lendar, in Mr. Dryden's Opinion, is the most complete Work of this Kind which any Nation has produc'd ever fince the Time of Virgil. Not but he may be thought imperfect in fome few Points. His Eclogues are fomewhat too long, if we compare them with the Ancients. He is fometimes too allegorical, and treats Matters of Religion in a Paftoral Style as Mantuan had done before him. He has employ'd the Lyric Measure, which is contrary to the Practice of the old Poets. His Stanza is not still the fame, nor always well chofen. This laft may be the Reason his Expreffion is fometimes not concile enough for the Tetraftic has oblig'd him to extend his Senfe to the Length of four Lines, which would have been more clofely confin'd in the Couplet. In the Manners, Thoughts, and Characters, he comes near Theocritus himself; tho' notwithstanding all the Care he has taken, he is certainly inferior in his Dialect For the Doric had its Beauty and Propriety in the Time of Theocritus; it was used in Part of Greece, and frequent in the Mouths of many of the greatest Perfons; whereas the old English and Country Phrafes of Spencer were either obfolete, or fpoken only by People of the bafeft Condition. As there is aDifference betwixt Simplicity and Rufticity, fo the Expreffion of fimple Thoughts should be plain, but not clownish. The Addition he has made of a Calendar to his Eclogues is very beautiful; fince by this, befides that general Moral of Innocence and Simplicity, which is common to other Authors of Paftoral, he has one peculiar to himself; he compares humane Life to the feveral Seafons, and, at once expofes to his Readers a View of the great and little Worlds, in their various Changes and Aspects. Yet the fcrupulous Divifion of his Paftorals into Months Months, has oblig'd him either to repeat the fame Description, in other Words for three Months together; or when it was exhausted before, entirely to omit it whence it comes to pass that fome of his Eclogues (as the fixth, eighth, and tenth for Example) have nothing but their Titles to diftinguish them. The Reason is evident, because the Year has not that Variety in it to furnish every Month with a particular Defcription, as it may every Season. Thus far Mr. Pope's Preface to his Paftorals. Upon the whole, Mr. Walsh pronounces on our Shepherd's Boy (as he called himself) the following Sentence, in a Letter to Mr. Wycherley. I Mr. WALSH to Mr. WYCHERLEY, April 20, 1705. Return you the Papers you favoured me with, and had sent them to you Yesterday Morning, but that I thought to have brought them to you laft Night myself. I have read them over feveral Times with great Satisfaction. The Preface is very judicious and very learned; and the Verfes very tender and easy. The Author seems to have a particular Genius for that Kind of Poetry, and a Judgment that much exceeds the Years you told me he was of. He has taken very freely from the Ancients, but what he has mixt of his own with theirs, is no Way inferior to what he has taken from them. It is no Flattery at all to fay, that Virgil had written nothing fo good at his Age. I fhall take it as a Favour if you will bring me acquainted with him; and if he will give himself the Trouble any Morning to call at my House, I shall be very glad to read the Verses with C2 him, him, and give him my Opinion of the Particulars more largely than I can well do in this Letter. I am, Sir, Your most faithful, and most humble Servant, W. WALSH. And now, that after fpeaking of Paftoral Dialogue, and hearing of Taffo and Guarini, the two moft famous Writers of Dramatick Paftoral, the Reader may have fome Idea of their Manner of Writing too, I have tranflated a few Lines from each. Taffo introduces Daphne fpeaking to Thyrfis; confeffing, that notwithstanding the ftrange Coynefs of Silvia towards Amintas, fhe began to think her fond of being admir'd, and striving to make herself beautiful to be belov'd; and gives this Reason : Low on the flow'ry Bank was Silvia bent, Her Looks betray'd her Thoughts, and feem'd to say, But to infult and publish your Difgrace. • Much |