to run on, must be checkt, and bridled:  Which cannot be easily perform’d by any, but those who have a very good Judgment, and practically skill’d in Arts, and Sciences:  And lastly, a neat, and as it were a happy Wit; not that curious sort, I mean, which Petronius allows Horace, lest too much Art should take off the Beauty of the Simplicity.  And therefore I would not have any one undertake this task, that is not very polite by Nature, and very much at leisure.  For what is more hard than to be always in the Country, and yet never to be Clownish? to sing of mean, and trivial matters, {52} yet not trivially, and meanly? to pipe on a slender Reed, and yet keep the sound from being harsh, and squeaking? to make every thing sweet, yet never satiate?  And this I thought necessary to premise, in order to the better laying down of such Rules as I design.  For the naked simplicity both of the Matter and Expression of a Pastoral, upon bare Contemplation, might seem easily to be hit, but upon trial ’twill be found a very hard task:  Nor was the difficulty to be dissembled, lest Ignorance should betray some into a rash attempt.  Now I must come to the very Rules; for as nothing excellent can be brought to perfection without Nature, (for Art unassisted by that, is vain, and ineffectual,) so there is no Nature so excellent, and happy, which by its own strength, and without Art and Use can make any thing excellent, and great.

But tis hard to give Rules for that, for which there have been none already given; for where there are no footsteps nor path to direct, I cannot tell how any one can be certain of his way.  Yet in this difficulty I will follow Aristotle’s Example, who being to lay down Rules concerning Epicks, propos’d Homer as a Pattern, from whom he deduc’d the whole Art:  So I will gather from Theocritus and Virgil, those Fathers of Pastoral, what I shall deliver on this account.  For all the Rules that are to be given of any Art, are to be given of it as excellent, and perfect, and {53} therefore ought to be taken from them in whom it is so.

The first Rule shall be about the Matter, which is either the Action of a Shepherd, or contriv’d and fitted to the Genius of a Shepherd; for tho Pastoral is simple, and bashful, yet it will entertain lofty subjects, if it can be permitted to turn and fashion them to its own proper Circumstances, and Humor:  which tho Theocritus hath never done, but kept close to pastoral simplicity, yet Virgil hath happily attempted; of whom almost the same Character might be given, which Quintilian bestow’d on Stesichorus, who with his Harp bore up the most weighty subjects of Epick Poetry; for Virgil sang great and lofty things to his Oaten Reed, but yet suited to the Humor of a Shepherd, for every thing that is not agreeable to that, cannot belong to Pastoral:  of its own nature it cannot treat of lofty and great matters.