At present it is fufficient to observe, that was it true as the critic objects, that there is not a fingle rural image in thefe paftorals that is new, it is no more than what our poet himfelf premises, with that candor and modesty which is ever attendant on genuine merit. For in his excellent difcourfe prefixed to thefe paftorals, he concludes with the following declaration. "But after all, if they have any merit, it is to "be attributed to fome good old authors, whose "works as I had leifure to ftudy, fo I hope I "have not wanted care to imitate." Notwithstanding this modeft declaration, perhaps fome paffages may be juftly deemed original.

It is obfervable that a paftoral is appropriated to each season of the year, and that the scene as well as the hour of the day, is artfully diftinguished in each, which in some instances gives a peculiar beauty to the imagery; as in the following couplet describing the fummer season: the scene is by a river fide; and the time of the day, noon.

"Where dancing fun-beams on the waters play'd, “And verdant Alders form'd a quiv'ring fhade."

These lines are perfectly picturefque, nor are the following inferior.

"Soft as he mourn'd, the ftreams forgot to flow, "The flocks around a dumb compaffion fhow, "The naiads wept in ev'ry watry bow'r, "And Jove consented in a filent show'r.”

Though

Though it may be allowed that the new images in these pastorals are not frequent, yet in truth, it is too much to fay, that they do not afford a fingle image that is new. Let any reader of fenfibility attend to the following lines in the second paftoral, where the poet defcribes the charms of his miftrefs's voice.

"But would you fing and rival Orpheus' ftrain, "The wond'ring forest soon should dance again, "The moving mountains hear the pow'rful call, "And headlong streams hang lift'ning in their fall."

The last line furely presents a new image, "and a bold one too *.

The following couplet likewife from the fourth pastoral, describing the effects occafioned by the

*Perhaps it will be thought that Mr. POPE had Milton's Mafque in remembrance, wherein the latter fpeaks of Thyrfis,

"whofe artful ftrains have oft delay'd

"The huddling brook to hear his madrigal.”

But this, compared to Mr. POPE's, is rather narrative than defcriptive. Mr. POPE prefents us with the image of attention, which is purely his own..

I cannot avoid taking notice of these beautifully plaintive lines in the fame paftoral, which are not imitations of any writer I know of.

"Once I was skill'd in ev'ry plant that grew,
"And ev'ry herb that drinks the morning dew;
"Ah! wretched fhepherd, what avails thy art
"To cure thy lambs, but not to heal thy heart."

death

death of Daphne affords a new image, and the perfonification has a fine effect.

The balmy zephyrs, filent fince her death, "Lament the ceafing of a fweeter breath *"

The fame may be faid of the following beautiful couplet in this paftoral.

"No more the mounting larks, while Daphne fings,

"Shall lift ning in mid-air fufpend their wings."

The image of the birds listening with their wings fufpended in mid-air, is ftriking; and I truft, new t.

Our critic having thus fet out with denying our poet the merit of invention, he immediately makes a kind of digreffion in praise of Theocritus; whom he very frequently ftiles the father and model of this enchanting kind of compofition. Theocritus, he obferves, derived many

*The four lines which precede thefe, are incomparably fine; but I know not whether they may not be confidered as imitations of those beautiful paftoral images in Eve's fpeech to Adam; which are thus recapitulated:

"But neither breath of morn, when the afcends
"With charm of earliest birds," &c.

The two lines however which immediately follow,

"No more the birds shall imitate her lays,
"Or hush'd with wonder, hearken from the fprays,"

do but convey the fame image, a little diverfified.
D

advan

advantages from the climate in which he lived and wrote. "The poet," fays he, "described what he faw and felt, and had no need to have recourse to those artificial assemblages of pleafing objects, which are not to be found in nature. The figs and honey which he affigns* as a reward to a victorious fhepherd, were in themselves exquifite, and are therefore affigned with great propriety."

With due deference to our critic, however, these remarks do not appear to be well founded. The figs and honey of Sicily, however exquifite in themselves, were common to the inhabitants and whoever is acquainted with the nature of the human appetites, will allow that things in general eftimation, are not always valued because they are in themfelves exquifite, but because they are scarce and rare. If they are common, they in fome degree lofe their value, and confequently any other reward, though lefs exquifite in itself, is most likely to become the object of defire. Any other premium than figs and honey, might therefore, in Sicily, have been affigned with greater propriety, and would have displayed more invention in the Sicilian bard.

A poct is not confined to his own country for images. He may range throughout the univerfe, and is not always, as Addison remarks, ftrictly bound by the laws of nature; much lefs

* Idyll. 1. v. 146.

reftrained

reftrained in his defcriptions to the produce of particular climes. He may impregnate every foil with what feed beft fuits his purpose: he may make the spicy gales of Arabia, diffuse their fragrance over fcentlefs and fterile wilds he may bring the garden of the Hefperides from its native Africa, and make the golden fruit ripen in the moft untoward clime. The following cenfure, therefore, will probably be thought too nice and captious. "Complaints," fays he, "of immoderate heat, and wishes to be conveyed to cooling caverns, when uttered by the inhabitants of Greece, have a decorum and confiftency which they totally lose in the character of a British fhepherd."

That fuch caufes of complaint will more frequently occur in the Grecian climate, is unqueftionable; but is it neceffary to make a complaint of this kind confiftent, that every day fhould be a dog-day? The British fhepherd might very confiftently defcribe what he often felt, though not fo frequently as the Grecian; and we have days in England, which might make even a Grecian faint.

He admits, however, that Mr. POPE was fenfible of the importance of adapting images to the scene of action; which he inftances in the tranflation of the following line:

"Audit Eurotas, juffitque edifcere lauros."

Here our poet, as the critic candidly obferves, has dropped the laurels appropriated to Eurotas,