Pastoral as well as other Poetry; now I affirm that 'tis impossible
to perform this without Old-Words; unless a Writer make Shepherds talk
Sublimely, and with Passion, as in Tragedies.

Again, if a Writer has a Genius for Pastoral he will have some Thoughts
occur so inimitably Simple, that they would appear ridiculous in the
Common Language; and 'tis necessary that the Language should answer to
the Thought. These are the finest Thoughts of all for pastoral.

There are also several Thoughts which, tho' extreamly agreeable to
the simple Innocence of young Country Girls, will appear too luscious,
unless the Simplicity and Rusticity of the Speaker appear's, by the
Old Language spoken. But we smile at a Thought in such simple Language,
which perhaps we shall nauseate in a polite Dialect.

But one of the greatest Advantages of Old-Words, is, that they afford
the Writer so fine an Opportunity of rendring his Language most
inimitably soft and smooth. This cannot be done by any other Means; and
how proper soft and simple Language is to Pastoral (at least where
the Characters are Young, Tender, and Innocent) I need not say. As for
VIRGIL and those Pastoral Writers who seem not to aim at Simplicity
in either their Characters or Sentiments, the using of Old-Words is
entirely different with regard to them. To see a Sentiment, which would
as well become any other Person as a Shepherd, dress'd in the Simplicity
of an Ancient Dialect, would appear nothing but Affectation. We are
used to see such Sentiments in another Dress. Nay, were their Thoughts
Simple, 'twould not be agreeable for them to use Old-Words, unless the
whole Turn of their Language was answerable to it; to have a common,
ordinary Language, with Old-Words scatter'd through it, is a mixt
confused Language, and what is very expressively named by our Word