nity: in
this perpetual war with dulness, he discovered that every one he
called a dunce was not so; nor did he find the dunces themselves
less inconvenient to him; for many successfully substituted, for
their deficiencies in better qualities, the lie that lasts long
enough to vex a man; and the insolence that does not fear him: they
attacked him at all points, and not always in the spirit of
legitimate warfare.[198] They filled up his asterisks, and accused
him of treason. They asserted that the panegyrical verses prefixed
to his works (an obsolete mode of recommendation, which Pope
condescended to practise), were his own composition, and to which
he had affixed the names of some dead or some unknown writers.
They published lists of all whom Pope had attacked; placing at the
head, "God Almighty; the King;" descending to the "lords and
gentlemen."[199] A few suspected his skill in Greek; but every
hound yelped in the halloo against his Homer.[200] Yet the more
extraordinary circumstance was, their hardy disputes with Pope
respecting his claim to his own works, and the difficulty he more
than once found to establish his rights. Sometimes they divided public
opinion by even indicating the real authors; and witnesses from
White's and St. James's were ready to be produced. Among these
literary coteries, several of Pope's productions, in their anonymous,
and even in their MS. state, had been appropriated by several
pseudo authors; and when Pope called for restitution, he seemed to be
claiming nothing less than their lives. One of these gentlemen had
enjoyed a very fair reputation for more than two years on the
"Memoirs of a Parish-Clerk;" another, on "The Messiah!" and there were
many other vague claims. All this was vexatious; but not so much as
the ridiculous attitude in which Pope was sometimes placed by his
enraged adversaries.[201] He must have found himself in a more
perilous situation when he hired a brawny champion, or borrowed the
generous courage of some military friend.[202] To all these troubles
we may add, that Pope has called down on himself more lasting
vengeance; and the good sense of Theobald, the furious but often
acute remarks of Dennis; the good-humoured yet keen remonstrance of
Cibber; the silver shaft, tipped with venom, sent from the injured
but revengeful Lady Mary; and many a random shot, that often struck
him, inflicted on him many a sleepless night.[203] The younger
Richardson has recorded the per