The colour of imitation is ftill ftronger in the following paffage : 'Αως αντέλλοισα καλον διέφαινε προσωπον, Ωδε και χρύσεα Ελενα διεφαίνετ εν ἡμῖν, Πιειρα, μεγάλα, άτ ανέδραμεν ἔγμος άρερα. This defcription of Helen is infinitely above the ftyle and figure of the Sicilian paftoral→→ "She is like the rifing of the golden morning, "when the night departeth, and when the « winter is over and gone. She resembleth the cyprefs in the garden, the horfe in the chariots "of Theffaly." These figures plainly declare their origin, and others equally imitative might be pointed out in the fame idyllium. THIS beautiful and luxuriant marriage-paftoral of Solomon is the only perfect form 3 of of the oriental eclogue that has furvived the ruins of time, a happiness for which it is, probably, more indebted to its facred character than to its intrinfick merit. Not that it is by any means deftitute of poetical excellence: like all the eastern poetry, it is bold, wild and unconnected in its figures, allufions and parts, and has all that graceful and magnificent daring which characterises its metaphorical and comparative imagery. IN confequence of these peculiarities, fo ill adapted to the frigid genius of the north, Mr. COLLINS could make but little ufe of it as a precedent for his oriental eclogues, and even in his third eclogue, where the subject is of a fimilar nature, he has chofen rather to follow the mode of the Doric and the Latian pastoral. THE fcenery and fubjects then of the fol lowing eclogues alone are Oriental; the ftyle and colouring are purely European; and, for this reason, the author's preface, in which he intimates that he had the originals from a merchant who traded to the Eaft, is omitted, as being now altogether fuperfluous. WITH regard to the merit of thefe Eclogues, it may justly be afferted, that in fimplicity of description and expreffion, in delicacy and softness of numbers, and in natural and unaffected tenderness, they are not to be equalled by any thing of the paftoral kind in the English language. ECLOGUE ECLOGUE I. HIS eclogue, which is entitled Selim, or the Shepherd's Moral, as there is nothing dramatic in the fubject, may be thought the leaft entertaining of the four: but it is, by no means, the least valuable. The moral precepts which the intelligent fhepherd delivers to his fellow-fwains and the virgins, their companions, are fuch as would infallibly promote the happiness of the pastoral life. IN imperfonating the private virtues, the poet has obferved great propriety, and has formed their genealogy with the most perfect judgment, when he reprefents them as the daughters of truth and wisdom. THE characteristics of modesty and chastity are extremely happy and peinturesque : Come thou, whofe thoughts as limpid fprings To lead the train, fweet modefty appear! Distrusting all, a wise suspicious maid; the dew, A filken veil conceils her from the view. The two fimiles borrowed from rural objects are not only much in character, but perfectly natural and expreffive. There is, notwithtanding, this defect in the former, that it wants a peculiar propriety; for purity of thought may as well be applied to chastity as to modefty; and from this inftance, as well as from a thousand more, we may fee the necef fity |