‘I regard him (ſays he) as an enemy, not ſo much to me, as to my king, to my country, and to my religion. The epidemic madneſs of the times has given him reputation, and reputation is power; and that has made him dangerous. Therefore I look on it as my duty to king George, and to the liberties of my country, more dear than life to me, of which I have now been 40 years a conſtant aſſertor, &c. I look upon it as my duty I ſay to do,Reader obſerve what,To pull the lion’s ſkin from this little aſs, which popular error has thrown round him, and ſhew that this little author, who has been lately ſo much in vogue, has neither ſenſe in his thoughts, nor Engliſh in his expreſſions. See his Remarks on Homer, Pref. p. 2. and p. 91.’
Speaking of Mr. Pope’s Windſor-Forreſt, he ſays, ‘It is a wretched rhapſody, impudently writ in emulation of Cooper’s-Hill. The author of it is obſcure, is ambiguous, is affected, is temerarious, is barbarous.’
After theſe provocations, it is no wonder that Pope ſhould take an opportunity of recording him in his Dunciad; and yet he had ſome eſteem for our author’s learning and genius. Mr. Dennis put his name to every thing he wrote againſt him, which Mr. Pope conſidered as a circumſtance of candour. He pitied him as a man ſubject to the dominion of invidious paſſions, than which no ſeverer ſenſations can tear the heart of man.
In the firſt Book of his Dunciad, line 103, he repreſents Dullneſs taking a view of her ſons; and thus mentions Dennis,
She ſaw ſlow Philips creep like Tate’s poor page,
And all the mighty mad in Dennis rage.
