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lendar, in Mr. Dryden's Opinion, is the most complete Work of this Kind which any Nation has produc'd ever since the Time of Virgil. Not but he may be thought imperfect in some few Points. His Eclogues are fomewhat too long, if we compare them with the Ancients. He is sometimes 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 chosen. This last may be the Reason his Expression is sometimes not concise enough: for the Tetrastic has oblig'd him to extend his Sense to the Length of four Lines, which would have been more closely 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 obsolete, or spoken only by People of the basest Condition. As there is a Difference betwixtSimplicity and Rusticity, fo the Expression of fimple Thoughts should be plain, but not clownish. The Addition he has made of a Calendar to his Eclogues is very beautiful; since 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 several Seafons, and, at once exposes to his Readers a View of the great and little Worlds, in their various Changes and Afpects. Yet the fcrupulous Division of his Paftorals into Months

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Months, has oblig'd him either to repeat the same Description, in other Words for three Months together; or when it was exhausted before, entirely to omit it: whence it comes to pass that some 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 Description, 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.

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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 last Night myself. I have read them over several Times with great Satisfaction. The Preface is very judicious and very learned; and the Verses 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 say, that Virgil had written nothing fo good at his Age. I shall 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 him,

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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 speaking of Paftoral Dialogue, and hearing of Taffo and Guarini, the two most famous Writers of Dramatick Pastoral, the Reader may have fome Idea of their Manner of Writing too, I have tranflated a few Lines from each. Tasso introduces Daphne speaking to Thyrfis; confeffing, that notwithstanding the strange Coyness of Silvia towards Amintas, she began to think her fond of being admir'd, and striving to make herself beautiful to be belov'd; and gives this Reafon:

Low on the flow'ry Bank was Silvia bent, As if to kiss the gentle Wave she meant, Or flatter her own Form reflected there, So young, so fine of Feature, and fo fair. She counsell'd with the Water how to place Her flowing Hair, to give the greatest Grace; And o'er her Hair her Veil, then from her Breaft, With many various Flow'rs a Garland drest : Sometimes the Lilly o'er her Breast she throws, Sometimes her Cheeks she matches with the Rose,

Then fimiles with Victory, and joys to fee
The Rofe and Lilly not fo fair as she.

Her Looks betray'd her Thoughts, and feem'd to say, * Ye vanquish'd Beauties, live my Slaves To-day : • Not that I wear you to adorn my Face,

* But to infult and publish your Disgrace.

• Much

JOSEPH ADDISON ESQ

Parr Soul

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