me Misfortune, or the like, has quite
changed the Natural Temper before the Person appear's on the Stage, or
in the Poem. As in the Distress'd-Mother, the Character that give's name
to the Tragedy, is all along in Tears and Grief for _Hector_; and what
her Temper was before his Death, does not appear, that is, what her
Natural Temper was.

I need not detain you to apply what I have here observ'd to Pastoral in
particular; 'tis enough to affirm, that the Method which appears most
beautiful in Tragedy, will be equally finest in Pastoral Poetry.

CHAP. II.

_What Condition of Life our Shepherds should be supposed in. And whether
the_ Golden-Age, _or the present state of the Country should be drawn_.

There are three different Methods, (as we hinted in the first Chap. of
the first Book) of describing the Country. For it may be drawn, as 'tis
suppos'd to have been in the Golden-Age; or, as 'tis now, but only the
pleasant and delightful Images extracted, and touch'd upon; or,
lastly, we may draw the Country in it's true and genuine Colours, the
Deformities as well as the Beauties having admittance into our Poem.

This last sort run's upon the Labours and fatigues of the Rusticks; and
gives us direct Clowns and Country-Folk. We alway see 'em sweating with
a Sicle in their Hands; beating their Cows from the Corn; or else at
Scolding. Yet doubtless a kind of Pastorals of this Nature might be made
extreamly delightful, if the Writer would dare to write himself, and not
be lead so much by _Theocritus_ and _Virgil_.

But a Method preferable to this, I think, is a Description of the
Golden-Age; and there is very little difference between this, and that
which we hold the best. It draw's the Swains, all Innocent and tender.
Show's us Shepherds, who are so, not for their Poverty, but their
Pleasure; or the Custom of those unrefin'd Ages, when the Sons and
Daughters of Kings were of that Employ, as we read in the Scripture of
the Ladies of greatest Quality, drawing Water for their Flocks, and the
like. I am therefore nothing averse to this kind of Pastoral. It draw's
such a Life as we could easily wish our selves in; and such, and only
such, can bear a pleasurable Description.

But all the Opportunities that the supposition of the Golden-Age gives
the Reader of the Beautiful in his Descriptions, and being Entertaining
in his Characters; In short, all the delightful Scenes, Arborets and
Shades, as well as all the gentlenes