thorough Critick, if you would be a good Poet.

Pastoral-Writers are sufficiently for Simplicity; nay so much, that
they form their Storys or Fables so little and triffling as to afford
no Pleasure; is it not strange then that they should be so averse to
Simplicity in their Thoughts; where Simplicity would be the greatest
Beauty in their Poetry? Pastoral-Writers have all sorts of false
Thoughts but those which we may call the Too Simple. I do not indeed
know any Author who has such a Thought unless it be our wide-thoughted
_SHAKESPEAR_. And indeed 'tis scarce possible to rise to Simplicity
enough, in Pastoral, much less to have a Thought too Simple.
_SHAKESPEAR_'s is this.

Des.) _Mine Eyes do itch, doth that boad Weeping?_

Emil.) _'Tis neither here nor there_.

Des.) _I have heard it said so: O these Men, these Men!
Dost thou in Conscience think, tell me_ Emilia,
_That there be Women do abuse their Husbands,
In such gross kind_? &c.

Othello. Act. 4. Sc. last.

But if this passage is too Simple, 'tis for Tragedy so, not for
Pastoral; and because _DESDEMONA_ was a Senators Daughter, and Educated
in so polite a place as _VENICE_; but in Pastoral, I think, we may
Introduce a Character so Young, Simple and Innocent, that there is no
Thought so Simple but will square with it; at least, we have no Instance
of any such one as yet. The Simplicity of this Scene would be inimitable