hese things on Trust, and tye himself down to Brevity or Length
only because _Theocritus_ wrote short and _Homer_ long Pieces.

I have not Leisure to enter fully into this Question, but would
recommend it to some Person who has, as a Subject that would prove as
Entertaining to the Reader as the Writer. However, I shall speak just
what I have at present in my Mind upon it.

Without considering Tragedy as drawn into Representation, it is plain it
would not endure the Length of Epick Poetry, without being wearious in
the Reading, for these Reasons among others: It's Nature is more heated
and violent than the Epick Poem, and consists of only Dialogue; whereas
the former has the Variety of Dialogue and Narration both. Besides, the
under-actions which work up to the main Action in Heroick Poetry, are
each as great and as different from each other, as the main Actions of
different Tragedies.

Nor would Pastoral bear the Length of even Tragedy. For it admits not
both those two kinds of Writing, the Sublime and the Beautiful, which
are the most different of any in Nature, having only the last. But these
two give so sweet a variety to the same Piece, when they are artfully
blended together, that a good Tragedy or Epick 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