: gil has happily avoided both: but Milton has painted this paffion, as diftinct from all others, with fuch peculiar truth and beauty, that we cannot think Voltaire's encomium too high, when he says, that love in all other poetry seems a weakness, but in Paradife Loft a virtue. There are many good strokes of nature in Ramfay's Gentle Shepherd; but the author's paffion for the Rus verum betrays him into fome indelicacies * - a cenfure that falls with greater weight upon Theocritus, who is often abfolutely indecent. The Italian paftoral of Taffo and Guarini, and the French of Fontenelle, run into the oppofite extreme, (though in fome parts beautifully fimple), and difplay a fyftem of rural manners, fo quaint and affected as to outrage all probability. I fhould oppose feveral great names, if I were to fay, that Virgil has given us the pastoral poem in its most perfect ftate; and yet I cannot help being of this opinion, though I have not time at prefent to specify my reasons. -In fact, though mediocrity of execution in poetry be allowed to deferve the doom The language of this poem has been blamed, on account of its vulgarity. The Scotch dialect is fufficiently ruftic, even in its moft improved ftate: but in the Gentle Shepherd it is often debafed by a phrafeology not to be met with, except among the moft illiterate people. Writers on paftoral have not always been careful to diftinguish between coarfenefs and fimplicity; and yet a plain fuit of cloaths and a bundle of rags are not more differ ent. pronounced pronounced upon it by Horace *; yet is it true, notwithstanding, that in this art, as in many other good things, the point of excellence lies in a middle between two extremes; and has been reached by thofe only who fought to improve nature as far as the genius of their work would permit, keeping at an equal distance from rufticity on the one hand, and affected elegance on the other. If it were asked, what effects a view of nature degraded, or rendered lefs perfect than the reality, would produce in poetry; I fhould answer, The fame which caricatura produces in painting; -it would make the piece ludicrous. In almost every countenance, there are fome exceptionable features, by heightening the deformity whereof, it is eafy to give a ridiculous likeness even of a good face. And in most human characters there are blemishes, moral, intellectual, or corporeal, by exaggerating which to a certain degree, you may form a comic character; as by raifing the virtues, abilities, or external advantages of individuals, you form Epic or Tragic characters. I fay, to a certain degree; for if, by their vices, want of understanding, or bodily infirmities, they should raise disgust, pity, or any other important emotion, they are then no longer the objects of comic ridicule; and it is an egregious fault Hor. Ar. Poet. verf. 373. in a writer to attempt to make them fo*. It is a fault, because it proves his judgement to be perverted, and tends to pervert the sentiments, and ruin the morals of mankind. But is nature always degraded in Comic performances? I anfwer, No; neither is it always improved, as we remarked already, in ferious poetry. Some human characters. are fo truly heroic, as to raife admiration, without any heightenings of poetical art; and fome are fo truly laughable, that the comic writer would have nothing to do, but to represent them as they are. Besides, to raise laughter is not always the aim, either of the Epic Comedy †, or of the Dramatic : fublime paffions and characters are fometimes introduced; and these may be heightened as much as the poet finds neceffary for his purpofe, provided that, in his ftyle, he affect no heroical elevation; and that his action, and the rank of his perfons, be fuch as might probably be met with in common life. In regard to fable, and the order of events, all Comedy requires, or at least admits, as great perfection as Epic poetry itself. See Effay on Laughter, chap. 3. + Of the Epic Comedy, which might perhaps be called rather the Comic Epopee, Tom Jones and Amelia are examples. VOL. II. е CHAP. CHAP. VI. Remarks on Mufic. SECT. I. Of Imitation. Is Mufic an Imitative Art? AN from his birth is prone to imitation, and takes great pleasure in it. At a time when he is too young to underftand or attend to rules, he learns, by imitating others, to fpeak, and walk, and do many other things equally requifite to life and happiness. Most of the fports of children are imitative, and many of them dramatical. Mimickry occafions laughter; and a juft imitation of human life upon the stage is highly delightful to perfons of all ranks, conditions, and capacities. Our natural propenfity to imitation may in part account for the pleasure it yields: for that is always pleafing which gratifies natural propensity; nay, to please, and to gratify, are almoft fynonymous terms. Yet the peculiar charm of imitation may alfo be accounted for upon other principles. To compare compare a copy with the original, and trace out the particulars wherein they differ and wherein they resemble, is in itself a pleafing exercise to the mind; and, when accompanied with admiration of the object imitated, and of the genius of the imitator, conveys a most intense delight; which may be rendered ftill more intense by the agreeable qualities of the inftrument of imitation, by the beauty of the colours in painting, by the harmony of the language in poetry; and in mufic, by the fweetnefs, mellownefs, pathos, and other pleafing varieties of vocal and inftrumental found. And if to all this there be added, the merit of a moral defign, Imitation will then fhine forth in her most amiable form, and the enraptured heart acknowledge her powers of pleafing to be irrefiftible. Such is the delight we have in imitation, that what would in itself give neither pleafure nor pain, may become agreeable when well imitated. We fee without emotion many faces, and other familiar objects; but a good picture even of a stone, or common plant, is not beheld with indifference. No wonder, then, that what is agreeable in itfelf, fhould, when furveyed through the medium of fkilful imitation, be highly agreeable. A good portrait of a grim countenance is pleafing; but a portrait equally good of a beautiful one is ftill more fo. Nay, though a man in a violent paffion, a monftrous Q2 |