certain Gentleman in its Disfavour" [p. 23], might
suggest that Defoe had in mind Dennis' _Remarks upon Mr. Pope's
Translation of Homer_, but even the entire body of writings attacking
Pope's _Homer_ would hardly seem sufficient to give point to this
somewhat omnibus and unfocused essay.

Equally suggestive, perhaps, are Defoe's references to the Bangorian
controversy and to Bishop Hoadley [pp. 10, 23]. This controversy raged
from 1717 to 1720 and produced a spate of pamphlets (to which Defoe
contributed), many of which were marked by heated argument and
acrimony. Defoe, with his liking for moderation, no doubt intended to
make an oblique criticism of the license of many of the Bangorian
tracts. But these tracts are certainly not advanced as the prime
occasion for _A Vindication_.

Defoe points out in the first section of his essay how important is
freedom of the press as the foundation of the "valuable liberties" of
Englishmen. I have been unable to find any reference to a specific
threat of regulation of the press at this time that might have
occasioned _A Vindication_. Nevertheless, it is possible that
sentiment for control of the press, perhaps incited by the Bangorian
controversy, was felt in 1718 and may have been a contributing motive
to the composition of this tract. Whatever the immediate motives for
writing it may have been, the variety of its contents suggests that
Defoe saw an opportunity to turn a penny, to express himself on a
number of his pet subjects, and to defend his own position as a
professional writer.

_A Vindication_ is made up of three clearly marked sections: in the
first the author vindicates the usefulness of writing; in the second
he discusses the usefulness--it would be more exact to say the
harmfulness--of criticism; in the third he expatiates upon the
qualifications of authors. One may admit at once the comparative
worthlessness of the pamphlet as a contribution to criticism or
critical theory. Defoe's comments upon specific writers are thoroughly
conventional and commonplace, as may be seen from a glance at his
remarks about Milton, Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, and others on p.
12.

Of more interest is his very high praise of Dryden, "a Man for
Learning and universal Writing in Poetry, perhaps the greatest that
England has produc'd" [p. l5], and his comment upon the critical
detraction from which he suffered. He compares Pope, interestingly
enough, with Dryden, remarking that Po