For, I'll be bold to say, that they who prefer a City Life, have a natural Affection for a Country one. It is Horace's Observation:
[254] Nempe inter varias nutritur silva columnas, Laudaturque domus, longos quæ prospicit agros; Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret.
That House is most esteem'd, he wisely builds, That hath a Prospect to the open Fields. Strive to expel strong Nature, 'tis in vain, With doubled Force she will return again. Creech.
And those that make the City Life their Choice, do so, as the Schoolmen speak, only by Accident; either to indulge their Vices and Extravagancies; or on account of some Inconveniencies which the Country sometimes labours under; as the Want of Company, or the Opportunity of gaining or increasing a Fortune; not out of any Distaste of the Pleasures of the Country. Who can help sympathizing with Horace's Citizen, and wish him Success in so reasonable a Request?
[255] O rus, quando ego te aspiciam? quandoque licebit Nunc veterum libris, nunc somno, & inertibus horis, Ducere sollicitæ jucunda oblivia vitæ?
Oh! when shall I enjoy my Country Seat? Oh! when remov'd from Noise to quiet Peace, Amidst my learned Books, my Sleep and Ease, While Hours do smoothly flow, and free from Strife Forget the Troubles of a busy Life? Creech.
And it is impossible to read Virgil's Description of the Country, in his second Georgic, without being in Love with the Subject, as well as the Poet. Upon the whole, since Innocence and the Country are even now so agreeable to human Nature, it is easy to see from what Source the Pleasure of Pastoral Poetry springs.
As Theocritus is the first that attempted this Way of Writing, so has he excell'd all others that have follow'd him. Virgil copies, and in some Places literally translates him. He has sometimes, however ventur'd to deviate from his Original, by throwing in a Mixture of the Sublime. If Theocritus's are truer Pastorals; Virgil's may be said, perhaps, to be the better Poems. I speak this with some Hesitation; for, it must be own'd, the Idyllia are truly beautiful; and the Author of them, I think, ought to be rank'd among the best Poets. The Sweetness of his Versification (owning partly to his own Ingenuity, and partly to his Doric Dialect) is equall'd by none. Take, only as a Specimen, what first offers, the very Beginning of the first Idyllium:
Θ. Αδυ τι το ψιθυρσμα, και, ἁ πιτυϛ, αιπολε, τηνα, Α ποτι ταιϛ παγαισι, μελισδεται ἁδυ δε και τυ Συρισδεϛ μετα Πανα το δευτερον αθλον αποισηι, κ.λ.
Αι. Αδιον, ω ποιμαν, το τεον μελοϛ, η το καταχεϛ Την απο πετραϛ καταλειβεται ὑψοθεν ὑδωρ. Αικα ται Μωσαιταν οιιδα δωρον αγωνται, Αρνα τυ σακιταν λαψηι γεραϛ αι δε κ' αρεσκηι Τηναιϛ αρνα λαβειν, τυ δε ταν οιν ὑστερον αξιϛ. Θ. Ληιϛ ποτι νυμφαν, ληιϛ, αιπολε, τηδε καθιξαϛ, κ.λ.