Sad Philomel her song in tears doth sleep.
And Mr. Philips, by a poetical creation, hath raised up finer beds of flowers than the most industrious gardiner; his roses, endives, lillies, king-cups, and daffidils blow all in the same season.
But the better to discover the merits of our two contemporary Pastoral writers, I shall endeavour to draw a parallel of them, by setting several of their particular thoughts in the same light, whereby it will be obvious how much Philips hath the advantage. With what simplicity he introduces two shepherds singing alternately!
Hobb. Come, Rosalind, O come, for without thee
Hobb. What pleasure can the country have for me!
Hobb. Come, Rosalind, O come; my brinded kine,
Hobb. My snowy sheep, my farm, and all are thine.
Lanq. Come, Rosalind, O come; here shady bow'rs,
Lanq. Here are cool fountains, and here springing flow'rs,
Lanq. Come, Rosalind; here ever let us stay,
Lanq. And sweetly waste our live-long time away.
Our other Pastoral writer, in expressing the same thought, deviates into down right Poetry:
Streph. In spring, the fields, in autumn, hills I love;
Streph. At morn the plains, at noon the shady grove;
Streph. But Delia always; forc'd from Delia's sight,
Streph. Nor plains at morn, nor groves at noon delight.
Daph. Sylvia's like autumn ripe, yet mild as May,
Daph. More bright than noon, yet fresh as early day;
Daph. Ev'n spring displeases when she shines not here,
Daph. But blest with her 'tis spring throughout the year.
In the first of these authors, two shepherds thus innocently describe the behaviour of their mistresses:
Hobb. As Marian bath'd, by chance I passed by,
Hobb. She blush'd, and at me cast a side-long eye;
Hobb. Then swift beneath the crystal wave she try'd
Hobb. Her beauteous form, but all in vain to hide.
Lanq. As I to cool me bath'd one sultry day,
Lanq. Fond Lydia lurking in the sedges lay;
Lanq. The wanton laugh'd, and seem'd in haste to fly;
Lanq. Yet often stopp'd, and often turn'd her eye.
The other modern (who, it must be confessed, hath a knack of versifying) hath it as follows:
