Shakespear Restored: Of this it is said, he was so vain as to aver, in
one of Mist's Journals, June the 8th, 'That to expose any errors in it
was impracticable;' and in another, April the 27th, 'That whatever care
might for the future be taken, either by Mr. Pope, or any other
assistants, he would give above five-hundred emendations, that would
escape them all.'

During two whole years, while Mr. Pope was preparing his edition, he
published advertisements, requesting assistance, and promising
satisfaction to any who would contribute to its greater perfection. But
this restorer, who was at that time solliciting favours of him, by
letters, did wholly conceal that he had any such design till after its
publication; which he owned in the Daily Journal of November 26, 1728:
and then an outcry was made, that Mr. Pope had joined with the
bookseller to raise an extravagant subscription; in which he had no
share, of which he had no knowledge, and against which he had publickly
advertised in his own proposals for Homer.

Mr. Theobald was not only thus obnoxious to the resentment of Pope, but
we find him waging war with Mr. Dennis, who treated him with more
roughness, though with less satire. Mr. Theobald in the Censor, Vol. II.
No. XXXIII. calls Mr. Dennis by the name of Furius. 'The modern Furius
(says he) is to be looked upon as more the object of pity, than that
which he daily provokes, laughter, and contempt. Did we really know how
much this poor man suffers by being contradicted, or which is the same
thing in effect, by hearing another praised; we should in compassion
sometimes attend to him with a silent nod, and let him go away with the
triumphs of his ill-nature. Poor Furius, where any of his cotemporaries
are spoken well of, quitting the ground of the present dispute, steps
back a thousand years, to call in the succour of the antients. His very