the most admired Wits of that happy Age, wonderfully pleas’d; for whatever is sweet, and ravishing, is contain’d in this sweetest kind of Poetry.  But if we must slight every thing, from which no profit is to be hop’d, all pleasures of the Eye and Ear are presently to be laid aside; and those excellent Arts, Musick, and Painting, with which the best men use to be delighted, are presently to be left off.  Nor is it indeed credible, that so many excellent Wits, as have devoted themselves to Poetry, would ever have medled with it, if it had been so empty, idle, and frivolous, as some ridiculously morose imagine; who forsooth are better pleas’d with the severity of Philosophy, and her harsh, deform’d impropriety of Expressions.  But the judgments of such men are the most contemptible in the world; for when by Poetry mens minds are fashioned to generous {49} Humors, Kindness, and the like:  those must needs be strangers to all those good qualites, who hate, or proclaim Poetry to be frivolous, and useless.

{50} The Third PART

Rules for writing Pastorals.

In delivering Rules for writing Pastorals, I shall not point to the streams, which to look after argues a small creeping Genius, but lead you to the fountains.  But first I must tell you, how difficult it is to write Pastorals, which many seem not sufficiently to understand:  For since its matter is low, and humble, it seems to have nothing that is troublesome, and difficult.  But this is a great mistake, for, as Horace says of Comedy, “It is by so much the more difficult, by how much the less pardonable are the mistakes committed in its composure”:  and the same is to be thought of every thing, whose end is to please, and delight.  For whatsoever is contriv’d for pleasure, and not necessarily requir’d, unless it be exquisite, must be nauseous, and distastful; as at a Supper, scraping Musick, thick Oyntment, or the like, because the Entertainment might have been without all these; For the sweetest things, and most delicious, are most apt to satiate; for tho the sense may sometimes be pleas’d, yet it presently disgusts that which is {51} luscious, and, as Lucretius phraseth it,

  E’en in the midst and fury of the Joys,
  Some thing that’s better riseth, and destroys.

Beside, since Pastoral is of that nature, that it cannot endure too much negligence, nor too scrupulous diligence, it must be very difficult to be compos’d, especially since the expression must be neat, but not too exquisite, and fine:  It must have a simple native beauty, but not too mean; it must have all sorts of delicacies, and surprizing fancies, yet not be flowing, and luxuriant.  And certainly, to hit all these excellencies is difficult enough, since Wit, whose nature it is to pour it self forth, must rather be restrain’d than indulg’d; and that force of the Mind, which of it self is so ready