s the Ambiguous, the Pointed, the Insipid, the Refined,
the Bombast, and the rest. But of those Kind of Thoughts which are
in themselves good, only these three do properly belong to Pastoral;
namely, The Agreeable, or Joyous; The Mournful, or Piteous; And the Soft
or Tender.

Yet the rest of those Thoughts which are in their own Nature good,
may be so order'd as to bear a part in Pastoral. For as We may make a
Shepherd false to his Mistress, if he be offended with the Levity of his
Nature; so We may make a Lass Ill-natured and Satyrical, for Instance,
if 'tis not in her Temper, but assumed only for a good Purpose.

SECT. 2.

_Of those Thoughts which are proper for Pastoral, how to Judge which are
finest_.

I need only observe, that where is the greatest Combination of those
things which make the best Figure in Pastoral, that is always the best
Thought. As a Thought that is not only agreeable or Beautiful, but has
also Simplicity. The two finest Passages that I remember in _THEOCRITUS_
for their Simplicity, are these. Which are exceeding well Translated
by _CREECH_; whose Language (next to some of _Spencer's_) is vastly the
best we have, for pastoral. I will quote the whole Passage.

Daph.) _And as I drove my Herd, a lovely Maid
Stood peeping from a Cave; she smil'd, and said,
Daphnis is lovely, ah! a lovely Youth;
What Smiles, what Graces sit upon his Mouth!
I made no sharp Returns, but hung my Head
And went my Way, yet pleas'd with what she said_.

Idyll. 8.

Of the same Nature is what _COMATAS_ says in another Place.

Com.) _I milk two Goats; a Maid in yonder Plain
Lookt on, and Sigh'd_, Dost milk thy self poor Swain!

And what follows soon after.

Com.) _The fair Calistria, as my Goats I drove,
With Apples pelts me, and still murmurs Love_.

Idyll. 5.

Tho' these Thoughts are so exceeding Beautiful thro' their Simplicity,
I rather take 'em to be Agreeable Thoughts; and Simplicity to be only an
Adjunct or Addition to 'em; as Passion is an Addition and Embellishment
to the Sublime Thoughts.

The Mournful Thought, with the Addition of Simplicity, is as pleasing, I
think, as the Agreeable with Simplicity. The finest of this kind that I
remember in _THEOCRITUS_, are in his 22 _Idyll_. A Shepherd resolves to
Hang himself, being scorn'd by the Fair he ador'd. For the more he was
frown'd upon the more he loved.

_But w