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"some way or other to the defamation of Mr.

"Pope.

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"Resolved, That toward the libelling of the said Pope, there be a sum employed not exceeding six pounds sixteen shillings and nine-pence (not including advertisements.)

"Resolved, that Mr. Dennis make an affidavit "before Mr. justice Tully, that in Mr. Pope's Homer "there are several passages contrary to the established "rules of our sublime.

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"Resolved, That he has on purpose, in several passages, perverted the true ancient heathen sense "of Homer, for the more effectual propagation of "the popish religion.

"Resolved, That the printing of Homer's Battles "at this juncture has been the occasion of all the dis"turbances of this kingdom.

"Ordered, That Mr. Barnivelt* be invited to be a member of this society, in order to make farther "discoveries.

"Resolved, That a number of effective erratas be "raised out of Pope's Homer (not exceeding 1746) "and that every gentleman, who shall send in one "errour, for his encouragement shall have the whole "works of this society gratis.

"Resolved, that a sum not exceeding ten shillings "and sixpence be distributed among the members of "the society for coffee and tobacco, in order to "enable them the more effectually to defame him in "coffeehouses.

The Key to the Lock, a pamphlet written by Mr. Pope, in which the Rape of the Lock was with great solemnity proved to be a political libel, was published in the name of Esdras Barnivelt, apothecary.

"Resolved,

"Resolved, That toward the farther lessening the "character of the said Pope, some persons be de

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puted to abuse him at ladies tea-tables, and that in "consideration our authors are not well dressed enough, "Mr. C-y and Mr. Ke-1 be deputed for that ❝ service.

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"Resolved, That a ballad be made against Mr. Pope, and that Mr. Oldmixon*, Mr. Gildon†, "and Mrs. Centlivre, do prepare and bring in the

"same.

"Resolved, That above all, some effectual ways "and means be found to increase the joint stock of "the reputation of this society, which at present is "exceeding low, and to give their works the greater "currency; whether by raising the denomination of "the said works by counterfeit titlepages, or mixing a greater quantity of the fine metal of other authors "with the alloy of this society.

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"Resolved, that no member of this society for "the future mix stout in his ale in a morning, and that “Mr. B—~ remove from the Hercules and Still.

"Resolved, that all our members (except the "cook's wife) be provided with a sufficient quantity " of the vivifying drops, or Byfield's sal volatile.

Oldmixon was all his life a party writer for hire: and after having falsified Daniel's Chronicle in many places, he charged three eminent persons with falsifying lord Clarendon's History, which was disproved by Dr. Atterbury bishop of Rochester, the only survivor of them.

+ Gildon, a writer of criticisms and libels, who abused Mr. Pope in several pamphlets and books printed by Curll.

Mrs Susannah Centlivre, wife of Mr. Centlivre, yeoman of the mouth to his majesty, wrote a song before she was seven years old, and many plays: she wrote also a ballad against Mr. Pope's Homer, before he began it.

Resolved,

"Resolved, That sir Richard Blackmore* be ap"pointed to endow this society with a large quantity "of regular and exalted ferments, in order to enliven "their cold sentiments (being his true receipt to "make wits)."

These resolutions being taken, the assembly was ready to break up, but they took so near a part in Mr. Curll's afflictions, that none of them could leave him without giving him some advice to reinstate him in his health.

Mr. Gildon was of opinion, That in order to drive a pope out of his belly, he should get the mummy of some deceased moderator of the general assembly in Scotland to be taken inwardly as an effectual antidote against antichrist; but Mr. Oldmixon did conceive, that the liver of the person who administered the poison, boiled in broth, would be a more certain

cure.

While the company were expecting the thanks of Mr. Curll for these demonstrations of their zeal, a whole pile of sir Richard's Essays on a sudden fell on his head; the shock of which in an instant brought back his delirium. He immediately rose up, overturned the closestool, and beshit the Essays (which may probably occasion a second edition) then without putting up his breeches, in a most furious tone he thus broke out to his books, which his distempered imagination represented to him as alive, coming down from their shelves fluttering their leaves, and flapping their covers at him.

Sir Richard Blackmore, in his Essays, vol. ii, p. 270, accused Mr. Pope in very high and sober terms, of prophaneness and immorality, on the mere report of Curll, that he was author of a travesty on the first psalm.

VOL. XVII.

Z

Now

Now G-d damn all folios, quartoes, octavoes, and duodecimoes! ungrateful varlets that you are, who have so long taken up my house without paying for your lodging! Are you not the beggarly brood of fumbling journeymen; born in garrets among lice and cobwebs, nursed up on gray pease, bullock's liver, and porters ale?Was not the first light you saw, the farthing candle I paid for? Did you not come before your time into dirty sheets of brown paper?-And have I not clothed you in double royal, lodged you handsomely on decent shelves, laced your backs with gold, equipped you with splendid titles, and sent you into the world with the names of persons of quality? Must I be always plagued with you? Why flutter ye your leaves and flap your covers at me? Damn ye all, ye wolves in sheep's clothing; rags ye were, and to rags ye shall return. Why hold you forth your texts to me, ye paltry sermons ?-Why cry ye, at every word to me, ye bawdy poems?-To my shop at Tunbridge ye shall go, by G-, and thence be drawn like the rest of your predecessors, bit by bit, to the passage-house; for in this present emotion of my bowels, how do I compassionate those, who have great need, and nothing to wipe their breech with?

Having said this, and at the same time recollecting that his own was yet unwiped, he abated of his fury, and with great gravity applied to that function the unfinished sheets of the conduct of the earl of Nottingham.

A STRANGE BUT TRUE

RELATION

HOW

MR. EDMUND CURLL,

OF FLEET STREET, STATIONER,

Out of an extraordinary desire of lucre, went into 'Change alley, and was converted from the Christian religion by certain eminent Jews: and how he was circumcised and initiated into their mysteries.

AVARICE (as sir Richard, in the third page of his Essays, has elegantly observed) is an inordinate impulse of the soul, toward the amassing or heaping together a superfluity of wealth, without the least regard of applying it to its proper uses.

And how the mind of man is possessed with this vice, may be seen every day both in the city and suburbs thereof. It has been always esteemed by Plato, Puffendorf, and Socrates, as the darling vice of old age: but now our young men are turned usurers and stockjobbers; and, instead of lusting after the real wives and daughters of our rich citizens, they covet nothing but their money and estates. Strange change of vice! when the concupiscence of youth is converted into the covetousness of age, and those appetites are now become venal, which should be venereal.

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