while not a few fell, or feared to fall, into the 'jaws of famine.'"
This singular poem was written in 1727. It was first printed
surreptitiously (_i.e._, with the connivance of the author) in Dublin,
and then reprinted in London. The first perfect edition, however, did
not appear in London till 1729. On the day of its publication, according
to Pope, a crowd of authors besieged the publisher's shop; and by
entreaties, threats, nay, cries of treason, tried to hinder its
appearance. What a scene it must have been--of teeth gnashing above
ragged coats, and eyes glaring through old periwigs--of faces livid with
famine and ferocity; while, to complete the confusion, hawkers,
booksellers, and even lords, were mixed with the crowd, clamouring for
its issue! And as, says Pope, "there is no stopping a torrent with a
finger, out it came." The consequence he had foreseen. A universal howl
of rage and pain burst from the aggrieved dunces, on whose naked sides
the hot pitch had fallen. They pushed their rejoinders beyond the limits
of civilised literary warfare; and although Pope had been coarse in his
language, they were coarser far, and their blackguardism was not
redeemed by wit or genius. Pope felt, or seemed to feel, entire
indifference as to these assaults. On some of them, indeed, he could
afford to look down with contempt, on account of their obvious _animus_
and gross language. Others, again, were neutralised by the fact, that
their authors had provoked reprisals by their previous insults or
ingratitude to Pope. Many, however, were too obscure for his notice; and
some, such as Aaron Hill and Bentley, did not deserve to be classed with
the Theobalds and Ralphs. To Hill, he, after some finessing, was
compelled to make an apology. Altogether, although this production
increased Pope's fame, and the conception of his power, it did not tend
to shew him in the most amiable light, or perhaps to promote his own
comfort or peace of mind. After having emptied out his bile in "The
Dunciad," he ought to have become mellower in temper, and resigned