Bleft Swains, whofe Nymphs in ev'ry grace excel; 95 For fee! the gathʼring flocks to shelter tend, ΙΟΙ VARIATIONS. VER. 99. was originally, The turf with country dainties fhall be spread, REMARKS. POPE. mention of the crook and the pipe, the fheep and the kids." This appears to be an unjust and harsh condemnation of all Paftoral Poetry. WARTON. Surely Dr. Johnson's decrying the affected introduction of the "crook and pipe," &c. into English Paftorals, is not a condemnation of all Paftoral Poetry. Dr. Johnfon certainly could not very highly relish this fpecies of Poetry, witness his harsh criticisms on Milton's exquisite Lycidas, &c. but we almoft forgive his feverity on feveral genuine pieces of poetic excellence, when we confider that he has done a fervice to truth and nature, in speaking with a proper and dignified contempt of fuch trite puerilities. SUMMER: THE SECOND PASTORAL. OR ALEXIS. TO DR. GARTH. A Shepherd's Boy (he feeks no better name) VARIATIONS. VER. 1, 2, 3, 4, were thus printed in the first edition : VER. 3. Originally thus in the MS. There to the winds he plain'd his hapless love, REMARKS. POPES WARBURTON. VER. 3. The Scene of this Paftoral by the river side, suitable to the heat of the season; the Time, noon. IMITATIONS. VER. 1. Spenfer's Shepherd's Calendar, January: A fhepherd's boy, (no better do him call,) When Winter's wasteful fpight was almost spent, POPE. Led forth his flock, that had been long ypent Soft Soft as he mourn'd, the ftreams forgot to flow, 5 Accept, O GARTH! the Mufe's early lays, Ye fhady beeches, and ye cooling streams, Why art thou prouder and more hard than they? REMARKS. 10 15 VER. 9. Dr. Samuel Garth, Author of the Dispensary, was one of the first friends of our Poet, whofe acquaintance with him began at fourteen or fifteen. Their friendship continued from the year 1703 to 1718, which was that of his death. POPE. He was a man of the sweetest disposition, amiable 'manners, and univerfal benevolence. All parties, at a time when party violence was at a great height, joined in praifing and loving him. One of the most exquifite pieces of wit ever written by Addison, is a defence of Garth against the Examiner, 1710. WARTON. VER. 14. Defence from Phabus', c ] A harsh line, and a falfe and affected thought. VER. 16. The woods fball anfwer, and their echo ring.] Is a line out of Spenfer's Epithalamion. POPE. Ver. 18. Why art thou prouder and more hard than they?] A line unworthy our Author, containing a falfe and trivial thought; as is alfo the 22d line. IMITATIONS. VER. 8. And Jove confented] 66 WARTON. Jupiter et læto defcendet plurimus imbri." Virg. POPE. VER. 15. nor to the deaf I fing,] "Non canimus furdis, refpondent omnia fylvæ." Virg. POPE. The The bleating sheep with my complaints agree, Where ftray ye, Mufes, in what lawn or grove, REMARKS. 20 25 VER. 20. They parch'd with heat, c.] Pope fays, his merit in thefe Paftorals is his copying from the Ancients. Can any thing like this and other conceits be found in the natural and unaffected language of Virgil? No fuch thing. But what do we find in Dryden's Imitation of Virgil: The creaking locufts with my voice confpire, They fry'd with heat, and I with fierce defire. This is Virgil's: Sole fub ardenti refonant arbufta cicadis! And Pope had this imitation in his eye, not the original. I take this opportunity of saying, that there is a peculiar propriety in Virgil's "ARBUSTA cicadis refonant," which is overlook'd by the Translator. In Italy, the cicada is known to fly from tree to tree; it is larger than in England, and its note is much more shrill. VER. 23. How inferior is Virgil to Theocritus? See the original paffage : Πε ποκ ας ησθ οκα, &c. Idyll. 1. 1. 66. IMITATIONS. VFR. 23. Where firay ye, Mufes, &c.] 66 Quæ nemora, aut qui vos faltus habuere, puellæ As in the crystal spring I view VARIATIONS. VER. 27. Oft in the cryftal fpring I caft a view, REMARKS. 30 35 POFE. VER. 27. As in the crystal fpring] This is one of thofe paffages in which Virgil, by too clofely copying Theocritus, has violated propriety; and not attended to the different characters of Cyclops and Corydon. The fea, which is a proper looking-glass for the gigantic fon of Neptune, who also conftantly dwelt on the fhore, was certainly not equally adapted to the face of the little Land-fhepherd. The fame may be faid of the cheese and milk, and numerous herds of Polypheme, exactly suited to his Sicilian fituation, and the rude and favage ftate of the speaker, whofe character is admirably fupported through the whole eleventh Idyllium of Theocritus, WARTON. VER. 35, 36. Care,] The only faulty rhymes, care and feer, perhaps in these poems, where verfification is in general fo exact and correct, IMITATIONS. WARTON. VER. 27. Virgil again, from the Cyclops of Theocritus, 66 nuper me in littore vidi, Cum placidum ventis ftaret mare; non ego Daphnim, POPE. But |