for either the leisure or fancy of Shepherds seems to have a natural
aptitude to Verse.
And indeed I cannot but agree with _Lucretius_ that accurate Searcher
into Nature, who delivers that from that state of Innocence the Golden
Age, Pastorals continued down to his time, for after he had in his
fifth book describ'd that most happy age, he adds,
For then the Rural Muses reign'd.
From whence 'tis very plain, that as _Donatus_ himself observ'd,
Pastorals were the invention of the simplicity and innocence of that
Golden age, if there was ever any such, or certainly of that time
which succeeded the beginning of the World: For tho the Golden Age
must be acknowledged {15} to be only in the fabulous times, yet 'tis
certain that the Manners of the first Men were so plain and simple,
that we may easily derive both the innocent imployment of Shepherds,
and Pastorals from them.
{16} _The Second_ PART.
Now let us inquire into the nature of _Pastoral_, in what its
excellencies consist, and how it must be made to be exact: And this
must needs be a hard Task, since I have no guide, neither _Aristotle_
nor _Horace_ to direct me; for both they, whatever was the matter,
speak not one word of this sort of Verse. And I am of opinion that
none can treat well and clearly of any kind of _Poetry_ if he hath no
helps from these two: But since they lay down some general Notions of
_Poetry_ which may be useful in the present case, I shall follow their
steps as close as possible I can.
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