Diggon answers, Hur was bur, while it was day-light; But now hur is a most wretched wight, &c. But the most beautiful example of this kind that I evers met with, is in a very valuable Piece, which I chanced to find among fome old Manufcripts, entituled, 4 Pafto ral Ballad: which I think, for its nature and fimplicity, may (notwithstanding the modefty, of the Title) be allowed a perfect Paftoral: It is compofed in the Somerset bire Dialect, and the names fuch as are proper to the Country People. It may be obferved, as a further beau ty of this Paftoral, the words Nymph, Dryad, Naiad, Fawn, Cupid, or Satyr, are not once mentioned through the whole. I fhall make no Apology for inferting, fome few lines of this excellent Piece. Cicily breaks thus into the fubject as fhe is going a Milking: Cicily. Rager go vetoh tha (b) Kee, or else the Zune It is to be obferved, that this whole Dialogue is formed upon the Paffion of Jealoufie; and his mentioning the Parfon's Kine naturally revives the Jealoufie of the Shepherdefs Cicily, which the expresses as follows: Cicily. Ab Rager, Rager, chez was zore avraid When in yond Vield you kiss'd tha Parfon's Maide- When from tha Wake thou brought ft me Gingerbread? Roger. Cicily thou charg'ft me valfe,-I'll zwear to theey, Tha Parfon's Maid is still a Maid for me. In which Answer of his are express'd at once that Spirit of Religion, and that Innocence of the Golden Age, fo neceffary to be obferved by all Writers of Pastoral At the conclufion of this piece, the Author reconciles the Lovers, and ends the Eclogue the moft fimply in the world. So Rager parted vor to vetch tha Kee, And vor ber Bucket in went Cicily. I am loath to fhow my fondness for Antiquity fo far as to prefer this ancient Briti Author to our prefent English Writers of Paftoral; but I cannot avoid making this obvious Remark, that Philips hath hit into the fame Road with this old Weft Country Bard of ours. After all that hath been faid, I hope none can think it any Injuftice to Mr. Pope, that I forbore to mention him as a paftoral Writer; fince upon the whole, he is of the fame clafs with Mofchus and Bion, whom we have excluded that rank; and of whofe Eclogues, as well as fome of Virgil's, it may be faid, that (according to the description we have given of this fort of Poetry) they are by no means Paftorals, but fomething better. A VI. A PARALLEL OF THE CHARACTERS O F Mr. Dryden and Mr. Pope, As drawn by certain of their Cotemporaries. Mr. D RTDEN. His POLITICKS, RELIGION, MORALS.. R. Dryden is a mere Renegado from Monarchy, Poetry, Manden Senfe. (a) A true Republican Son of a monarchical Church. (b) A Republican Atheist. (c) Drys dex was from the beginning an αλλο προβαλλοΣ and I doubt not will continue so to the laft. (d) (a) Milbourn on Dryden's Virgil, 8a, 1698, 8, 6i (b) pag, 38, (c) pag.` 192, (d) pag. 8, M R. Pope is an open and mortal Enemy to his Countrys and the Commonwealth of Learning. (a) Some call him a Popish Whig, which is directly inconfiftent. (b) Pope as a Papist must be a Tory and High-flyer. (c) He is both a Whig and a Tory. (d) He hath made it his cuftom to cackle to more than one Party in their own Sentiments. (e) (4) Dennis, Remarks on the Rape of the Lock, pref, p. 12. (6) Dun aiad diffected. (c) Preface to Guliveriana, (d) Denn, and Gild. Cha racter of Mr. B. (e) Theobald, Letter in Mift's Journal, June 22, 17280 |