The SMALL-Po x. A Town Eclogue. The wretched Flavia on her couch reclin'd, • How am I chang'd? alas! how am I grown? • Where's my complexion? where my radiant bloom, fell. Ah! faithless glass, my wonted bloom restore; } • Fir'd by one wish, all did alike adore ; No borrow'd luftre can my charms restore; Beauty is fled, and dress is now no wore! ; • Go, triumph in the hearts that once were mine; GALEN, the grave; officious SQUIRT, was there, With fruitless grief, and unavailing care: • Machaon too, the great Machaon, known By his red cloak and his fuperior frown; And why, he cry'd this grief and this despair & • Believe my oath; (with that an oath he swore) False was this oath; my beauty is no more! Ceafe, hapless maid, no more thy tale pursue, • Forfake mankind, and bid the world adieu! • Monarchs and beauties rule with equal sway; All ftrive to ferve, and glory to obey: Alike unpitied when depos'd they grow, Men mock the idol of their former vow. Adieu! ye parks !—in some obfcure recefs, Where gentle ftreams will weep at my diftrefs, • Where no falfe friend will in my grief take part, • And mourn my ruin with a joyful heart; • There let me live in fome deferted place, There hide in fhades this loft inglorious face. Ye operas, circles, I no more muft view! My toilette, patches, all the world adieu ! We have given the rules ufually laid down for paftoral writing, and exhibited fome examples which were written on this plan; but we must beg leave to obferve, that this poem may fometimes partake of more dignity, and afpire even to the fublime, without deviating from nature and right reason. The fublime which arifes from tumults, wars, and what are (too often falsely called great actions, the Paftoral abhors; but that which is blended with the tender and pathetic may be introduced with propriety and elegance. And, indeed, if we confider that the first shepherds were many of them princes (for that Abraham, Mofes, and David, were fuch, we have the teftimony of the scriptures) it will seem somewhat extraordinary that fuch pains fhould have been taken to exclude the fublime from paftoral writing; and we shall be inclined to admit Virgil's Pollio, the Song of Solomon, and Pope's Meffiah, as Paftorals, 'till better reasons are offered to the contrary than have yet appeared; for the true characteristic of Paftoral, and what diftinguishes it from other writings, is its fole confinement to rural affairs, and and if this be obferved it can lofe nothing of its nature by any elevation of fentiment or diction. As an example of the more dignified and fublime fort of Paftoral, we shall give the young ftudent Pope's MESSIAH, which was written in imitation of Virgil's POLLIO, toge. ther with the tranflations he has added from Isaiah, and Virgil, that the reader may fee what use both poets have made of the fentiments and diction of the prophet. MESSIAH. A facred Eclogue. In Imitation of VIRGIL'S POLLIO; which is fuppofed to have been taken, in part, from a fibylline prophecy that foretold the coming of Chrift. Ye nymphs of Solyma! begin the fong; To heav'nly themes fublimer ftrains belong. The moffy fountains, and the fylvan shades,. The dreams of Pindus and th' Aonian maids, Delight no more- -O thou my voice inspire Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd lips with fire! Rapt into future times, the bard begun, I A virgin fhall conceive, a virgin bear a fon. The 3 fick and weak the healing plant fhall aid, And white rob'd innocence from heav'n defcend. Ver. 8. A virgin shall conceive- All crimes shall cease, &c.] Te duce, qua manent fceleris veftigia noftri, Irrita perpetua folvent formidine terras―― Now the virgin returns, now the kingdom of Saturn returns, now a nerv Progeny is fent down from bigh heaven. By means of thee, whatever reliques of our crimes remain, shall be wiped away, and free the world from perpetual fears. He shall govern the earth in peace, with the virtues of bis father. Ifaiah, chap. vii. ver. 14. Behold a virgin fhall conceive, and bear a fon--Chap. ix. ver. 6, 7. Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given; the prince of peace: of the increase of his government, and of his peace, there fhall be no end: upon the throne of David, and upon bis kingdom, to order and to establish it, with judgment, and with justice, for 2 Ch. xlv. ver. 8. 4 Ch. ix. ver. 7. ever and ever. Ifaiah, chap. xi. ver. 1. 3 Ch. xxv. ver. 4. 6 See nature haftes her earliest wreaths to bring, 7 Ver 23. See nature baftes, &c.] Virg. E. 4. v. 18. At tibi prima, puer, nullo munufcula cultu, 25 30 35 For thee, O child, shall the earth without being tilled, produce her early offerings; winding ivy, mixed with baccar, and colocafe with Smiling acanibus. Thy cradie fhall pour forth pleafing flowers about thee. Ifaiah, chap. xxxv. ver. 1. The wilderness and the folitary place fhall be glad, and the defert fall rejoice and blossom as the rofe. Chap. Ix. ver. 13. The glory of Lebanon fball come unto thee, the fir-trec, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of thy fanctuary. Ver. 29. Hark! a glad voice, &c.] Virg. E. 4. v. 46. Aggredere ô maguos, aderit jam tempus, honores. Intonfi montes, ipfæ jam carmina rupes, Ipfa fonant arbufta, Deus, deus ille Menalca! O come and receive the mighty bonours: the time draws nigh, O beloved offspring of the Gods, O great encrease of Jove! The uncultivated mountains fend fhouts of joy to the ftars, the very rocks fing in verfe, the very fhrubs cry out, A God, a God! Ifaiah, ch. xl. ver. 3,4. The voice of him that cricth in the wildernefs, prepare ye the way of the Lord! make ftrait in the defart a high way for our God! every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and bill fhall be made low, and the crooked fhall be made ftrait, and the the rough places piain. Chap. iv. ver. 23. Break forth into finging, ye mountains! O forest, and every tree therein! for the Lord hath redeemed 5 Ch. xxxv. ver. 2. 6 Ch. xl. ver. 3, 4. 7 Ch. xlii. ver. 18. Ch. xxxv. ver. 5, 6. Ifrael. |