saw the _Profund_, till made
publick, and Dr. _Arburthnot_, who originally sketch'd the Design of it,
desired that the Initial Letters of Names of the Gentlemen abused might
not be inserted, that they might be _A_ or _B_, or _Do_ or _Ro_, or any
thing of that Nature, which would make this Satire a general one upon
any dull Writers in any Age: This was refused by _Pope_, and he chose
rather to treat a Set of Gentlemen as Vermin, Reptiles, _&c._ at a Time
when he had no Provocation to do so, when he had closed his Labours,
finish'd his great Subscriptions, and was in a fashionable Degree of
Reputation: Several Gentlemen, who are there ranked with the dullest
Men, or dullest Beasts, never did appear in Print against him, or say
any thing in Conversation which might affect his Character: Some
Replies, which were made to the _Profund_, occasioned the Publication of
the _Dunciad_, which was first of all begun with a general Malice to all
Mankind, and now appears under an Excuse of Provocations, which he had
received, after he himself had struck the first Blow in the
above-mentioned Miscellanies._

_I cannot indeed say much in Praise of some Performances, which appear'd
against him, and am sorry that Voluntiers enter'd into the War, whom I
could wish to have been only Spectators: But the Cause became so
general, that some Gentlemen, who never aim'd at the Laurel, grew Poets
merely upon their being angry: A Militia, in Case of publick Invasion,
may perhaps be thought necessary, but yet one