A Full Enquiry Into The Nature Of The Pastoral (1717) Part 4

To preserve this Simplicity, we must avoid attributing to our Swains, any of those Pa.s.sions or Desires, which engage busy and active part of Mankind; as Ambition, and the like. _Theocritus_ therefore, and _Virgil_, and the generality of his Followers, have rather made their Shepherds sing alternately for a Leathern Pouch, or a Goat, than for the Desire of Praise. And nothing, I believe, but his being unwilling to make his Swains sing for exactly the same Reward, that all since _Theocritus_, have done, could have made our excellent Phillips alter the Pouch and the Kid, for Praise, in his sixth Pastoral.

_Let others meanly stake upon their Skill.

Or Kid, or Lamb, or Goat, or what they will; for praise we sing, nor Wager ought beside; And, whose the Praise, let_ Geron's, _Lips decide_.

There are few of even the most violent pa.s.sions but may be introduc'd into Pastoral, if artfully manag'd and qualify'd by the Poet: As Hatred, if it be not carried to it's height; which is an Excess in Pastoral.

And I observe, _Cubbin_, you make your Shepherd _Colly_, inconstant; and have an Aversion to his former Sweet-heart _Soflin_, on account of her Frankness, and too great Forwardness. But yet I think it is not faulty, because you make his Affections vary, against his Inclination, and he is angry with himself for his dislike to _Soflin_; but no Reason can stop unruly Love.

So Revenge, if admitted, must be very ingeniously manag'd, or 'twill be intolerable. There is a cunning Thought in _Ta.s.so_, that may perhaps let the Reader something into the Manner in which I would have it order'd.

A Female Warriour, opposed to her Lover in Aims, for his Inconstancy shoot's a Dart at him, yet wishes it may not strike him.

But what comes nigher to the explaining the manner of introducing Revenge into Pastoral, is what we find in the sixth Idyll of _Theocritus_. _Polyphemus's_ Mistress had been unkind; and how do's he propose to take Revenge: Why, he will not take notice of her as she walk's before his Cave to be seen, and pelt's his flock. After which follow's the most simple, and I had almost said, finest Thought in any Pastoral-Writer. The whole Beauty of which no one will conceive, but who has a Soul as tender as _Theocritus_ had, and could touch the _Soft_ as well. Poliphemus threaten's several Punishments, after which, follows this. 'Tis as fine in _Creech's_ Version as the Original.

_Besides, my Dog, he is at my Command, Shall bark at her, and gently bite her Hand_.

What I have said of this, might be said of the other Pa.s.sions; but I shall insist no longer on this Head. As for the Pa.s.sions most proper for Pastoral, they are discuss'd elsewhere.

SECT. 3.

_What degree of Knowledge we may attribute to our Swains_.

The difference between the Knowledge of our Shepherds, and that of politer Persons, must not proceed in the least from any difference in their Natural Endowments, but entirely from the manner of their Educations. The Poet therefore, has nothing to do in this Case, but to consider what is most probable for Nature to effect, una.s.sisted by Art.

As for a Shepherd's knowing what the ancient Poets have deliver'd, concerning the different Ages, and other things, I shall not determine whether 'tis natural or not: because not only _Theocritus_, whose Shepherds are as well vers'd in History as other Men, and _Virgil_, whose Shepherds are often Philosophers, have gone in this way, but our Countryman Mr. Phillips also, whose excellency is his Correctness.

(Lang.) _Thrice happy Shepherds now! for_ Dorset _loves The Country Muse, and our delightful Groves.

While_ Anna _reigns. O ever may she reign!_ And bring on Earth a Golden-Age again.

_Pastor_. 6.

I shall leave the Reader also to determine concerning the following piece of Knowledge.

(Hob.) _Full fain, O blest_ Eliza! _would I praise Thy Maiden Rule, and Albion's Golden Days_.

Then gentle _Sidney_ liv'd, the Shepherds Friend: _Eternal Blessings on his Shade descend!_

The same is to be said of other the like Pa.s.sages, but the most ordinary Capacity may judge what Knowledge is, or is not, consistent with the Banner of a Shepherd's Education.

CHAP. IV.

_How to form the Pastoral Characters, and the great Difficulty of doing it_.

A Poet, who would write up to the Perfection of Pastoral, will find nothing more difficult (unless the Dialect) than the inventing a sufficient Number of Pastoral Characters; such as are both faultless and beautiful. That difficulty proceeds from hence.

In Epick and Tragick Poetry we have the whole scope of all Men's Tempers and Pa.s.sions to draw; which are widely various and different: As, the Savage and Wild; the Ambitious; the Simple and Tender-hearted; the Subtle, &c. Thus in the Epick and Tragick Poems, you draw the general Qualities of all Men's Minds. But in Pastoral, you are pinn'd down to one of these common qualities (which is Simplicity and Tenderness.) And laying that as a Foundation, from thence draw your particular Characters. In every Character still supposing that at the bottom of it, and to accompany it. But Rules of this Nature, are like Mathematical a.s.sertions, not easily explain'd, but by Examples. Tho' I think, _Cubbin_, I need not insist long on this to you; for your Characters are not much faulty in this particular. If I remember aright; some of your Characters are these:

Paplet has Simplicity and Tenderness: But her distinguis.h.i.+ng Character is, that she is a May, so young, as to be entirely ignorant of Love; but extreamly Curious to be let into the Nature of Men and Lovers.

Collikin has Simplicity and Tenderness: But withal a Tincture of Inconstancy in his Nature.

Soflin, with her Simplicity and Tenderness, is excessive Easy, and Complying, to a Fault; open and too free-hearted.

Florey has Simplicity; and Tenderness for his La.s.s; but he is almost out of Humour with himself for being so soft. He is suppos'd to be brought up in the lonely Cave with Paplet; and his natural Tamper is wild and excessive brisk; hating the House, and delighting in Hunting. But you show, I see, only a Glimpse of his Natural Temper, which breaks out at times; but he is drawn as tender, being all the Time in Love with Poppit.

The rest of your Characters have the same Foundation; nor break in, I think, upon Simplicity and Tenderness.

'Tis true indeed, as to the Difficulty of forming Pastoral Characters, beyond those of Epick Poetry; That even there, one general Character should diffuse it self thro' all the rest, and that is Bravery.

(For _Homer_ might, I think, as well have brought in a Baboon, or a Hedge-hog, for Heroick Characters, as a _Vulcan_ and a _Thirsites_.) But Bravery will coincide with greatly more Tempers than Pastoral Simplicity and Tenderness; nor does it lay the Poet under a Restraint comparably so great.

'Tis farther observable, as to the Difficulty of forming the Pastoral Characters, that if we wou'd write up to the Perfection of Pastoral, 'tis necessary that whatever habit or temper of Mind distinguishes any CHARACTER in the first Pastoral, wherever that CHARACTER afterwards appears, thro' the whole set of Pastorals, it must appear with the same Temper as before; that is, 'tis not enough to have the Characters uniform and just thro' one and the same Pastoral, but what is the Character of any Swain or La.s.s in the first and second Pastoral, that must be their Character in all the rest, if they are nam'd or introduc'd, tho' never so slightly. For by this means, not only every single Pastoral will make a regular Piece, but the whole set of Pastorals also const.i.tute together one uniform and ample Poem; if the Reader delights to fill his Mind with a large and ample Scheme.

The set of Pastorals would be still more perfect, if the Characters were also all continued on from the first to the last Pastoral, and none drop'd, as 'twere, in silence; but in the Pastorals which draw towards the End, the Characters should be all disposed of in Pastoral, and after an entertaining Manner; so that the two or three last Pastorals will be like the fifth Act in a Tragedy, where the Catastrophe is drawn up. The reasonableness of this appear's from hence. I suppose the Poet to form his Story so, and so to draw his Characters, that the Reader's Mind may be engag'd and concern'd for the Personages. Now the Mind is uneasy if 'tis not let into the issue of the Affairs of the Person it has been long Intent upon, and given to know whether he is finally Unfortunate, or Happy.

SECT. _Last_.

Thus far proceeded Sophy, when Night drew on. He shut his Book; and Cubbin told him, he had not pa.s.s'd many days with so much Delight as that. If you have found my Discourse, said Sophy, entertaining, do not fail of being here again early to morrow Morning, and I will continue it to you. The Shepherd express'd his Satisfaction, and they hasted home together.

The following Morn was fair and inviting; they both appear'd when the Lark began his Mattin Song; and Sophy thus proceeded.

_The End of the Second Part_.

P A R T III.

CHAP. I.

_Of the Sentiments in general_.

I must crave leave to extend the Signification of the Word Sentiment, to the including tooth IMAGE and THOUGHT. For I think the Criticks should by all means have, before now, made that Division, and the omission has occasion'd the greatest Obscurity and Confusion in the Writings of those who have discours'd on any particular Kind of Sentiment. But that the Reader may take the more Care to keep this Distinction in his Head, we will give one Instance of the Confusion it occasion'd in the Mind of _Longinus_, who treated the Sublime, and certainly ought to have had a clear Notion of the Subject he wrote so largely, and so floridly upon.

Now in his sixth _Section_, he make's it a Question, and discourses largely, whether Pa.s.sion can go along with a Sublime SENTIMENT. But any one who has divided Sentiment into Image and Thought would laugh at this Question; it being so plain that pa.s.sion is consistent with a Sublime Thought, and is not with a Sublime Image.

Would not any person who desired to acquire a true and thorough Notion of a sublime Sentiment, so as to know one, wherever met, be puzzled at _Longinus_'s telling him, _Homer_'s Sentiment is sublime, where he make's the _Giant_'s heap Ossa on Olympus, and on Ossa Wood-top'd Pelion; and a little after telling him that _Alexander_'s to _Parmeno_ is a sublime Sentiment. _Parmeno_ say's, _Were I Alexander, I would embrace these Proposals of Peace_. _Alexander_ reply'd, _And I, by the G.o.ds, were I Parmeno_. These Sentiments of _Homer_ and _Alexander_ (tho'

equally sublime) are as different as a Bright and a Tender Sentiment. If then I have settled one in my Mind, as sublime, How shall I conceive the other as such?

But there is no other way of avoiding this Confusion, and of being equally certain of all sublime Sentiments, but by knowing that the first of these is a sublime Image, and the last a sublime Thought or Sentiment. And you will find, if you consider the Nature of _Homer_'s Image, all sublime Images are like it; and the same of _Alexander_'s sublime Thought. Altho' the sublime Sentiments in general are so different.

But since we are accidentally engag'd in considering the Sublime; I will endeavour to show you how to judge infallibly of a Sublime SENTIMENT.

For I think it cannot be gotten from _Longinus_; or at least, I could never learn it from that most Florid and Ingenious author. And it may be shown in three Lines, as well as in so many Volumes.