A Full Enquiry into the Nature of the Pastoral | Page 8

Poem can never tire.
Soon as we begin to be sated and cloy'd with Passion and Sublime
Images, the Poet changes the Scene; all is, on a sudden soft and
beautiful, and we seem in another World.
Yet is Pastoral by no means ty'd down by nature to the Length used by
Theocritus and all his Followers. 'Tis only Example has introduc'd that
Method. For, 'tis a Poem capable of raising two Passions, and those tho'
all consistent with one another, yet what raise Pleasures, the most
widely different of any, in the Mind. When we have tir'd the Reader
with a mournful and pitious Scene, we may relieve and divert his Mind
with agreeable and joyous Images. And these the Poet may diversify
and vary as often as he pleases. And so different are the Passions of
Pity and Joy, that he may all thro' the Poem please in an equal Degree,
yet all thro' the Poem in a different Manner.
Besides, this Poem changes the general Scene, which is more than even
Tragedy does. A Poet who has form'd a perfect Notion of the Beautiful,
and furnished his Mind with a sufficient number of delightful Images,
before he set's down to write a Pastoral, will lead the Reader thro' so
sweet a Variety of amusing scenes, and show so many beautiful
Pictures to his Imagination, that he will never think the tenth Part of a
Tragedy's Length too much for a Pastoral.
'Tis true indeed that they who make a Pastoral no more considerable
than a Song or Ballad (as _Theocritus_, _Virgil_, &c.) without
Passions, Characters, a delightful Fable, or any Moral, do well to make
it of no greater Extent than a Song or Ballad. Where there is nought to
delight but the Sentiments, (for they aim at neither the soft nor the
sublime Language) a Reader cannot attend to more than a hundred
Lines; but where the Mind is engag'd and concern'd for the Issue of the
Story, and eager to know the Event, 'tis insensibly drawn on, and
haveing some Aim in View, is much less weary'd, tho' led on to a
greater Extent.

CHAP. III.
_That the Pastoral Action must not be very little and minute; also that
several Under-actions must run thro' the Poem_.
A Third Quality, laid down as necessary to constitute a Fable wholly
perfect, was this, That as there must be but one Action, that Action may
not be any trifling, silly Circumstance of a Shepherd's Life. As one
Swain's telling the other how poor and bare he is grown. Or one
complaining to the other, that his Flock has had some Mischance, or the
like; which is as much as can be gather'd out of the Pastorals form'd
after the ordinary Way. For if you take the Actions of any of 'em,
divested of the Ornaments of Poetry, and the constant Repetition of the
pleasing Words, Grove, Breeze, Mead, &c. you will find nothing, even
nothing at all in any of 'em.
So that, tho' these Pastorals mostly may have Actions, nay, and Unity
of Action; yet are they Actions no more proper for a Poem, than a
Proposition of Euclid, turn'd into Verse, would be. There is nothing,
(not even the telling how the Sow and Pigs swallow'd their Wash, and
fought the while,) but might be call'd one Action, with a Beginning,
Middle and End. So that 'tis nothing to have unity of Fable, if the Fable
be not proper.
Shepherds are indeed suppos'd to be happy, and devoid of Stir, and
Noise, and Bustle; but does it follow, that there are no Actions or
Incidents in a Shepherd's Life? If there are delightful Actions, 'tis plain
we don't run counter to a Shepherd's Life in drawing 'em into Poetry;
and Poetry imitates the Actions of Men. Which show's that these
ordinary Pastorals are no more Poetry, than Lucretius is, or than any
other Philosopher, if turn'd into Verse, would be. Sure I think, as we
allow an Epick Writer to take his Hero in that Part or Character of his
Life, where he will make the best Figure in Poetry, so we should allow
a Pastoral-Writer the same Opportunity of pleasing.
'Tis necessary also that several lesser Actions work up to the main One;
that the whole Piece may be fill'd with Circumstances. 'Tis the very
Soul of Poetry to imitate Actions; to lead the Mind thro' a Variety of
Scenes; and to present a Number of Pictures before it.
'Tis plain a Shepherd's Life has as many Incidents, as other Person's;
only one Kind are in low Life, the other not. The Simplicity of Pastoral
is nothing touch'd by this, if these Incidents are Pastoral: For the

difference between Epick or Tragick Poetry, and Pastoral, must not