IRST in these fields I FIRST try the sylvan strains, Nor blush to sport on Windfor's blissful plains: Fair Thames, flow gently from thy facred spring, While on thy banks Sicilian Muses sing; EMARK s. These Paftorals were written at the age of fixteen, and then past thro' the hands of Mr. Walsh, Mr. Wycherley, G. Granville afterwards Lord Lansdown, Sir William Trumbal, Dr. Garth, Lord Hallifax, Lord Somers, Mr. Mainwaring, and others. All these gave our Author the greatest encouragement, and particularly Mr. Walsh, whom Mr. Dryden, in his Poftcript to Virgil, calls the best Critic of his age. "The Author (fays he) " seems to have a particular genius for this kind of Poetry, and " a judgment that much exceeds his years. He has taken very Let vernal airs thro' trembling ofiers play, 5 You, that too wife for pride, too good for pow's, Enjoy the glory to be great no more, REMARKS. " 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 Paftoral way, " as Virgil first tried his strength, we may hope to fee English "Poetry vie with the Roman," &c. Notwithstanding the early time of their production, the Author esteemed these as the moft correct in the verfification, and musical in the numbers, of all his works. The reason for his labouring them into fo much foftness, was, doubtless, that this fort of poetry derives almost its whole beauty from a natural ease of thought and smoothness of verse; whereas that of most other kinds confifts in the strength and fulness of both. In a letter of his to Mr. Walsh about this time we find an enumeration of several niceties in Verfification, which perhaps have never been strictly observed in any English poem, except in these Pastorals. They were not printed till 1709. P. Sir William Trumbal.] Our Author's friendship with this gentleman commenced at very unequal years; he was under fixteen, but Sir William above fixty, and had lately resign'd his employment of Secretary of State to King William. P. IMITATIONS. VER. 1. Prima Syracofio dignata est ludere versu, Noftra nec erubuit sylvas habitare Thalia. This is the general exordium and opening of the Paftorals, in imitation of the fixth of Virgil, which some have therefore not improbably thought to have been the first originally. In the beginnings of the other three Paftorals, he imitates exprefly those And carrying with you all the world can boast, To all the world illustriously are lost! O let my Muse her slender reed inspire, Soon as the flocks shook of the nightly dews, Two Swains, whom Love kept wakeful, and the Muse, REMARKS. VER. 12. in your native shades.] Sir W. Trumbal was born in Windfor-forest, to which heretreated, after he had resigned the poft of Secretary of State to King William III. P. VER. 17, etc. The Scene of this Pastoral a Valley, the Time the Morning. It stood originally thus, Daphnis and Strephon to the fhades retir'd, IMITATIONS. which now stand first of the three chief Poets in this kind, Spencer, Virgil, Theocritus. A Shepherd's Boy (he feeks no better name)- are manifestly imitations of - A Shepherd's Boy (no better do him call) VOL. I. D Pour'd o'er the whitening vale their fleecy care, DAPHNIS. Hear how the birds, on ev'ry bloomy spray, With joyous music wake the dawning day! Why fit we mute, when early linnets fing, 25 When warbling Philomel falutes the spring? Why fit we fad, when Phosphor shines so clear, And lavish Nature paints the purple year ? STREPHON. Sing then, and Damon shall attend the strain, While yon' flow oxen turn the furrow'd plain. 30 Here the bright crocus and blue vi'let glow; Here western winds on breathing rofes blow. I'll stake yon' lamb, that near the fountain plays, And from the brink his dancing shade surveys. REMARKS. VER. 28. purple year?] Purple here used in the Latin sense of the brightest most vivid colouring in general, not of that specific tint so called. VARIATIONS. VER. 34. The first reading was, And his own image from the bank surveys. DAPHNIS. And I this bowl, where wanton ivy twines, 35 And fwelling clusters bend the curling vines: Four figures rifing from the work appear, DAMON. Then fing by turns, by turns the Muses sing, Now hawthorns blossom, now the daisses spring, Now leaves the trees, and flow'rs adorn the ground; Begin, the vales shall ev'ry note rebound. VARIATIONS. VER. 36. And clusters lurk beneath the curling vines. P. IMITATIONS. VER. 41. Then fing by turns.] Literally from Virgil, Et nunc omnes ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos, VER. 35, 36. Lenta quibus torno facili fuperaddita vitis, P. Virg. P. VER. 38. The various feafons.] The subject of these Paftorals engraven on the bowl is not without its propriety. The Shepherd's hesitation at the name of the Zodiac, imitates that in Virgil, Et quis fuit alter, Descripsit radio totum qui gentibus orbem? P. |