Dennis, John (1658-1734)

Remarks upon Several Passages in the Preliminaries to the Dunciad

London

Printed for H. Whitridge

1729

"As these several Remarks had made great Impressions upon the Minds of Persons of undoubted Sense, and so esteem'd by the Publick, P. began to repent of the Affront he had offer'd me, and the Injury he had attempted to do me."

But give me leave to acquaint you with what has pass'd between that little envious mischievous Creature and myself. At his first coming to Town, he was very importunate with the late Mr. Henry Cromwell to introduce him to me: The Recommendation of Mr. Cromwell engaged me to be about thrice in Company with him; after which I went into the Country, and neither saw him nor thought of him, 'till I found myself most insolently attack'd by him; in his very superficial Essay upon Criticism, which was the Effect of his impotent Envy and Malice, by which he endeavour'd to destroy the Reputation of a Man who had publish'd Pieces of Criticism, and to set up his own. I was mov'd with Indignation to that Degree, at so much Baseness, that I immediately writ Remarks upon that Essay, in order to expose the Weakness and the Absurdity of it; which Remarks were publish'd, as soon as they could be printed. I afterwards writ and publish'd Remarks upon Part of his Translation of Homer, upon his Windsor Forest, and his infamous Temple of Fame. When I had done this, I thought I had Reason to be satisfied with the Revenge I had taken. As these several Remarks had made great Impressions upon the Minds of Persons of undoubted Sense, and so esteem'd by the Publick, P. began to repent of the Affront he had offer'd me, and the Injury he had attempted to do me: And to give some Proofs of his Repentance, he subscrib'd to the Two Volumes of Select Works, almost in spite of my Friend Mr. Henry Cromwell, in whose Hands he found the Proposals. He likewise subscrib'd afterwards to the Two Volumes of Letters, which engag'd me to strike out several very just and severe Reflections against him, which were scatter'd up and down in those Letters. In Acknowledgment of which, he sent me the following Letter, together with the second Payment:
(pp. 39-40)

Impressions

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Dennis, John, Remarks upon Several Passages in the Preliminaries to the Dunciad, Both of the Quarto and the Duodecimo Edition. And upon Several Passages in Pope's Preface to his Translation of Homer's Iliad. In both which is shewn, The Author's Want of Judgment. (London: Printed for H. Whitridge, 1729). <Link to ECCO>

06/28/2013