CHAP. II.
How to attain to the Soft in Writing.
That a Shepherd should talk in a different Dialect from other People, is allow'd by all. That the Pastoral Language should be soft and agreeable is equally past dispute. The only remaining Question then is, what it is that composes such a Dialect, and how to attain it.
In order to compose a Pastoral Dialect entirely perfect; the first thing, I think, a Writer has to do, is, as we said before, to enervate it and deprive it of all strength.
As for the manner of enervating a Language, it must be perform'd by the
Genius of the Poet, and not shown by a Critick. However when the Thing
is done, 'tis not difficult to see what chiefly effected it. There are,
I think, Cubbin, two Things that principally enervate your Language.
First, 'Tis perform'd by throwing out all Words that are Sonorous and raise a Verse. Mr. PHILIPS comes the nearest to a Pastoral Language of any English Swain but Spencer. And he has truly enervated his Language in four several Lines. One of which is the last of these two.
Ye Swains, I beg ye pass in silence by; My Love in yonder Vale asleep doth lye.
The Word Doth, is what enervates the last Line. But 'twould be still better enervated if Mr. Philips had used only such Words as have very few Consonants in them. For by Consonants, joyn'd with the Vowel O, a Writer may render his Language, in Epick Poetry, just as Sonorous as he will; and by the want of Consonants and by delighting in the other soft Vowels he may render it weak. I cannot see that Mr. PHILIPS has any Line where the Language is wholly enervated. But see how Spencer has done this. Especially in the second of these Lines.
The gentle Shepherd sate beside a Spring. All in the Shadow of a Bushy Breer. &c.
In this last Line, there is but one Word end's with a Consonant, where the following Word begin's with one. But a Writer, who is perfectly Master of his Language, will be able to have every Line like this; and no Word more strong than Evening, Rivulet, and the like, will he be forc'd to use.
Secondly, The Language is by nothing more weaken'd, than by the use of Monisyllables. This no one ever had the least Notion of but Spencer. Which I wonder has not been observed, 'tis so very palpable in him. What makes the finess of these Lines else?
All as the Sheep such was the Shepherd's look,
For pale and wan he was (alas the while!)
May seem he lov'd, or also some Care he took,
Well could he tune his Pipe and form his Stile.
Past. 1.
Here is but two Words for four Lines, except Monosyllables.
The best Lines in PHILIPS, for the Language, are these, where
Monosyllables reign.
…Fine gain at length, I trow,
To hoard up to my self such deal of Woe!
And the last of these; for the first is rough thro' too many Consonants.
A lewd Desire strange Lands and Swains to know: Ah Gad! that ever I should covet Woe! Past. 2.
There are other Methods, I see, Cubbin, you have taken to enervate your Language; too minute and too numerous to recite, but they are easily, I think, observ'd, if a Person peruses the Pastoral Writers with Care.
When our Dialect is thus render'd weak and low, we must then add to it, (in order to render it as pleasant as a Dialect that is not low and mean) Simplicity, Softness and Rusticity. This is perform'd principally by these three things. By Old-Terms; by Turns of Words, and Phrazes; and by Compound Words. Of all which I shall crave leave to treat distinctly. And first of Ancient Terms.