{56} Let the third Rule be concerning the Expression, which cannot be in this kind excellent unless borrow’d from Theocritus’s Idylliums, or Virgil’s Eclogues, let it be chiefly simple, and ingenuous:  such is that of Theocritus,

  A Kid belongs to thee, and Kids are good,

Or that in Virgil’s seventh Eclogue,

  This Pail of Milk, these Cakes (Priapus) every year
  Expect; a little Garden is thy care: 
  Thou’rt Marble now, but if more Land I hold,
  If my Flock thrive, thou shalt be made of Gold,

than which I cannot imagine more simple, and more ingenuous expressions.  To which may be added that out of his Palemon,

  And I love Phyllis, for her Charms excell;
  At my departure O what tears there fell! 
  She sigh’d, Farewell Dear Youth, a long Farewell.

Now, That I call an ingenuous Expression which is clear and smooth, that swells with no insolent words, or bold metaphors, but hath something familiar, and as it were obvious in its Composure, and not disguis’d by any study’d and affected dress:  All its Ornament must be like the Corn and fruits in the Country, easy to {57} be gotten, and ready at hand, not such as requires Care, Labor, and Cost to be obtain’d:  as Hermogenes on Theocritus observes; See how easie and unaffected this sounds,

  Pines murmurings, Goatherd, are a pleasing sound,

and most of his expressions, not to say all, are of the same nature:  for the ingenuous simplicity both of Thought and Expression is the natural Characteristick of Pastoral.  In this Theocritus and Virgil are admirable, and excellent, the others despicable, and to be pittied; for they being enfeebled by the meanes of their subject, either creep, or fall flat. Virgil keeps himself up by his choice and curious words, and tho his matter for the most part (and Pastoral requires it) is mean, yet his expressions never flag, as is evident from these lines in his Alexis: 

  The glossy Plums I’le bring, and juicy Pear,
  Such as were once delightful to my Dear: 
  I’le crop the Laurel, and the Myrtle tree,
  Confus’dly set, because their Sweets agree.

For since the matter must be low, to avoid being abject, and despicable, you must borrow some light from the Expression; not such as is dazling, but pure, and lambent, such as may shine thro the whole matter, but never flash, and blind. {58} The words of such a Stile we are usually taught in our Nurses armes, but ’tis to be perfected and polished by length of time, frequent use, study, and diligent reading of the most approved Authors:  for Pastoral is apt to be slighted for the meaness of its Matter, unless it hath some additional Beauty, be pure, polisht, and so made pleasing, and attractive.  Therefore never let any one, that designs to write Pastorals,