PASTORALS, WITH A DISCOURSE ON PASTORAL. WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1704. Rura mihi et rigui placeant in vallibus amnes, [IF the pastoral poetry with which English literature is overloaded may with propriety be divided into real and sham, there is little doubt but that the following juvenile productions of Pope, written by him in 1704 at the age of sixteen, must be included in the latter and larger category. The two main objections which have been raised against Pope's Pastorals, viz. the barrenness of invention and the mixture of modern and antique ideas and associations displayed in them, apply with more or less force to all efforts in this branch of poetical composition which are purely and avowedly artificial and imitative. In an ironical criticism of his Pastorals sent anonymously by Pope to the Guardian, he avows both characteristics; and takes credit for having abstained from the rustic nomenclature adopted by Phillips, who had in this respect followed the precedent of Spenser, and was accordingly ridiculed in the burlesque Shepherd's Week, by Gay. Dr. Johnson has said all that needs to be said as to the absolute and relative value belonging to these poetic exercises in English literature generally, and among the works of Pope in particular, when he observes that 'to charge these Pastorals with want of invention, is to require what never was intended. The imitations are so ambitiously frequent, that the writer evidently means rather to shew his literature than his wit. It is surely sufficient for an author of sixteen not only to be able to copy the poems of antiquity with judicious selection, but to have obtained sufficient power of language, and skill in metre, to exhibit a series of versification, which had in English poetry no precedent, nor has since had an imitation.' It may, however, be remarked that these poems contain a number of doubtful rhymes—an objection which is not to be made to the author's maturer pieces. The arrangement of the four Pastorals under the names of the four seasons of the year, while scarcely meriting praise due to an exceptionally bold originality, is more convenient than that of Spenser's Shepherd's Kalendar, in which, as has been pointed out, it was impossible to sustain in each case the character attaching or supposed to attach to each particular month. Such as it is, Pope's arrangement was stated by Thomson to have given him the first hint and idea of writing his Seasons. The scenery of the Pastorals is in the main that of Windsor Forest, where (at Binfield) the poet had from the age of twelve resided with his father; but, in accordance with the nature of these compositions, there is no attempt to keep up a very distinct local colouring. These productions obtained for the young poet immediate and cordial recognition from many eminent men. By Sir William Trumball they were shown to Wycherley, and by the latter to Walsh, and subsequently communicated to Lord Lansdowne, Dr. Garth, Lords Halifax and Somers, Mr. Mainwaring, and others.] A DISCOURSE ON PASTORAL POETRY'. T HERE are not, I believe, a greater number of any sort of verses, than of those which are called Pastorals; nor a smaller, than of those which are truly so. It therefore seems necessary to give some account of this kind of Poem, and it is my design to comprize in this short paper the substance of those numerous dissertations the Criticks have made on the subject, without omitting any of their rules in my own favour. You will also find some points reconciled, about which they seem to differ, and a few remarks, which, I think, have escaped their observation. The original of Poetry is ascribed to that Age which succeeded the creation of the world and as the keeping of flocks seems to have been the first employment of mankind, the most ancient sort of poetry was probably pastoral. It is natural to imagine, that the leisure of those ancient shepherds admitting and inviting some diversion, none was so proper to that solitary and sedentary life as singing; and that in their songs they took occasion to celebrate their own felicity. From hence a Poem was invented, and afterwards improved to a perfect image of that happy time; which by giving us an esteem for the virtues of a former age, might recommend them to the present. And since the life of shepherds was attended with more tranquillity than any other rural employment, the Poets chose to introduce their Persons, from whom it received the name of Pastoral. A Pastoral is an imitation of the action of a shepherd, or one considered under that character. The form of this imitation is dramatic, or narrative, or mixed of both; the fable simple, the manners not too polite nor too rustic: the thoughts are plain, yet admit a little quickness and passion, but that short and flowing: the expression humble, yet as pure as the language will afford; neat, but not florid; easy, and yet lively. In short, the fable, manners, thoughts, and expressions are full of the greatest simplicity in nature. The complete character of this poem consists in simplicity, brevity, and delicacy ; the two first of which render an eclogue natural, and the last delightful. If we would copy Nature, it may be useful to take this Idea along with us, that Pastoral is an image of what they call the golden age. So that we are not to describe our shepherds as shepherds at this day really are, but as they may be conceived then to have been; when the best of men followed the employment. To 3 Hensius in Theocr. P. 1 Written at sixteen years of age. P. 2 Fontenelle's Disc. on Pastorals. P. 4 Rapin, de Carm. Past. p. 2. P. carry this resemblance yet farther, it would not be amiss to give these shepherds some skill in astronomy, as far as it may be useful to that sort of life. And an air of piety to the Gods should shine through the Poem, which so visibly appears in all the works of antiquity: and it ought to preserve some relish of the old way of writing; the connection should be loose, the narrations and descriptions short1, and the periods concise. Yet it is not sufficient, that the sentences only be brief, the whole Eclogue should be so too. For we cannot suppose Poetry in those days to have been the business of men, but their recreation at vacant hours. But with a respect to the present age, nothing more conduces to make these composures natural, than when some Knowledge in rural affairs is discovered. This may be made to appear rather done by chance than on design, and sometimes is best shewn by inference; lest by too much study to seem natural, we destroy that easy simplicity from whence arises the delight. For what is inviting in this sort of poetry proceeds not so much from the Idea of that business, as of the tranquillity of a country life. We must therefore use some illusion to render a Pastoral delightful; and this consists in exposing the best side only of a shepherd's life, and in concealing its miseries3. Nor is it enough to introduce shepherds discoursing together in a natural way; but a regard must be had to the subject; that it contain some particular beauty in itself, and that it be different in every Eclogue. Besides, in each of them a designed scene or prospect is to be presented to our view, which should likewise have its variety4. This variety is obtained in a great degree by frequent comparisons, drawn from the most agreeable objects of the country; by interrogations to things inanimate; by beautiful digressions, but those short; sometimes by insisting a little on circumstances; and lastly, by elegant turns on the words, which render the numbers extremely sweet and pleasing. As for the numbers themselves, though they are properly of the heroic measure, they should be the smoothest, the most easy and flowing imaginable. It is by rules like these that we ought to judge of Pastoral. And since the instructions given for any art are to be delivered as that art is in perfection, they must of necessity be derived from those in whom it is acknowledged so to be. It is therefore from the practice of Theocritus and Virgil, (the only undisputed authors of Pastoral) that the Criticks have drawn the foregoing notions concerning it. Theocritus excels all others in Nature and simplicity. The subjects of his Idyllia are purely pastoral; but he is not so exact in his persons, having introduced reapers 5 and fishermen as well as shepherds. He is apt to be too long in his descriptions, of which that of the Cup in the first pastoral is a remarkable instance. In the manners he seems a little defective, for his swains are sometimes abusive and immodest, and perhaps too much inclining to rusticity; for instance, in his fourth and fifth Idyllia. But 'tis enough that all others learnt their excellencies from him, and that his Dialect alone has a secret charm in it, which no other could ever attain. Virgil, who copies Theocritus, refines upon his original : and in all points where judgment is principally concerned, he is much superior to his master. Though some of his subjects are not pastoral in themselves, but only seem to be such; they have a wonderful variety in them, which the Greek was a stranger to. He exceeds him in regularity and brevity, and falls short of him in nothing but simplicity and propriety of style; the first of which perhaps was the fault of his age, and the last of his language. 1 Rapin, Reflex. sur l'Art Poet. d'Arist. p. 2. Refl. xxvii. P. Pref. to Virg. Past. in Dryd. Virg. P. 3 Fontenelle's Disc. of Pastorals. P. 4 See the forementioned Preface. P. 5 EPISTAI Idyl. x. and AAIEI Idyl. xxi. P. 6 Rapin, Refl. on Arist., part II._refl. xxvii. Pref. to the Ecl. in Dryden's Virg. P. Among the moderns, their success has been greatest who have most endeavoured to make these ancients their pattern. The most considerable Genius appears in the famous Tasso, and our Spenser. Tasso in his Aminta has as far excelled all the Pastoral writers, as in his Gierusalemme he has out-done the Epic Poets of his country. But as this piece seems to have been the original of a new sort of poem, the pastoral Comedy, in Italy, it cannot so well be considered as a copy of the ancients. Spenser's Calendar, in Mr. Dryden's opinion, is the most complete work of this kind which any Nation has produced ever since the time of Virgil'. Not but that he may be thought imperfect in some few points. His Eclogues are somewhat too long, if we compare them with the ancients. He is sometimes too allegorical, and treats of matters of religion in a pastoral style, as the Mantuan had done before him. He has employed the Lyric measure, which is contrary to the practice of the old Poets. His Stanza is not still the same, nor always well chosen. This last may be the reason his expression is sometimes not concise enough: for the Tetrastic has obliged him to extend his sense to the length of four lines, which would have been more closely confined in the Couplet. In the manners, thoughts, and characters, he comes near to 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 persons: whereas the old English and country phrases of Spenser were either entirely obsolete, or spoken only by people of the lowest condition. As there is a difference betwixt simplicity and rusticity, so the expression of simple thoughts should be plain, but not clownish. The addition he has made of a Calendar to his Eclogues, is very beautiful; since by this, besides the general moral of innocence and simplicity, which is common to other authors of Pastoral, he has one peculiar to himself; he compares human Life to the several Seasons, and at once exposes to his readers a view of the great and little worlds, in their various changes and aspects. Yet the scrupulous division of his Pastorals into months, has obliged 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 sixth, eighth, and tenth for example) have nothing but their Titles to distinguish 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. Of the following Eclogues I shall only say, that these four comprehend all the subjects which the Criticks upon Theocritus and Virgil will allow to be fit for pastoral: That they have as much variety of description, in respect of the several seasons, as Spenser's: that in order to add to this variety, the several times of the day are observ'd, the rural employments in each season or time of day, and the rural scenes or places proper to such employments; not without some regard to the several ages of man, and the different passions proper to each age. But after all, if they have any merit, it is to be attributed to some good old Authors, whose works as I had leisure to study, so I hope I have not wanted care to imitate. 1 Dedication to Virg. Ecl. P. SPRING'. THE FIRST PASTORAL, OR DAMON. TO SIR WILLIAM TRUMBAL'. IRST in these fields I try the sylvan strains, You, that too wise for pride, too good for pow'r, 5 which perhaps have never been strictly observed in any English poem, except in these Pastorals. They were not printed till 1709. P. 1 These Pastorals were written at the age of from a natural ease of thought and smoothness of sixteen, and then passed through the hands of Mr verse; whereas that of most other kinds consists Walsh, Mr Wycherley, G. Granville afterwards in the strength and fulness of both. In a letter Lord Landsdown, Sir William Trumbal, Dr of his to Mr Walsh about this time we find an Garth, Lord Hallifax, Lord Somers, Mr Main-enumeration of several niceties in versification, waring, and others. All these gave our author the greatest encouragement, and particularly Mr Walsh (whom Mr Dryden, in his postscript to Virgil, calls the best critic of his age). "The author (says he) seems to have a particular genius for this kind of poetry, and a judgment that much exceeds his years. He has taken very freely from the ancients. But what he has mixed of his own with theirs is no way inferior to what he has taken from them. It is not flattery at all to say that Virgil had written nothing so good at his age. His preface is very judicious and learned." Letter to Mr Wycherley, Ap. 1705. The Lord Lansdown about the same time, mentioning the youth of our poet, says (in a printed letter of the character of Mr Wycherley) "that if he goes on as he has begun in the pastoral way, as Virgil first tried his strength, we may hope to see English poetry vie with the Roman," etc. Notwithstanding the early time of their production, the author esteemed these as the most correct in the versification, and musical in the numbers, of all his works. The reason for his labouring them into so much softness, was, doubtless, that this sort of poetry derives almost its whole beauty 2 Sir William Trumbalj Our author's friendship with this gentleman commenced at very unequal years; he was under sixteen, but Sir William above sixty, and had lately resigned his employment of Secretary of State to King William. P. [Sir William Trumball, whom Macaulay (chap. xxi) characterises as 'a learned civilian and an experienced diplomatist, of moderate opinions and of temper cautious to timidity,' was appointed Secretary of State in 1691 and resigned in 1697 to make way for a more zealous partisan. He died at his native place of East Hamstead near Binfield, and Pope honoured his memory by an epitaph (II). Trumball was the first to recognise the merits of the Essay on Criticism, and to induce its author to publish it; he also eulogised the Rape of the Lock and encouraged the translation of the Iliad. Of Trumball it is related that being in 1687 appointed ambassador to the Ottoman Porte, he performed the journey on foot, thus outdoing by anticipation the German poet's Promenade to Syracuse.] |