The Scribleriad, and The Difference Between Verbal and Practical Virtue

In the fevered literary climate of 1742, a fierce pamphlet war erupts over the reputation of a towering poet. A disgruntled courtier publishes a sharply satirical verse, contrasting lofty declarations of virtue with the messy realities of contemporary life, then turns that razor on the poet himself. The piece combines learned allusions to Horace, Seneca and Sallust with pointed, often bawdy invective that captures the bitter, personal nature of the dispute.

This edition gathers those volatile verses together with the counter‑attack from the anonymous “Scriblerus,” whose mock‑epic riffs on the same conflict. Accompanied by an informative introduction, the collection lets listeners hear the wit, rancor, and literary gymnastics of eighteenth‑century satire as it unfolded. The result is a vivid snapshot of a moment when poets, critics and court factions clashed in verse, offering both humor and insight into the era’s combative culture.