condemn'd to Death, but the Law allowing any Perfon who should offer themselves, to die in her Stead, Mirtillo, the Faithful Shepherd, takes the Advantage of it, and demands that he may die, and fhe be fet at Liberty. Upon which the Solemnity of the Sacrifice begins, and the Victim, after a certain limited Time of Speech, is to remain filent; but the Sacrifice is interrupted by the coming in of Carino, the fuppos'd Father of Mirtillo, to whom unwittingly Mirtillo fpeaks, which makes void the preceding Rites, and he is fent back to the Temple to renew his Vow, and Meffengers with him for fresh Wine and Water, and other Things proper for the Sacrifice: Mean time the Discovery is made, that Mirtillo is the Son of Montano the high Priest, who was going to offer him up, this raifes a violent Conflict in the Breaft of Montano, who declares, that he will inftead of Mirtillo, kill himself; in this Circumftance Things are, when the blind Prophet is led in, and discovers Mirtillo to be the Faithful Shepherd, foretold by the Oracle to free this Land of Offerings of human Blood. It is the Beginning of Tirenio's Speech only that we shall quote..

O quanto fpeffo giova

La cecità de gli occhi al veder molto;

Ch' alhor non traviata

L'anima, ad in fe fteffa

Tutta raccolta, fuole

Aprir nel cieco fenfo occhi Lincei.

Non bifogna, Montano,

Paffar sì leggiermente alcuni gravi

Non afpettati cafi,

Che trà l'opere humane han del divino.

Però che i fommi Dei

Non converfano in terra,

Nè favellan con gli huomini mórtali ;
Mà tutto quel di grande, ò di ftupendo,
Ch' al cieco Cafo il cieco volgo afcrive,
Altro non è, che favellar celefte :
Cofi parlan trà noi gli eterni Numi :
Quefte fon le lor voci ;

Mute à l'orecchie, e rifonanti al core
Di chi le'ntende.

The following is as close a Tranflation as we are able to give :

How often does the Want of Eyes give Sight!
The Soul not wanders then, but in itfelf
Collected, opens Eyes within. Nor we
Slightly fhould pass o'er great and strange Events,
Which speak a Hand divine? For the high Gods
Converfe not here on Earth, nor fpeak to Men;
"But all that's wonderful! All we admire

Which the blind Vulgar to blind Chance afcribe,
Is nothing but the Voice of Heaven: For thus
To mortal Men, fpeak the eternal Gods:
Mute to the outward Ear, but loud to him
Whofe Understanding hears, and happy he
Who hearing understands.

Of this we shall not make the fame Application as the Monk did; let every one judge for himself..

It is objected by Mr. Pope and others, that Gua rini has, befides these deep and fpeculative Verses, too much Contrivance and too ravell❜d a Plot for a Dramatick Paftoral: But this is fuppofing that every Paftoral Writer muft follow Taffo exactly, becaufe he invented this Sort of Poem. Taffo's Characters are nothing but Shepherds and Shepherdeffes on their native Plains, fuppos'd to know little else, but about

N 2

their

their Flocks and Sports, and a little Love; though you fee his Thyrfis has been at Court, and fpeaks high Phrase to Daphne, of the Prince whofe Favour he enjoy'd: Nay, Daphne tells him, he has foar'd aloft. However in Taffo's Amintas there appears no Plot, but all happens by Accident; the little Contrivance of bringing Silvia to the Fountain excepted. Take all this for granted, may not another Poet, ftill keeping the Arcadian Stile, introduce Characters, who may be fuppos'd (though inhabiting the Plains) to act Parts fuller of Defign. Guarini's Characters are, except two or three, of another Sort from those of Taflo. Montano is High-Prieft of Diana, defcended from the Gods; Silvio and Mirtillo are his Children; Mirtillo has feen the World, and liv'd a great While at Elis, to which Place Amarillis had alfo been conducted, to fee the Sports that were celebrated there in Honour of Jupiter, and the is the Daughter of Titirus, defcended likewife from the Gods; Corifca is an old Coquet and a Traveller, had liv'd in great Towns, come but lately from Argos, and the Satire is a Character which allows great Liberty. Here is a Prophet; and Carino, who had travelled all over thofe Parts, befides feveral other Characters. We can't fee why it fhould be denied the Poet, to form what Plot might fuit his Genius best out of thefe, who are naturally fuppofed to be capa ble of fuch Actions as we fee them employ'd in: So that we think Mr. Pope, had he attempted fuch a Work, would have been deceiv'd, where he fays, he fhould certainly difpleafe all thofe, who are charm'd with Bonarelli and Guarini, and imitate Taffo; becaufe (fetting Bonarelli quite afide) we find almost all Lovers of Poetry equally charm'd with Taff and Guarini; who, with Mr. Allan Ramfay are the best

Writers

Writers of the Paftoral Drama, that have ever yet

wrote.

We hope it will be obferved, that we have im partially shown the Beauties of these Poets; not ha ving any Regard to the Differences between Mr. Philips and Mr. Pope, we have done Juftice to the former, and shall ftill quote from his Fifth Paftoral the Story of the Nightingale; which, though not entirely of Mr. Philips's Invention, (being first tou ched by Strada, and then by Mr. Crafhaw) is very finely improved:

When Shepherds flourish'd in Eliza's Reign,
There liv'd in great Efteem a jolly Swain,
Young Colin Clout; who well could pipe and fing,
And by his Notes invite the lagging Spring.
He, as his Cuftom was, at Leifure laid
In filent Shade, without a Rival play'd.
Drawn by the Magick of th' inticing Sound,
What Crouds of mute Admirers flock'd around!
The Steerlings left their Food; and Creatures wild
By Nature form'd infenfibly grew mild.

He makes the Birds in Troops about him throng,
And loads the neighb'ring Branches with his Song.
Among the reft, a Nightingale of Fame,
Jealous, and fond of Praife, to liften came.
She tun'd her Ear; and emulous with Pride,
Like Eccho, to the Shepherd's Pipe reply'd.
The Shepherd heard with Wonder; and again,
Το try her more, renew'd his various Strain.
To all his various Strain she shapes her Throat,
And adds peculiar Grace to ev'ry Note.
If Colin in complaining Accents grieves,
Or brifker, Motion to his Measure gives;
If gentle Sounds he modulates, or strong,
She, not a little vain, repeats his Song:

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But

But fo repeats, that Colin half defpis'd

His Pipe and Skill, fo much by others priz'd:
And, fweeteft Songfter of the winged Kind,
What Thanks, faid he, what Praises can I find
To equal thy melodious Voice? In thee
The Rudeness of my Rural Fife I fee;
From thee I learn to vaunt no more my Skill.
Aloft in Air fhe fate, provoking ftill
The vanquifh'd Swain: Próvok'd at laft, he strove
To fhew the little Minftrel of the Grove
His utmost Art; if fo fome fmall Efteem
He might obtain, and Credit loft, redeem.
He draws in Breath, his rifing Breast to fill;
Thro' all the Wood his Pipe is heard to fhrill.
From Note to Note in Hafte his Fingers fly;
Still more and more his Numbers multiply;
And now they thrill, and now they fall and rife,
And swift and flow they change, with fweet Surprize,
Attentive fhe does fcarce the Sounds retain,"
But to herfelf.firft cons the puzzling Strain;
And tracing careful, Note by Note, repay's
The Shepherd, in his own harmonious Lays;
Thro' ev'ry changing Cadence runs at Length,
And adds in Sweetnefs, what the wants in Strength,
Then Colin threw his Fife difgrac'd afide;
While fhe loud Triumph fings, proclaiming wide
Her mighty Conqueft. What could Colin more?
A little Harp, of Maple Ware, he bore:
The Harp itself was old, but newly ftrung,
Which ufual he a-crofs his Shoulders hung.
Now take, delightful Bird, my laft Farewel,
He faid; and learn from hence, thou doft excel
No trivial Artift. And at that he wound
The murm'ring Strings, and order'd every Sound.
Then earneft to his Inftrument he bends,
And both his Hands upon the Strings extends.

The