times with

great fatisfaction.

The Preface

is very judicious and very learned; and the Verses very tender and eafy. tender and easy. The Author feems to have a particular Genius for that kind of Poetry, and a Judgment that much exceeds the years you told me he was of He has taken very freely from the Ancients, but what he has mixt of his own with theirs, is no way inferior to what he has taken from them. 'Tis no flattery at all to fay, that Virgil had written nothing fo good at his Age*. I fhall take it as a favour if you will bring me acquainted with him; and if he will give himself the trouble any morning to call at my House, I fhall be very glad to read the Verfes over with him, and give him my opinion of the particulars more largely than I can well do in this Letter. I am, Sir,

* Sixteen.

and most humble Servant,

W. WALSH

Mr.

I

Mr. WALSH to Mr. POPE.

June 24, 1706.

Receiv'd the favour of your Letter, and fhall be very glad of the continuance of a correfpondence by which I am like to be fo great a gainer. I hope when I have the happinefs of feeing you again in London, not only to read over the Verfes I have now of yours, but more that you have written fince; for I make no doubt but any one who writes fo well, muft write more. Not that I think the most voluminous Poets always the beft, I believe the contrary is ráther true. I mention'd fomewhat to you in London of a Paftoral Comedy, which I fhould be glad to hear you had thought upon fince. fince. I find Menage in his obfervations upon Tallo's Aminta, reckons up fourfcore Paftoral Plays in Italian: And in looking over my old Italian Books, I find a great many Paftorals and Pifcatory Plays, which I fuppofe Menage reckons together. I find alfo by Menage, that Taffo is not the first that writ in that kind, he mentioning another before him, which he himself had never feen, nor indeed have I. But as the Aminta, Paftor Fido, and Filli di Sciro of Bonarelli are the three best, so I think there

is

is no difpute but Aminta is the best of the three: Not but that the Difcourfes in Paftor Fido are more entertaining and copious in feveral peoples opinion, tho' not fo proper for Paftoral; and the Fable of Bonarelli more furprizing. I do not remember many in other Languages, that have written in this kind with fuccefs. Racan's Bergeries are much inferior to his Lyrick Poems; and the Spaniards are all too full of Conceits. Rapin will have the defign of Paftoral Plays to be taken from the Cyclops of Euripides. I am fure there is nothing of this kind in English worth mentioning, and therefore you have that Field open to your felf. You fee I write to you without any fort of conftraint or method, as things come into my head, and therefore pray ufe the fame freedom with me, who am, &c.

I

Mr. POPE to Mr. WALSH.

July 2, 1706. Cannot omit the firft opportunity of making you my acknowledgments for reviewing those Papers of mine. You have no lefs right to correct me, than the fame hand that rais'd a Tree has to prune it. I am convinc'd as well as you, that one may

correct

correct too mnch; for in Poetry as in Painting, a Man may lay Colours one upon another, till they stiffen and deaden the Piece. Befides to bestow heightning on every part is monftrous: Some parts ought to be lower than the reft; and nothing looks more ri diculous, than a Work, where the Thoughts, however different in their own nature, feem all on a level: 'Tis like a Meadow newly mown, where Weeds, Grafs, and Flowers are all laid even, and appear undistinguish'd. I believe too that fometimes our first Thoughts are the best, as the firft fqueezing of the Grapes makes the finest and richeft Wine.

I have not attempted any thing of Pafto ral Comedy, becaufe I think the Taste of our Age will not relifh a Poem of that fort. People feek for what they call Wit, on all fubjects, and in all places; not confidering that Nature loves Truth fo well, that it hardly ever admits of flourishing: Conceit is to Nature what Paint is to Beauty; it is not only needlefs, but impairs what it wou'd improve. There is a certain Majefty in Simplicity which is far above all the Quaintnefs of Wit: infomuch that the Critics have excluded it from the loftieft Poetry, as well as the lowest, and forbid it to the Epic no less than the Paftoral. I shou'd certainly difplease all thofe who are charm'd

withGuarini and Bonarelli, and imitateTallo not only in the Simplicity of his Thoughts, but in that of the Fable too. If furprifing discoveries fhou'd have place in the ftory of a Paftoral Comedy, I believe it wou'd be more agreeable to Probability to make them the effects of Chance than of Defign; Intrigue not being very con fiftent with that Innocence, which ought to conftitute a Shepherd's Character. There is nothing in all the Aminta (as I remember) but happens by meer accident; unless it be the meeting of Aminta with Sylvia at the Fountain, which is the contrivance of Daphne, and even that is the moft fimple in the world: The contrary is obfervable in Paftor Fido, where Corifca is so perfect a Mistress of Intrigue, that the Plot cou'd not have been brought to pass without her. I am inclin'd to think the Paftoral Comedy has another disadvantage, as to the Manners: Its general defign is to make us in love with the Innocence of a rural Life, so that to introduce Shepherds of a vicious Charaeter muft in fome measure debafe it; and hence it may come to pafs, that even the virtuous Characters will not fhine fo much, for want of being oppos'd to their contraries. Thefe Thoughts are purely my own, and therefore I have reafon to doubt

them: