THE
WORKS
OF
ALEXANDER POPE, Esq;

VOL. III. PART II.

Containing the
DUNCIAD, Book IV.

AND THE
MEMOIRS of SCRIBLERUS.

Never before Printed.

LONDON:

Printed for R. DODSLEY, and Sold by
T. COOPER,
M DCC XLII.

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THE
DUNCIAD.

ARGUMENT to Book the FOURTH.

The Poet being, in this Book, to declare the Completion of the Prophecies mention'd at the end of the former, makes a new Invocation; as the greater Poets are wont, when some high and worthy matter is to be sung. He shews the Goddeſs coming in her Majefly, to deftroy Order and Science, and to SUBSTITUTE the Kingdom of the Dull upon earth. How he leads captive the Sciences, and ſilenceth the Muses; and what they be who Succeed in their stead. All her Children, by a wonderful attraction, are drawn about her; and bear along with them divers others, who promote her Empire by connivance, weak refiſtance, or discouragement of Arts; ſuch as Half-wits, taſteleſs Admirers, vain Pretenders, the Flatterers of dunces, or the Patrons of them. All theſe crowd round her; one of them offering to approach her, is driven back by a Rival, but

B

YALE
Lewis Walpole

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She commends and encourages both. The first who
speaks in form are the Geniuses of the Schools, who
assure her of their care to advance her Cause, by
confining Youth to words, and keeping them out of
the way of real Knowledge. Their Addres, and
her gracious Answer; with her Charge to them
and the Universities. The Universities appear by
their proper Deputies, and assure her that the same
method is observed in the progress of Education;
The speech of Ariflarchus on this subject. They are
driven off by a band of young Gentlemen return'd
from Travel with their Tutors; one of whom de-
livers to the Goddes, in a polite oration, an account
of the whole Conduct and Fruits of their Travels:
prefenting to her at the same time a young Nobleman
perfectly accomplished. She receives him graciously,
and indues him with the happy quality of Want of
Shame. She sees loitering about her a number of
Indolent Perfons abandoning all busines and duty,
and dying with laziness: To these approaches the
Antiquary Annius, intreating her to make them Vir-
tuofos, and assign them over to him: But Mum-
mius, another Antiquary, complaining of his fraudu-
lent proceeding, she finds a method to reconcile their
difference. Then enter a Troop of people fantastically
adorn'd, offering her strange and exotic presents:
Amongst them, one stands forth and demands justice
on another, who had deprived him of one of the

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greatest Curiosities in nature: but he justifies him-
fself so well, that the Goddes gives them both her
approbation. She recommends to them to find proper
employment for the Indolents before-mention'd, in
the study of Butterflies, Shells, Birds-nefts, Mofs, &c.
but with particular caution, not to proceed beyond
Trifles, to any useful or extenfive views of Nature,
or of the Author of Nature. Againft the last of
these apprehensions, she is fecur'd by a hearty Addres
from the Minute Philosophers and Free-thinkers,
one of whom speaks in the name of the rest. The
Youth thus instructed and principled, are delivered
to her in a body by the hands of Silenus; and then
admitted to tafte the Cup of the Magus her High
Prieſt, which caufes a total oblivion of all Obliga-
tions, divine, civil, moral or rational. To these
her Adepts she fends Prieſs, Attendants, and Com-
forters, of various kind; then confers on them Or-
ders and Degrees; finally dismiffing them with a
ſpeech, confirms to each his Privileges, warns One
in particular not to exceed them, and concludes
with a Yawn of extraordinary virtue, the effects of
which are not unfelt at this day.

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