A full and true account of a horrid and barbarous revenge by poison: on the body of Mr. Edmund Curll, bookseller; with a faithful copy of his last will and testament. Publish'd by an eye witness.

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A Full and True ACCOUNT Of a Horrid and Barbarous REVENGE by POISON, On the Body of Mr. Edm. Curll, &c.

HISTORY furnishes us with Examples of many Satyrical Authors who have fallen Sacrifices to Revenge, but not of any Booksellers that I know of, except the unfortunate Subject of the following Papers; I mean Mr. Edmund Curll, at the Bible and Dial in Fleetstreet, who was Yesterday poison'd by Mr. Pope, after having liv'd many Years an Instance of the mild Temper of the British Nation.

Every Body knows that the said Mr. Edmund Curll, on Monday the 26th Instant, publish'd a Satyrical Piece, entituled Court Poems, in the Preface whereof they were attributed to a Lady of Quality, Mr. Pope, or Mr. Gay; by which indiscreet Method, though he had escaped one Revenge, there were still two behind in reserve.

Now on the Wednesday ensuing, between the Hours of 10 and 11, Mr. Lintott, a neighb'ring Bookseller, desir'd a Conference with Mr. Curll about settling the Title Page of Wiquefort's Ambassador, inviting him at the same Time to take a Whet together. Mr. Pope, (who is not the only Instance how Persons of bright Parts may be carry'd away by the Instigations of the Devil) found Means to convey himself into the same Room, under pretence of Business with Mr. Lintott, who it seems is the Printer of his Homer. This Gentleman with a seeming Coolness, reprimanded Mr. Curll for wrongfully ascribing to him the aforesaid Poems: He excused himself, by declaring that one of his Authors (Mr. Oldmixon by Name) gave the Copies to the Press, and wrote the Preface. Upon this Mr. Pope (being to all appearance reconcil'd) very civilly drank a Glass of Sack to Mr. Curll, which he as civilly pledged; and tho' the Liquor in Colour and Taste differ'd not from common Sack, yet was it plain by the Pangs this unhappy Stationer felt soon after, that some poisonous Drug had been secretly infused therein.

About Eleven a Clock he went home, where his Wife observing his Colour chang'd, said, Are you not Sick, my Dear? He reply'd, Bloody Sick; and incontinently fell a vomiting and straining in an uncommon and unnatural Manner, the Contents of his vomiting being as Green as Grass. His Wife had been just reading a Book of her Husband's printing, concerning Jane Wenham, the famous Witch of Hartford, and her Mind misgave her that he was bewitch'd; but he soon let her know that he suspected Poison, and recounted to her, between the Intervals of his Yawnings and Reachings, every Circumstance of his Interview with Mr. Pope.

Mr. Lintott in the mean Time coming in, was extremely afrighted at the sudden Alteration he observed in him: Brother Curll, says he, I fear you have got the vomiting Distemper, which (I have heard) kills in half an Hour. This comes from your not following my Advice, to drink old Hock as I do, and abstain from Sack. Mr. Curll reply'd, in a moving Tone, Your Author's Sack I fear has done my Business. Z_+ds, says Mr. Lintott, My Author!—Why did not you drink old Hock? Notwithstanding which rough Remonstrance, he did in the most friendly Manner press him to take warm Water; but Mr. Curll did with great Obstinacy refuse it; which made Mr. Lintott infer, that he chose to die, as thinking to recover greater Damages.

All this Time the Symptoms encreas'd violently, with acute Pains in the lower Belly. Brother Lintott, says he, I perceive my last Hour approaching, do me the friendly Office to call my Partner, Mr. Pemberton, that we may settle our Worldly Affairs. Mr. Lintott, like a kind Neighbour, was hastening out of the Room, while Mr. Curll rav'd aloud in this Manner, If I survive this, I will be revenged on Tonson, it was he first detected me as the Printer of these Poems, and I will reprint these very Poems in his Name. His Wife admonish'd him not to think of Revenge, but to take care of his Stock and his Soul: And in the same Instant, Mr. Lintott (whose Goodness can never be enough applauded) return'd with Mr. Pemberton. After some Tears jointly shed by these Humane Booksellers, Mr. Curll, being (as he said) in his perfect Senses though in great bodily Pain, immediately proceeded to make a verbal Will (Mrs. Curll having first put on his Night Cap) in the following Manner.

GENTLEMEN, in the first Place, I do sincerely pray Forgiveness for those indirect Methods I have pursued in inventing new Titles to old Books, putting Authors Names to Things they never saw, publishing private Quarrels for publick Entertainment; all which, I hope will be pardoned, as being done to get an honest livelihood.

I do also heartily beg Pardon of all Persons of Honour, Lords Spiritual and Temporal, Gentry, Burgesses, and Commonalty, to whose Abuse I have any, or every way, contributed by my Publications. Particularly, I hope it will be considered, that if I have vilify'd his Grace the Duke of M_+gh, I have likewise aspers'd the late Duke of O_+d; if I have abused the honourable Mr. W_+le, I have also libell'd the late Lord B_+ke; so that I have preserv'd that Equality and Impartiality which becomes an honest Man in Times of Faction and Division.

I call my Conscience to Witness, that many of these Things which may seem malicious, were done out of Charity; I having made it wholly my Business to print for poor disconsolate Authors, whom all other Booksellers refuse: Only God bless Sir Richard Bl_+re; you know he takes no Copy Money.

The Book of the Conduct of the Earl of N_+m, is yet unpublished; as you are to have the Profit of it, Mr. Pemberton, you are to run the Risque of the Resentments of all that Noble Family. Indeed I caused the Author to assert several Things in it as Facts, which are only idle Stories of the Town; because I thought it would make the Book sell. Do you pay the Author for Copy Money, and the Printer and Publisher. I heartily beg God's, and my L_+d N_+m's Pardon; but all Trades must live.

The second Collection of Poems, which I groundlesly called Mr. Prior's, will sell for Nothing, and hath not yet paid the Charge of the Advertisements, which I was obliged to publish against him: Therefore you may as well suppress the Edition, and beg that Gentleman's Pardon in the Name of a dying Christian.

The French Cato, with the Criticism, showing how superior it is to Mr. Addison's, (which I wickedly inscribed to Madam Dacier) may be suppress'd at a reasonable Rate, being damnably translated.

I protest I have no Animosity to Mr. Rowe, having printed Part of his Callipaedia, and an incorrect Edition of his Poems without his Leave, in Quarto. Mr. Gildon's Rehearsal; or Bays the Younger, did more harm to me than to Mr. Rowe; though upon the Faith of an honest Man, I paid him double for abusing both him and Mr. Pope.

Heaven pardon me for publishing the Trials of Sodomy in an Elzevir Letter; but I humbly hope, my printing Sir Richard Bl_+re's Essays will attone for them. I beg that you will take what remains of these last, which is near the whole Impression, (Presents excepted) and let my poor Widow have in Exchange the sole Propriety of the Copy of Madam Mascranny.

Here Mr. Pemberton interrupted, and would by no Means consent to this Article, about which some Dispute might have arisen, unbecoming a dying Person, if Mr. Lintott had not interposed, and Mr. Curll vomited.

What this poor unfortunate Man spoke afterwards, was so indistinct, and in such broken Accents, (being perpetually interrupted by Vomitings) that the Reader is intreated to excuse the Confusion and Imperfection of this Account.

Dear Mr. Pemberton, I beg you to beware of the Indictment at Hicks's-Hall, for publishing Rochester's bawdy Poems; that Copy will, otherwise be my best Legacy to my dear Wife, and helpless Child.

The Case of Impotence was my best Support all the last long Vacation.

In this last Paragraph Mr. Curll's Voice grew more free, for his Vomitings abated upon his Dejections, and he spoke what follows from his Close-stole.

For the Copies of Noblemen's and Bishop's Last Wills and Testaments, I solemnly declare I printed them not with any Purpose of Defamation; but meerly as I thought those Copies lawfully purchased from Doctors Commons, at One Shilling a Piece. Our Trade in Wills turning to small Account, we may divide them blindfold.

For Mr. Manwaring's Life, I ask Mrs. Old_+d's Pardon: Neither His, nor my Lord Halifax's Lives, though they were of great Service to their Country, were of any to me: But I was resolved, since I could not print their Works while they liv'd, to print their Lives after they were dead.

While he was speaking these Words, Mr. Oldmixon enter'd. Ah! Mr. Oldmixon (said poor Mr. Curll) to what a Condition have your Works reduced me! I die a Martyr to that unlucky Preface. However, in these my last Moments, I will be just to all Men; you shall have your Third Share of the Court Poems, as was stipulated. When I am dead, where will you find another Bookseller? Your Protestant Packet might have supported you, had you writ a little less scurrilously, There is a mean in all things.

Then turning to Mr. Pemberton, he told him, he had several Taking Title Pages that only wanted Treatises to be wrote to them, and earnestly entreated, that when they were writ, his Heirs might have some Share of the Profit of them.

After he had said this he fell into horrible Gripings, upon which Mr. Lintott advis'd him to repeat the Lord's Prayer. He desir'd his Wife to step into the Shop for a Common-Prayer-Book, and read it by the Help of a Candle, without Hesitation. He clos'd the Book, fetch'd a Groan, and recommended to Mrs. Curll to give Forty Shillings to the Poor of the Parish of St. Dunstan's, and a Week's Wages Advance to each of his Gentlemen Authors, with some small Gratuity in particular to Mrs. Centlivre.

The poor Man continued for some Hours with all his disconsolate Family about him in Tears, expecting his final Dissolution; when of a sudden he was surprizingly relieved by a plentiful foetid Stool, which obliged them all to retire out of the Room. Notwithstanding, it is judged by Sir Richard Bl_+e, that the Poyson is still latent in his Body, and will infallibly destroy him by slow Degrees, in less than a Month. It is to be hoped the other Enemies of this wretched Stationer, will not further pursue their Revenge, or shorten this small Period of his miserable Life.

FINIS.

A FULL and TRUE ACCOUNT OF A Horrid and Barbarous REVENGE by POISON, On the Body of Mr. EDMUND CURLL, Bookseller; With a faithful Copy of his Last WILL and TESTAMENT.

Publish'd by an Eye Witness.

So when Curll's Stomach the strong Drench o'ercame,

(Infus'd in Vengeance of insulted Fame)

Th' Avenger sees, with a delighted Eye,

His long Jaws open, and his Colour fly;

And while his Guts the keen Emeticks urge,

Smiles on the Vomit, and enjoys the Purge.

Sold by J. Roberts, J. Morphew, R. Burleigh, J. Baker, and S. Popping. Price Three Pence.

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Title statement

A full and true account of a horrid and barbarous revenge by poison: on the body of Mr. Edmund Curll, bookseller; with a faithful copy of his last will and testament. Publish'd by an eye witness.

Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744.

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ID [ota]

http://ota.ox.ac.uk/id/3680

ID [isbn10]

1106006798

ID [isbn13]

9781106006790

ID [TCP]

K023137.000

ID [BIBNO]

CW3303357028

ID [ECHG]

0859100300

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— A full and true account of a horrid and barbarous revenge by poison: on the body of Mr. Edmund Curll, bookseller; with a faithful copy of his last will and testament. Publish'd by an eye witness., Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744.. 6p. ; 2⁰. [London] :: Sold by J. Roberts, J. Morphew, R. Burleigh, J. Baker, and S. Popping,. [1716]. [An eye witness = Alexander Pope.] [Horizontal chain lines.] [See also: 'A further account of the most deplorable condition of Mr. Edmund Curll'.] [Reproduction of original from the British Library.] [Griffith, 52] [English Short Title Catalog, ESTCT5674.] [Electronic data. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Thomson Gale, 2003. Page image (PNG). Digitized image of the microfilm version produced in Woodbridge, CT by Research Publications, 1982-2002 (later known as Primary Source Microfilm, an imprint of the Gale Group).]

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