universally pleasing than Pastoral; for they describe the Actions of
such Persons, as most Men are dazled and enamour'd with; and would
willingly quit their own Stations in Life for.

But tho' this State of Life may perhaps be more generally engaging than
the soft and retir'd; 'tis certain the soft is the next eligible, and
consequently will shine the most next in Poetry. As no one would much
desire to be one of Theocritus's Shepherds, so 'tis plain, no one can
be much delighted with being concern'd, as 'twere, with such; of having
their Actions take up our Minds, and their Manner of Life set before us.

As a love of Grandeur, Show and Pageantry is implanted naturally in
our Minds, so we cannot be pleas'd with any thing that is mean, low and
beggarly; and as we dislike what is mean and beggarly, How can we love
to have our Minds conversant about, direct Ploughmen, _&c_? We love the
Country for it's soft Retirements, it's Silence, and it's Shades, and
can we love a Description of it that sets none of these before us? If I
read a Pastoral, I would have it give me such a Prospect of the Country,
and stop me upon those Objects, where I should myself stay, were
I there; but would not that be (at least generally) upon the most
beautiful Images. If the Toils of the Country-Folk took my Observance,
'twould only be for Variety, because those Images which a Poet can
so plentifully raise out of his own Brain, can hardly be met with in
Reality. But methinks were I determin'd to describe the Labours and
Hardships of the Country, and not to collect the Beauties; I would e'en
observe the Manner of the Fellows and Wenches in the Country, and put
down every thing that I observ'd them act; as Mr. Gay has very well
done; and than we shall have at least this Pleasure, of seeing how
exactly the Copy and the Original agree; which is the same that we
receive from such a Picture as show's us the face of a Man we know.