the Eye and Ear are presently to be laid aside; and those excellent
Arts, _Musick_, and _Painting_, with which the best men use to be
delighted, are presently to be left off. Nor is it indeed credible,
that so many excellent Wits, as have devoted themselves to Poetry,
would ever have medled with it, if it had been so empty, idle, and
frivolous, as some ridiculously morose imagine; who forsooth are
better pleas'd with the severity of _Philosophy_, and her harsh,
deform'd impropriety of Expressions. But the judgments of such men are
the most contemptible in the world; for when by _Poetry_ mens minds
are fashioned to generous {49} Humors, Kindness, and the like: those
must needs be strangers to all those good qualites, who hate, or
proclaim _Poetry_ to be frivolous, and useless.


{50} _The Third_ PART

_Rules for writing_ Pastorals.

In delivering Rules for writing _Pastorals_, I shall not point to the
_streams_, which to look after argues a small creeping _Genius_, but
lead you to the _fountains_. But first I must tell you, how difficult
it is to write _Pastorals_, which many seem not sufficiently to
understand: For since its matter is low, and humble, it seems to have
nothing that is troublesome, and difficult. But this is a great
mistake, for, as _Horace_ says of _Comedy_, "It is by so much the more
difficult, by how much the less pardonable are the mistakes committed
in its composure": and the same is to be thought of every thing, whose
end is to please, and delight. For whatsoever is contriv'd for
pleasure, and not necessarily requir'd, unless it be exquisite, must
be nauseous, and distastful; as at a Supper, scraping Musick, thick