a lucid interval, that enabled him to send a general summons to all his authors. There was but one porter, who could perform this office, to whom he gave the following bill of directions, where to find them. This bill, together with Mrs. Curll's original letter, lie at Mr. Lintot's shop to be perused by the curious.

Instructions to a porter how to find Mr. Curll's Authors.

"At a tallow chandler's in Petty France, half-way under the blind arch, ask for the historian.

"At the Bedstead and Bolster, a music-house in Moorfields, two translators in a bed together.

"At the Hercules and Still in Vinegar-yard, a schoolmaster with carbuncles on his nose.

"At a blacksmith's shop in the Friars, a Pindaric writer in red stockings.

"In the Calendar-mill-room at Exeter-change, a composer of meditations.

"At the Three Tobacco-pipes in Dog and Bitch yard, one that has been a parson, he wears a blue camblet coat, trimmed with black; my best writer against revealed religion.

"At Mr. Summers, a thief-catcher's, in Lewkner's lane, the man that wrote against the impiety of Mr. Rowe's plays.

"At the Farthing pye-house in Totting-fields, the young man who is writing my new pastorals.

"At the Laundresses, at the Hole in the Wall in Cursitors-alley, up three pair of stairs, the author of my Church-history, -if his flux be over- You may also speak to the gentleman who lies by him in the flock-bed, my index-maker.

b

"The Cook's wife in Buckingham-court: bid her bring along with her the similies, that were lent her for her next new play.

"Call at Budge-row for the gentleman you used to go to in the cockloft; I have taken away the ladder, but his lanlady has it in keeping.

"I don't much care if you ask at the Mint for the old beetle-browed critic, and the purblind poet at the Alley over against St. Andrew's Holborn. But this as you have time."

All these gentlemen appeared at the hour appointed in Mr. Curll's dining-room, two excepted; one of whom was the gentleman in the cockloft, his landlady being out of the way, and the gradus ad Parnassum taken down; the other happened to be too closely watched by the bailiffs.

They no sooner entered the room, but all of them shewed in their behaviour some suspicion of each other; some turning away their heads with an air of contempt; others squinting with a leer, that shewed at once fear and indignation, each with a haggard abstracted mein, the lively picture of scorn, solitude, and short-commons. So when a keeper feeds his hungry charge of vultures, panthers, and of Libyan leopards, each eyes his fellow with a fiery glare high hung, the bloody liver tempts their maw. Or as a housewife stands before her pales, surrounded by her geese; they fight, they hiss, they gaggle, beat their wings, and down is scattered as the winter's snow, for a poor grain of oat, or tare, or barley. Such looks shot through the room transverse, oblique, direct; such was the stir and din, till Curll thus spoke (but without rising from his close-stool):

"Whores and authors must be paid before-hand to put them in good humour; therefore here is half a crown a-piece for you to drink your own healths, and confusion to Mr. Addison, and all other successful writers.

"Ah, gentlemen! what have I not done? what have I not suffered rather than the world should be

deprived of your lucubrations? I have taken involuntary purges, I have been vomited, three times have I been caned, once was I hunted, twice was my head broke by a grenadier, twice was I tossed in a blanket; I have had boxes on the ear, slaps on the chops; I have been frighted, pumped, kicked, slandered, and beshitten.I hope, gentlemen, you are all convinced, that this author of Mr. Lintot's could mean nothing else but starving you, by poisoning me. It remains for us to consult the best and speediest methods of revenge."

He had scarce done speaking, but the historian proposed a history of his life. The Exeter-Exchange gentleman was for penning articles of his faith. Some pretty smart Pindaric, says the red-stocking poet, would effectually do his business.

But the index-maker said, there was nothing like an index to his Homer.

After several debates, they came to the following resolutions;

"Resolved, That every member of this society, according to his several abilities, shall contribute some way or other to the defamation of Mr. Pope.

"Resolved, That towards 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 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 disturbances of this kingdom.

"Ordered, That Mr. Barnevelt be invited to be a member of this society, in order to make further discoveries.

"Resolved, That a number of effective errata's be raised out of Pope's Homer (not exceeding 1746), and that every gentleman, who shall send in one error, 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 this society for coffee and tobacco, in order to enable them the more effectually to defame him in coffeebouses.

"Resolved, That towards the further lessening the character of the said Pope, some persons be deputed to abuse him at ladies tea-tables, and that in consideration our authors are not well dressed enough, Mr. Cy and Mr. Ke-1 be deputed for that service.

"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 encrease 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 title-pages, or mixing a greater quantity of the fine metal of other authors with the alloy of this society.

"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.

See Oldmixon's character and exploits in the Dunciad, book ii. v. 283.

d Of Gildon, see Dunciad, book i. v. 296.

e Mrs. Susanna Centlivre, is the slip-shod sybil in the Dunciad, book iii. v. 15.

"Resolved, That Sir Richard Blackmore be appointed to endue 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 close-stool, and besh-t 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.

Now G-d damn all folios, qaartos, octavos, and duodecimos! 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 grey peas, bullocks liver, and porters ale? Was not the first light you saw, the