CHAP. VII.
Of COMPARISONS in Pastoral. And how much our modern Pastoral-Writers have fail'd therein.
SIMILIES in Pastoral must be managed with an exceeding deal of Care, or they will be faulty. As a Poet may range Nature for Comparisons; this gives a Pastoral-Writer a very easy Opportunity of introducing rural Thoughts. VIRGIL therefore, and those Swains who have written Pastorals more by Art and Imitation than Genius, generally heap three or four SIMILIES together for the same thing; and which is of no Moment; nor wanted any Comparison.
As I have hinted that Theocritus had a Genius capable of writing a perfect Set of Pastorals, his Similies are infinitely the best of any Swain's. The chief Rule, I think, to be observ'd is (if Rules can be given for such Things as these) that SIMILIES be contain'd in three or four Words. As this of PHILIPS's.
Whilon did I, all as this Pop'lar fair,
Up-raise my heedless Head devoid of Care, &c.
Or at most they ahould not exceed a Line. As this is a very Beautiful one In the same Author. And also in his 1st Pastoral.
A Girland, deck't with all the Pride of May, Sweet as her Breath, and as her Beauty gay, &c.
I shall not give my Opinion of the following Similies; yet I might say that I think 'em not altogether so fine as the foregoing two. Altho' they contain delightful Images
As Milk-white Swans on Silver Streams do show,
And Silver Streams to grace the Meadows flow;
As Corn the Vales and Trees the Hills adorn,
So thou to thine an Ornament was't born.
Past. 3.