Involving himself in his bookseller Edmund Curll's marketing ploys, which hurt his reputation, Breval was the main writer for the fictitious persona of "Joseph Gay." Breval provides an interesting case of a poet who views verse as a commercial product, and panders to the market tastes; though "technically competent," he was "adept in capitalizing on simple discursive structures, social and political stereotypes, smutty suggestiveness, and easy targets for topical satire" (DNB). Breval continually attacked Pope, whose Catholic and tory ties were loathed by Breval, a protestant whig; Pope, in return, satirized Breval in the Dunciad. Breval eventually moved from this superficial, juvenile work to more substantial political commentary. He ultimately became renowned as a travel writer.