Grub Street

Grub Street, thus described in Dr Johnson's Dictionary: 'Originally the name of a street near Moorfields in London, much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems, whence any meau production is called Grub-Street.' Andrew Marvell used the name in its opprobrious sense, which later was freely used by Pope, Swift, and the rest. The name has been changed into Milton Street, from the neighbourhood of the Bunhill residence of the poet. One of the most entertaining of the old newspapers is the Grub Street Journal, which ended with its 418th number, December, 29, 1737, the principal writers of which are supposed to have been Dr Richard Russel and Dr John Martyn, and which was used, if not by Pope himself, at least by his party, as a vehicle for attacks against the Dunces.