But this must be ftill in fuch a manner, as if the Occafion offered itself, and was not fought, and proceeded rather from the Violence of the Shepherd's Paffion, than any natural Pride or Malice in him.

There ought to be the fame Difference obferv'd between Paftorals and Eligies, as between the Life of the Country and the Court. In the firft, Love ought to be reprefented as among Shepherds, in the other as among Gentlemen. They ought to be fmooth, clear, tender and paffionate. The Thoughts may be bold, more gay, and more elevated than in Paftoral. The Paffions they reprefent, either more Gallant or more Violent, and lefs innocent than the others. The Subjects of them, Prayers, Praises, Expoftulations, Quarrels, Reconcilements, Threatnings, Jealoufies, and, in fine, all the natural Effects of Love.

Lyrics may be allowed to handle all the fame Subjects with Elegy; but to do it however in a different manner. An Elegy ought to be fo entirely one thing, and every Verfe ought fo to depend upon the other, that they fhould not be able to fubfift alone: Or, to make use of the Words of a great Modern Critic, there must be

-a juft Coberence made Between each Thought, and the whole Model laid So right, that every Step may higher rife, Like goodly Mountains, till they reach the Skies, Lyrics,

* Aly Lord Mulgrave.

Lyrics, on the other hand, tho' they ought to make one Body as well as Elegy, yet may confift of Parts that are intire of themfelves. It being a Rule in Modern Languages, that every Stanza ought to make up a compleat Senfe, without running into the other. Frequent Sentences, which are accounted Faults in Elegies, are Beauties here. Befides this, Malherb, and the French Poets after him, have made it a Rule in the Scanzas of Six Lines, to make a Pause at the third ; and in thofe of Ten Lines, at the Third and the Seventh. And it must be confeffed, that, this Exactnefs renders them much more Mufifical and Harmonious; tho' they have not always been fo Religious in obferving the lat-' ter Rule as the former.

But I am engaged in a very vain, or a very foolish Defign: Those who are Criticks, it would be a Prefumption in me to pretend I could inftruct, thofe who are not, at the fame time I write myfelf, is (if I may be allowed to apply another Man's Simile) like felling Arms to an Enemy in time of War. Though there ought, perhaps, to be more Indulgence fhewn to things of Love and Gallantry, than any others; because they are generally writ ten when People are young, and intended for Ladies who are not fuppofed to be very old; and all young People, efpecially of the Fair Sex, are more taken with the Livelinefs of Fancy, than the Correctness of Judgment. It may be alfo obferyed, that to write of Love

well

well, a Man must be really in Love; and to correct his Writings well, he must be out of Love again. I am well enough fatisfied, I may be in Circumftances of writing of Love; but I am almoft in Defpair of ever being in Circumftances of correcting it. This I hope may be a Reason for the Fair and the Young, to pass over fome of the Faults; and as for the Grave and Wife, all the Favour I fhall beg of them is, that they would not read them; Things of this Nature are calculated only for the former. If Love-Verses work upon the Ladies, a Man will not trouble himself with what the Criticks fay of them; and if they do not, all the Commendations the Criticks can give him, will make but very little amends. All I fhall fay for thefe Trifles is, That I pretend not to vie with any Man whatfoever. I doubt not but there are feveral now living, who are able to write better upon all Subjects, than I am upon any one: But I will take the Boldness to fay, That there is no One Man among them All who shall be readier to acknowledge his Own Faults, or to do Justice to the Merits of Other People.

St. James's 1692.

LETTERS

Amorous and Gallant.

T

LETTER I.

To TWO Mafques.

HO' I cannot boast much of Particularity to the Perfon I love, yet as to the Love it felf, I may fafely fay, It is one of the moft particular under the Sun. Others think it enough to fall in Love with a Lady after having feen her. I am in Love with two, without having ever feen either: Not that I would willingly admit two Tyrants into my Heart; but tho' one of you may perhaps be Monarch there, yet neither you nor I knowing which it is, the Matter · must rest in doubt till another Opportunity. For he who condemned' Paris as too bold a Man, in daring to judge of the three God

deffes

deffes Beauties, when he faw them naked, would have thought me a bold one indeed, if I fhould pretend to make a Judgment between two Ladies in Mafques. Confider a little under what Difficulty you make me labour: If I fhould commend the Colour of your Hair, and it was all the while deep red; the Smoothness and Delicacy of your Skins, when they were rough and tawney; the Finenefs of your Shapes, while you were fuck up within Iron Bodice; the Brightness of your Eyes, and they should prove bleared and fquinting: Do but imagine when I had done this, what fort of an Effect it would have upon you. Whatever Inconveniencies of this Nature happen, it is your own Faults; for my part I leave this encountring with Helmets over their Faces, to Sir Amadis * and his Knights Errant; the way of Duelling is altered, People do not only encounter bare-faced, but trip when they go to it. As for this Way, I can affure can affure you, I find it not in the leaft fair and had rather be in Love with the moft hard-hearted Beauty living, than continue in this uncertain State, and neither know what I love, why I love, nor whether I love, or no. Take pity, Ladies, upon a Lover in Diftrefs; clear the Bufinefs to me, and let me know if I am in good earnest, when f profess myself

Your most paffionate Admirer.

* Alluding to a very old French Romance called AMADIS de Gaul.

LET