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 Timaeus 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 mimeseis; 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 de tautais diaphorais he mimesis estin, en hois kai ha, kai hos:  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 fro 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 auletiken they trifle, talk idly, and are not to be heeded in this matter; For suppose some Musitian should sing Virgils AEnaeis 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?