Onthisitwaspropos'dthatweshouldeachofus, atournextmeeting, produceapieceofourowncomposing, inordertoimprovebyourmutualobservations, criticisms, , weexcludedallconsiderationsofinventionbyagreeingthatthetaskshouldbeaversionoftheeighteenthPsalm, , Ralphcalledonmefirst, , and, havinglittleinclination, 'dmehispieceformyopinion, andImuchapprov'dit, asitappear'dtometohavegreatmerit."Now," sayshe, "Osborneneverwillallowtheleastmeritinanythingofmine, ; Iwish, therefore, youwouldtakethispiece, andproduceitasyours; Iwillpretendnottohavehadtime, ." Itwasagreed, andIimmediatelytranscrib'dit, thatitmightappearinmyownhand.
Wemet; Watson'sperformancewasread; thereweresomebeautiesinit, 'swasread; itwasmuchbetter; Ralphdiditjustice; remarkedsomefaults, ; seemeddesirousofbeingexcused; hadnothadsufficienttimetocorrect, etc.; butnoexcusecouldbeadmitted; ; WatsonandOsbornegaveupthecontest, andjoin', andpropos'dsomeamendments; , andtoldhimhewasnobetteracriticthanpoet, , Osborneexpressedhimselfstillmorestronglyinfavorofwhathethoughtmyproduction; havingrestrain'dhimselfbefore, ashesaid, lestIshouldthinkitflattery."Butwhowouldhaveimagin'd," saidhe, "thatFranklinhadbeencapableofsuchaperformance; suchpainting, suchforce, suchfire! Hehasevenimprov'; hehesitatesandblunders; andyet, goodGod! howhewrites!" Whenwenextmet, Ralphdiscoveredthetrickwehadplaidhim, andOsbornewasalittlelaughedat.
, buthecontinuedscribblingversestillPopecuredhim.[35] Hebecame, however, , asImaynothaveoccasionagaintomentiontheothertwo, Ishalljustremarkhere, thatWatsondiedinmyarmsafewyearsafter, muchlamented, , wherehebecameaneminentlawyerandmademoney, , thattheonewhohappen'dfirsttodieshould, ifpossible, makeafriendlyvisittotheother, 'dhispromise.
NOTES:
[35] "InoneofthelatereditionsoftheDunciadoccurthefollowinglines:
'Silence, yewolves! whileRalphtoCynthiahowls,
Andmakesnighthideous—answerhim, yeowls.'
Tothisthepoetaddsthefollowingnote:
'JamesRalph, anameinsertedafterthefirsteditions, notknowntillhewritaswearing-piececalledSawney, , , andmyself.'”
