SOURCE: "Letter First on Ramsay's Gentle Shepherd," in The Scots Magazine, Vol. LIX, February, 1797, pp. 76-78.

In the following excerpt, the anonymous critic, who signs himself "Philo-Scoticus," praises Ramsay's characterization and rendering of Scottish country life in The Gentle Shepherd and defends the poem against charges of vulgarity.

Sir,

Before I enter particularly upon the Gentle Shepherd, I beg leave to make a few observations upon the poem in general, as is customary with the greatest ancient as well as modern critics; I shall, in doing this, have an eye upon Aristotle's method of examining epic poetry, poetry, which Addison has adopted in that excellent critique upon Milton's Paradise Lost. He first considers the fable; secondly, the characters; thirdly, sentiments and behaviour of the actors; and fourthly, the language.

1st, The fables of all dramatic works must be probable, but those of the pastoral drama must be peculiarly...