seem a little too fond of introduceing Love, when they draw their
greatest Hero's as amorous Love-Sops, and omit all that is truly Great
in their Characters.

Now if Love, with Reason manag'd, appear so well in Tragedy, it must
sure be extreamly proper for Pastoral. In the first we are to be rais'd
and heated; in the latter sooth'd and soften'd: The one has to do with
Personages, all gentle and tender; the Subject of the other is Fury and
Bravery. I would therefore have, methinks, a Sprinkling of Love thro'
all my Pastorals; and 'twill give the Writer an Opportunity of showing
the Tenderness, and the Simplicity of his Characters in the finest
Manner: Yet must it be so diversify'd and broken, by other Incidents
interfering, as not to cloy and nauseate the Reader, with the Repetition
of nothing but Love and Love.

The vulgar Notion is, that Wrestling, and such like Incidents are
properest for Pastoral; but if a Writer introduces such, he'll find 'em
so few, that 'twill be necessary to touch upon Love besides.

But methinks, I would not show my _CHARACTERS_ in so low and clownish
a degree of Life; For if I draw 'em so rough, and Porter-like, in one
place, I cannot give 'em Tenderness and Simplicity in another; without
breaking in upon the Manners.

So that if I was compell'd to put this Circumstance of Wrestling into
a Pastoral, I would have recourse, even there, to Love, to render it
Pleasurable to the Mind; as thus: A tender-hearted Lass should be plac'd
Spectator of her Wrestling Lover: By this means the Poet might make it
shine in Poetry; if he described her Behaviour, her soft Concern and
joyous Smiles, occasioned by every little Failure, and every Prospect of