which is the contrivance of Daphne; and even that is the most fimple in the world: the contrary is obser. vable in Paftor Fido, where Corisca is so perfect a miftrefs of intrigue, that the plot could not have been brought to pass without her. I am inclined to think the paftoral comedy has another disadvantage, as to the manners; its general defign is to make us in love with the innocence of a rural life, fo that to introduce fhepherds of a vicious character muft in fome measure debase it; and hence it may come to pass, that even the virtuous characters will not fhine fo much, for want of being oppos'd to their contraries. Thefe thoughts are purely my own, and therefore I have reafon to doubt them: but I hope your judgment will fet me right.

I would beg your opinion too as to another point: it is, how far the liberty of borrowing may extend ? I have defended it fometimes by faying, that it feems not fo much the perfection of fenfe *, to fay things that had never been faid before, as to express those best that had been faid ofteneft; and that writers, in the cafe of borrowing from others, are like trees which of themselves would produce only one fort of fruit, but by being grafted upon others may yield variety. mutual commerce makes poetry flourish; but then poets, like merchants, fhould repay with fomething of their own what they take from others; not, like rates, make prize of all they meet. I defire tell me fincerely, if I have not stretch'd this licence too far in thefe Paftorals? I hope to become a critic by

A

py

you to

*He fhould rather have faid, the perfection of conception.

your precepts, and a poet by your example. Since I have feen your Eclogues, I cannot be much pleas'd with my own; however, you have not taken away all my vanity, fo long as you give leave to profefs myself

I

LETTER IV.

From Mr WALSH.

Yours, &c.

July 20. 1706.

Had fooner return'd you thanks for the favour of

your letter, but that I was in hopes of giving you an account at the fame time of my journey to Windfor; but I am now forced to put that quite off, being engaged to go to my corporation of Richmond in Yorkshire. I think you are perfectly in the right in your notions of Pastoral; but I am of opinion, that the redundancy of wit you mention, tho' 'tis what pleases the common people, is not what ever pleases the best judges. Paftor Fido indeed has had more admirers than Aminta; but I will venture to say, there is a great deal of difference between the admirers of one and the other. Corifca, which is a character generally admir'd by the ordinary judges, is intolerable in a Paftoral; and Bonarelli's fancy of making his fhepherdess in love with two men equally, is not to be defended, whatever pains he has taken to do it. As for what you afk of the liberty of Borrowing; 'tis very evident the best Latin Poets have extended this very far; and none fo far as Virgil, who is the best of them. As for the Greek Poets, if we cannot trace them fo plainly, 'tis perhaps because we have none be

fore them; 'tis evident that most of them borrowed from Homer, and Homer has been accus'd of burning those that wrote before him, that his thefts might not be discover'd. The best of the modern Poets in all Languages, are those that have the nearest copied the Ancients. Indeed in all the common fubjects of Poetry, the thoughts are fo obvious (at least if they are natural) that whoever writes laft, muft write things like what have been faid before: But they may as well applaud the Ancients for the arts of eating and drinking, and accufe the moderns of having ftolen those inventions from them; it being evident in all such cafes, that whoever liv'd first, must first find them out. 'Tis true, indeed, when

unus et alter

Afuitur pannus,

.

when there are one or two bright thoughts ftolen, and all the rest is quite different from it, a poem makes a very foolish figure: But when 'tis all melted down together, and the Gold of the Ancients fo mix'd with that of the Moderns, that none can distinguish the one from the other, I can never find fault with it. I cannot however but own to you, that there are others of a different opinion, and that I have fhewn your verses to fome who have made that objection to them. I have fo much company round me while I write this, and fuch a noife in my ears, that 'tis impoffible I should write any thing but nonsense, so must break off abruptly. 1 am, Sir,

Your most affectionate,

and most humble Servant.

LETTER V.

From Mr WALSH.

Sept. 9. 1706.

AT my return from the North I received the favour

of your letter, which had lain there till then. Having been abfent about fix weeks, I read over your Paftorals again, with a great deal of pleasure, and to judge the better, read Virgil's Eclogues, and Spenfer's Calendar, at the fame time; and I affure you, I continue the fame opinion I had always of them. By the little hints you take upon all occafions to improve them, 'tis probable you will make them yet better against winter; tho' there is a mean to be kept even in that too, and a man may correct his verses till he takes away the true spirit of them; especially if he submits to the correction of fome who pafs for great Critics, by mechanical rules, and never enter into the true defign and Genius of an author. I have seen some of thefe, that would hardly allow any one good Ode in Horace, who cry Virgil wants faney, and that Homer is very incorrect. While they talk at this rate, one would think them above the common rate of mortals; but generally they are great admirers of Ovid and Lucan; and when they write themselves, we find out all the mystery. They fcan their verfes upon their fingers; run after Conceits and glaring thoughts; their poems are all made up of Couplets, of which the first may be laft, or the laft firft, without fort of prejudice to their works; in which there is no defign, or method, or any thing natural or juft.

any

For you are

certainly in the right, that in all writings whatfoever (not poetry only) nature is to be followed; and we fhould be jealous of ourselves for being fond of Similies, Conceits, and what they call faying fine Things. When we were in the North, my Lord Wharton fhew'd me a letter he had received from a certain great General in Spain *; I told him, I would by all means have that General recall'd, and fet to writing here at home, for it was impoffible that a man with fo much Wit as he fhew'd, could be fit to command an Army, or do any other bufiness t. As for what you say of Expreffion, 'tis indeed the same thing to Wit, as Drefs is to Beauty I have seen many women over-dress'd, and feveral look better in a careless night-gown, with their hair about their ears, than Mademoiselle Spanheim drefs'd for a ball. I do not defign to be in London till towards the parliament: then I fhall certainly be there; and hope by that time you will have finish'd your Paftorals as you would have them appear in the world, and particularly the third, of Autumn, which I have not yet feen. Your laft Eclogue being upon the fame fubject, as that of mine on Mrs Tempest's Death, I fhou'd take it very kindly in you to give it a little turn, as if it were to the Memory of the fame Lady, if they were not written for fome particular Woman, whom you would make immortal.

The Earl of Peterborow.

Mr Walsh's Remark will be thought very innocent, when the reader is informed that it was made on the Earl of Peterborow, just before the glorious campaigns of Barcelona and Valentia.