mean) Simplicity, Softness and Rusticity. This is perform'd principally
by these three things. By Old-Terms; by Turns of Words, and Phrazes; and
by Compound Words. Of all which I shall crave leave to treat distinctly.
And first of Ancient Terms.

SECT. 2.

_Of Old-Words_.

When first I look'd into _Chaucer_. I thought him the most dry insipid
Writer I ever saw. And there is indeed nothing very valuable in either
his Images or Thoughts; but after a Person is accustom'd to his manner
of Writing and his Stile, there is something of Simplicity in his Old
Language, inimitably sweet and pleasing. If 'tis thus in _Chaucer_,
in Pastoral such a Language is vastly more delightful. For we expect
something very much out of the Way, when we come among Shepherds; and
how can the Language of Shepherds be made to differ from that of other
Persons, if they use not Old-Words?

'Tis very remarkable that all our greatest Poets whose Works will
live to Eternity, have introduced into their Language Old-Words; as
_Shakespear_, _Spencer_, _Milton_. _Dryden_ also, whose Genius was much
inferiour to those Writers; has used some few. And _Ben. Johnson_ (tho'
he lived at the same time with _Shakespear, Spencer, &c_.) whose Genius
was yet meaner than _Dryden_, has not one Old-Word.

Ancient Terms were doubtless a great disadvantage, especially to
_Spencer_, when his Works appear'd first in the World; but he had a Soul
large enough to write rather for Posterity, than present Applause.
He took so excessive a delight in the Old Language of his admired
_Chaucer_, that he could not help, in some measure, imitating it.

Our greatest Writers having all given into an Ancient Dialect, would
almost encline us of the present Age, to think of making their
Language a standing Language; for Queen _Elizabeth_'s Age is to us what
_Augustus_'s was to the _Latins_; we must never hope to have so many
noble Genius's adorn any one Age for the future; I might have said, any
twenty Ages. Therefore if any _English_ Dialect survives to the
World's End, 'twill certainly be theirs; and 'twill be prudence in any
After-writer to draw his Language as near to theirs as possible; that if
theirs are understood a thousand Years hence, his may too.

But to leave the Consideration of Old-Words in Epick Poetry and Tragedy,
let us proceed to Pastoral. There are several Advantages flow from the
Use of Old-Words, but I have time to mention but two or three.

There is a Spirit