Chapter 2

Some ascribe the Honor to _Bacchus_ the President of the _Nymphs, Satyrs_, and the other Country Gods, perhaps because he delighted in the Country; and others attribute it to _Apollo_ called _Nomius_ the God of Sheapards, and that he invented it then when he served _Admetus_ in _Thessaly_, and fed his Herds: For, tis likely, he to recreate himself, and pass away his time, applied his mind to such Songs as were best suitable to his present condition: Many think we owe it to _Pan_ the God of Sheapards, not a few to _Diana_ that extreamly delighted in solitude and Woods; and some say _Mercury_ himself: of all which whilst _Grammarians_ prattle, according to their usual custome they egregiously trifle; they suffer themselves to be put upon by Fables, and resign their judgment up to foolish pretentions, but things and solid truth is that we seek after.

As about the Author, so concerning the place of its Birth there is a great dispute, some say _Sparta_, others _Peloponesus_, but most are for _Sicily_.

_Valla the Placentine_, a curious searcher into Antiquity, thinks this sort of Poetry first appear'd amongst the _Lacedemonians_, for when the _Persians_ had wasted allmost all _Greece_, the _Spartans_ say {12} that they for fear of the _Barbarians_ fled into Caves and lurking holes; and that the Country Youth then began to apply themselves in Songs to _Diana Caryatis_, together with the Maids, who midst their Songs offerd Flowers to the Goddess: which custome containing somewhat of Religion was in those places a long time very scrupulously observed.

_Diomedes_ the Grammarian, in his treatise of _Measures_, declares _Sicily_ to be the Place: for thus he says, the _Sicilian_ Sheapards in time of a great _Pestilence_, began to invent new Ceremonies to appease incensed _Diana_, whom afterward, for affording her help, and stopping the Plague they called *Lyên*: _i.e._ the _Freer_ from their Miserys. This grew into custom, and the Sheapards used to meet in Companies, to sing their deliverer _Diana's_ praise, and these afterwards passing into _Italy_ were there named _Bucoliastæ_.

_Pomponius Sabinus_ tells the story thus: When the Hymns the Virgins us'd to sing in the Country to _Diana_ were left off, because, by reason of the present Wars, the Maidens were forc't to keep close within the Towns; the Shepherds met, and sang these kind of Songs, which are now call'd _Bucolicks_, to _Diana_; to whom they could not give the usual worship by reason of the Wars: But _Donatus_ says, that this kind of Verses was first sung to _Diana_ by _Orestes_, when he wandred about _Italy_; after he fled from _Scythia Taurica_, and had {13} taken away the Image of the Goddess and hid it in a bundle of sticks, whence she receiv'd the name of _Fascelina_, or _Phacelide_ *apo tou phakelou* At whose Altar, the very same _Orestes_ was afterward expiated by his Sister _Iphigenia_: But how can any one rely on such Fables, when the inconsiderable Authors that propose them disagree so much amongst themselves?

Some are of Opinion that the Shepherds, were wont in solem and set Songs about the Fields and Towns to celebrate the Goddess _Pales_; and beg her to bless their flocks and fields with a plenteous encrease and that from hence the name, and composure of _Bucolicks_ continued.

Other prying ingenious Men make other conjectures, as to this mazing Controversy thus _Vossius_ delivers himself; _The Antients cannot be reconcil'd, but I rather incline to their opinion who think_ Bucolicks _were invented either by the_ Sicilians _or_ Peloponesians, _for both those use the_ Dorick _dialect, and all the_ Greek Bucolicks _are writ in that_: As for my self I think, that what _Horace_ says of _Elegies_ may be apply'd to the present Subject.

But who soft Elegies was the first that wrote Grammarians doubt, and cannot end the doubt:

For I find nothing certain about this matter, since neither _Valla_ a diligent inquirer after, and a good judge in such things, nor any of the late writers produce any thing upon which I can safely rely; yet what beginning this kind of Poetry {14} had, I think I can pretty well conjecture: for tis likely that first Shepherds us'd Songs to recreate themselves in their leisure hours whilst they fed their Sheep; and that each man, as his wit served, accommodated his Songs to his present Circumstances: to this Solitude invited, and the extream leisure that attends that employment absolutely requir'd it: For as their retirement gave them leisure, and Solitude a fit place for Meditation, Meditation and Invention produc'd a Verse; which is nothing else but a Speech fit to be sung, and so Songs began: Thus _Hesiod_ was made a Poet, for he acknowledges himself that he receiv'd his inspiration;

Whilst under _Helicon_ he fed his Lambs.

for either the leisure or fancy of Shepherds seems to have a natural aptitude to Verse.

And indeed I cannot but agree with _Lucretius_ that accurate Searcher into Nature, who delivers that from that state of Innocence the Golden Age, Pastorals continued down to his time, for after he had in his fifth book describ'd that most happy age, he adds,

For then the Rural Muses reign'd.

From whence 'tis very plain, that as _Donatus_ himself observ'd, Pastorals were the invention of the simplicity and innocence of that Golden age, if there was ever any such, or certainly of that time which succeeded the beginning of the World: For tho the Golden Age must be acknowledged {15} to be only in the fabulous times, yet 'tis certain that the Manners of the first Men were so plain and simple, that we may easily derive both the innocent imployment of Shepherds, and Pastorals from them.

{16} _The Second_ PART.

Now let us inquire into the nature of _Pastoral_, in what its excellencies consist, and how it must be made to be exact: And this must needs be a hard Task, since I have no guide, neither _Aristotle_ nor _Horace_ to direct me; for both they, whatever was the matter, speak not one word of this sort of Verse. And I am of opinion that none can treat well and clearly of any kind of _Poetry_ if he hath no helps from these two: But since they lay down some general Notions of _Poetry_ which may be useful in the present case, I shall follow their steps as close as possible I can.

Not only _Aristotle_ but _Horace_ too hath defin'd that _Poetry_ in general is Imitation; I mention only these two, for tho _Plato_ in his Second Book _de Rep._ and in his _Timæus_ delivers the same thing, I shall not make use of his Authority at all: Now as _Comedy_ according to _Aristotle_ is the _Image and Representation of a gentiel and City Life_, so is _Pastoral Poetry_ of a County and _Sheapards_ Life; for since _Poetry_ in general is Imitation; its several _Species_ must likewise Imitate, take _Aristotles_ own words _Cap._ 1. *pasai tynchanousin ousa mimêseis*; And these _Species_ are {17} differenc't either by the subject matter, when the things to be imitated are quite different, or when the manner in which you imitate, or the mode of imitation is so: *en trisi dê tautais diaphorais hê mimêsis estin, en hois kai ha, kai hôs*: Thus tho of _Epick_ Poetry and _Tragedy_ the Subject is the same, and some great illustrious Action is to be _imitated_ by both, yet since one by representation, and the other by plain narration imitates, each makes a different _Species_ of imitation. And _Comedy_ and _Tragedy_, tho they agree in this, that both represent, yet because the Matter is different, and _Tragedy_ must represent some brave action, and _Comedy_ a humor; these Two sorts of imitation are _Specifically different_. And upon the same account, since _Pastoral_ chooses the mannes of Sheapards for its imitation, it takes from its matter a peculiar difference, by which it is distinguish'd frõ all others.

But here _Benius_ in his comments upon _Aristotle_ hath started a considerable query: which is this; Whether _Aristotle_, when he reckons up the different _Species_ of Poetry _Cap_ 1. doth include _Pastoral,_ or no? And about this I find learn'd men cannot at all agree: which certainly _Benius_ should have determin'd, or not rais'd: some refer it to that sort which _was sung to Pipes_, for that _Pastorals_ were so _Apuleius_ intimates, when at the marriage Feast of _Phyche_ He brings in _Paniscus_ singing _Bucolicks_ to his Pipe; But since they did not seriously enough consider, what _Aristotle_ {18} meant by that which he calls *aulêtikên* they trifle, talk idly, and are not to be heeded in this matter; For suppose some _Musitian_ should sing _Virgils Ænæis_ to the Harp, (and _Ant. Lullus_ says it hath been done,) should we therefore reckon that divine and incomparable Master of _Heroick_ Poetry amongst the _Lyricks_?

Others with _Cæsius Bassus_ and _Isacius Tzetzes_ hold that that distribution of _Poetry_, which _Aristotle_ and _Tully_ hath left us, is deficient and imperfect; and that only the chief Species are reckoned, but the more inconsiderable not mention'd: I shall not here interest my self in that quarrel of the _Criticks_, whether we have all _Aristotles_ books of Poetry or no; this is a considerable difficulty I confess, for _Laertius_ who accurately weighs this matter, says that he wrote two books of _Poetry_, the one lost, and the other we have, tho _Mutinensis_ is of an other mind: but to end this dispute, I must agree with _Vossius_, who says the Philosopher comprehended these Species not expressly mentioned, under a higher and more noble head: and that therefore _Pastoral_ was contain'd in _Epick_. for these are his own words, _besides there are Epicks of an inferior rank, such as the Writers of Bucolicks_. _Sincerus_, as _Minturnus_ quotes him, is of the same mind, for thus he delivers his opinion concerning _Epick Verse_: _The matters about which these numbers may be employed is various; either mean and low, as in Pastorals, great and lofty, as when {19} the Subject is Divine Things, or Heroick Actions, or of a middle rank, as when we use them to deliver precepts in:_ And this likewise he signifys before, where he sets down three sorts of _Epicks_: _one of which, says he, is divine, and the most excellent by much in all Poetry_; the _other the lowest but most pure, in which Theocritus excelled, which indeed shews nothing of Poetry beside the bare numbers_: These points being thus settled, the remaining difficultys will be more easily dispatched.

For as in _Dramatick_ Poetry the Dignity and meanness of the _Persons_ represented make two different _Species of imitation_ the one _Tragick_, which agrees to none but great and Illustrious persons, the other _Comick_, which suits with common and gentile humors: so in _Epick_ too, there may be reckoned two sorts of _Imitation_, one of which belongs to _Heroes_, and that makes the _Heroick_; the other to _Rusticks_ and _Sheapards_ and that constitutes the _Pastoral_, now as a _Picture_ imitates the Features of the face, so _Poetry_ doth action, and tis not a representation of the Person but the Action.

From all which we may gather this definition of Pastoral: _It is the imitation of the Action of a Sheapard, or of one taken under that Character_: Thus _Virgil's Gallus_, tho not really a _Sheapard_, for he was a man of great quality in _Rome_, yet belongs to _Pastoral_, because he is represented like a Sheapard: hence the Poet:

{20} The Goatherd and the heavy Heardsmen came, And ask't what rais'd the deadly Flame.

The _Scene_ lys amongst Sheapards, the _Swains_ are brought in, the _Herdsmen_ come to see his misery, and the fiction is suited to the real condition of a _Sheapard_; the same is to be said for his _Silenus_, who tho he seems lofty, and to sound to loud for an oaten reed, yet since what he sings he sings to _Sheapards_, and suits his Subject to their apprehensions, his is to be acknowledged _Pastoral_. This rule we must stick to, that we might infallibly discern what is stricktly _Pastoral_ in _Virgil_ and _Theocritus_, and what not: for in _Theocritus_ there are some more lofty thoughts which not having any thing belonging to Sheapards for their Subject, must by no means be accounted _Pastoral_, But of this more in its proper place.

My present inquiry must be what is the _Subject Matter_ of a _Pastoral_, about which it is not easy to resolve; since neither from _Aristotle_, nor any of the _Greeks_ who have written _Pastorals_, we can receive certain direction. For sometimes they treat of high and sublime things, like _Epick Poets_; what can be loftier than the whole _Seaventh Idyllium of Bias_ in which _Myrsan_ urges _Lycidas_ the Sheapard to sing the Loves of _Deidamia_ and _Achilles_. For he begins from _Helen's_ rape, and goes on to the revengful fury of the _Atrides_, and shuts up in one _Pastoral_, all that is great and sounding in _Homers Iliad_.

{21} Sparta was fir'd with Rage And gather'd Greece to prosecute Revenge.

And _Theocritus_ his verses are sometimes as sounding and his thoughts as high: for upon serious consideration I cannot mind what part of all the _Heroicks_ is so strong and sounding as that _Idyllium_ on _Hercules_ *leontophonô* in which _Hercules_ himself tells _Phyleus_ how he kill'd the Lyon whose Skin he wore: for, not to mention many, what can be greater than this expression.

And gaping Hell received his mighty Soul:

Why should I instance in the *dioskouroi*, which hath not one line below Heroick; the greatness of this is almost inexpressible.

*anêr hyperoplos enêmeros, endiaaske deinos idein*

And some other pieces are as strong as these, such is the _Panegyrick on Ptolemy_, _Helen's Epithalamium_, and the Fight of young _Hercules_ and the Snakes: now how is it likely that such Subjects should be fit for _Pastorals_, of which in my opinion, the same may be said which _Ovid_ doth of his _Cydippe_.

Cydippe, Homer, doth not fit thy Muse.

For certainly _Pastorals_ ought not to rise to the Majesty of _Heroicks_: but who on the other side {22} dares reprehend such great and judicious Authors, whose very doing it is Authority enough? What shall I say of _Virgil_? who in his Sixth _Eclogue_ hath put together allmost all the particulars of the fabulous Age; what is so high to which _Silenus_ that Master of Mysterys doth not soar?

For lo! he sung the Worlds stupendious birth, How scatter'd seeds of sea, of Air, and Earth, And purer Fire thro universal night And empty space did fruitfully unite: From whence th' innumerable race of things By circular successive order springs:

And afterward

How Pyrra's Stony race rose from the ground, And Saturn reign'd with Golden plenty crown'd, How bold _Prometheus_ (whose untam'd desire, Rival'd the Sun with his own Heavenly Fire) Now doom'd the _Scythian_ Vulturs endless prey Severely pays for Animating Clay:

So true, so certain 'tis, that nothing is so high and lofty to which _Bucolicks_ may not successfully aspire. But if this be so, what will become of _Macrobius, Georgius Valla, Julius Scaliger, Vossius,_ and the whole company of Grammarians? who all affirm that simplicity and meanness is so essential to _Pastorals_, that it ought to be confin'd to the State, Manners, Apprehension and even common phrases of Sheapards: for nothing can {23} be said to be _Pastoral_, which is not accommodated to their condition; and for this Reason _Nannius Alcmaritanus_ in my opinion is a trifler, who, in his comments on _Virgils Eclogues_, thinks that those sorts of Composures may now and then be lofty, and treat of great subjects: where he likewise divides the matter of _Bucolicks_, into _Low_, _Middle_, and _High_: and makes _Virgil_ the Author of this Division, who in his Fourth _Eclogue_, (as he imagines) divides the matter of _Bucolicks_ into Three sorts, and intimates this division by these three words: _Bushes_, _Shrubs_ and _Woods_.

Sicilian Muse begin a loftier strain, The Bushes and the Shrubs that shade the Plain Delight not all; if I to Woods repair My Song shall make them worth a Consuls Care.

By Woods, as he fancys, as _Virgil_ means high and stately Trees, so He would have a great and lofty Subject to to be implyed, such as he designed for the _Consul_: by Bushes, which are almost even with the ground, the meanest and lowest argument; and by Shrubs a Subject not so high as the one, nor so low as the other, as the thing it-self is, And therefore these lines

If I to Woods repair My Song shall make them worth a _Consuls_ care.

{24} are thus to be understood, That if we choose high and sublime arguments, our work will be fit for the Patronage of a _Consul_, This is _Nanniu's_ interpretation of that place; too pedantial and subtle I'me affraid, for tis not credible that ever _Virgil_ thought of reckoning great and lofty things amongst the Subjects of _Bucolicks_ especially since

When his _Thalia_ rais'd her bolder voice And Kings and Battles were her lofty choice, _Phoebus_ did twitch his Ear, mean thoughts infuse, And with this whisper check't th' inspiring Muse. A Sheapard, Tityrus, his Sheep should feed, And choose a subject suited to his reed,

This certainly was a serious admonition, implyed by the twitching of his Ear, and I believe if he had continued in this former humor and not obey'd the smarting admonition. He had still felt it: so far was he from thinking Kings and Battels fit Themes for a _Sheapards_ song: and this evidently shows that in _Virgils_ opinion, contrary to _Nanniu's_ fancy, great things cannot in the least be comprehended within the subject matter of _Pastorals;_ no, it must be low and humble, which _Theocritus_ very happily expresseth by this word *Boukoliasdên* _i.e._ as the interpreters explain it, sing humble Strains.

Theefore let _Pastoral_ never venture upon a {25} lofty subject, let it not recede one jot from its proper matter, but be employ'd about Rustick affairs: such as are mean and humble in themselves; and such are the affairs of Shepherds, especially their Loves, but those must be pure and innocent; not disturb'd by vain suspitious jealousy, nor polluted by Rapes; The Rivals must not fight, and their emulations must be without quarrellings: such as _Vida_ meant.

Whilst on his Reed he Shepherd's stifes conveys, And soft complaints in smooth Sicilian lays.

To these may be added _sports_, _Jests_, _Gifts_, and _Presents_; but not _costly_, such are yellow Apples, young stock-Doves, Milk, Flowers, and the like; all things must appear delightful and easy, nothing vitious and rough: A perfidious Pimp, a designing Jilt, a gripeing Usurer, a crafty factious Servant must have no room there, but every part must be full of the simplicity of the _Golden-Age_, and of that Candor which was then eminent: for as _Juvenal affirms_

Baseness was a great wonder in that Age;

Sometimes _Funeral-Rites_ are the subject of an _Eclogue_, where the Shepherds scatter flowers on the Tomb, and sing Rustick Songs in honor of the Dead: Examples of this kind are left us by _Virgil_ in his _Daphnis_, and _Bion_ in his _Adonis_, and this hath nothing disagreeable to a Shepherd: In {26} short whatever, the decorum being still preserv'd, can be done by a _Sheapard_, may be the Subject of a _Pastoral_.

Now there may be more kinds of Subjects than _Servius_ or _Donatus_ allow, for they confine us to that Number which _Virgil_ hath made use of, tho _Minturnus_ in his second Book _de Poetâ_ declares against this opinion: But as a glorious _Heroick_ action must be the Subject of an _Heroick_ Poem, so a _Pastoral_ action of a _Pastoral_; at least it must be so turn'd and wrought, that it might appear to be the action of a _Shepherd_; which caution is very necessary to be observ'd, to clear a great many difficulties in this matter: for tho as the Interpreters assure us; most of _Virgils_ Eclogues are about the Civil war, planting Colonys, the murder of the Emperor, and the like, which in themselves are too great and too lofty for humble _Pastoral_ to reach, yet because they are accomodated to the Genius of Shepherds, may be the Subject of an _Eclogue_, for that sometimes will admit of Gods and Heroes so they appear like, and are shrouded under the Persons of Shepherds: But as for these matters which neither really are, nor are so wrought as to seem the actions of Shepherds, such are in _Moschus's_ _Europa_, _Theocritus's_ _Epithalamium of Helen_, and _Virgil's_ _Pollio_, to declare my opinion freely, I cannot think them to be fit Subjects for _Bucolicks_: And upon this account I suppose 'tis that _Servius_ in his {27} Comments on _Virgil's_ _Bucoliks_ reckons only seven of _Virgil's_ ten Eclogues, and onely ten of _Theocritus's_ thirty, to be pure Pastorals, and _Salmasius_ upon _Solinus_ says, that _amongst Theocritus's_ _Poems there are some which you may call what you please Beside Pastorals_: and _Heinsius_ in his _Scholia_ upon _Theocritus_ will allow but Ten of his _Idylliums_ to be _Bucoliks_, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 11. for all the rest are deficient either in matter or form, and from this number of pure pastoral _Idylliums_ I am apt to think, that _Theocritus_ seems to have made that Pipe, on which he tun'd his _Pastorals_ and which he consecrated to _Pan_ of ten Reeds, as _Salmasius_ in his notes on _Theocritus's_ Pipe hath learnedly observed: _in which two Verses always make one Reed of the Pipe, therefore all are so unequal, like the unequal Reeds of a Pipe, that if you put two equals together which make one Reed, the whole inequality consists in ten pairs_; when in the common Pipes there were usually no more then seven Reeds, and this the less curious observers have heedlessly past by.

Some are of opinion that whatever is done in the Country, and in one word, every thing that hath nought of the City in it may be treated of in _Pastorals_; and that the discourse of Fishers, Plow-men, Reapers, Hunters, and the like, belong to this kind of Poetry: which according to the Rule that I have laid down cannot be true for, as I before hinted nothing but the action of a {28} Shepherd can be the Subject of a Pastoral.

I shall not here enquire, tho it may seem proper, whether we can decently bring into an Eclogue Reapers, Vine-dressers, Gardners, Fowlers, Hunters, Fishers, or the like, whose lives for the most part are taken up with too much business and employment to have any vacant time for Songs, and idle Chat, which are more agreeable to the leisure of a Sheapards Life: for in a great many Rustick affairs, either the hardship and painful Labor will not admit a song, as in Plowing, or the solitude as in hunting, Fishing, Fowling, and the like; but of this I shall discourse more largely in another place.

Now 'tis not sufficient to make a Poem a true _Pastoral_, that the Subject of it is the action of a Shepherd, for in _Hesiods_ *erga* and _Virqils Georgicks_ there are a great many things that belong to the employment of a Shepherd, yet none fancy they are Pastorals; from whence 'tis evident, that beside the _matter_, which we have defin'd to be the action of a Sheapard, there is a peculiar _Form_ proper to this kind of _Poetry_ by which 'tis distinguish'd from all others.