nother thing which occasions Softness in the Pastoral Language, if
rightly managed, is the use of Compound Words. But there is nothing
requires a greater Genius than to form Beautiful Compound Words in Epick
Poetry, or more Exactness and Labour in Pastoral. In Epick Poetry 'tis
absurd to make a Compound Word, unless it helps forward the Sence; and
in Pastory, it must add to the Softness of the Dialect, and in some
measure assist the Thought, yet it need not do it so much as in Epick
Poetry; where a Writer of Genius will form such Compound Words as will
each contain as much as a whole Line. As may be seen in _Homer_, and
the _Greek_ Poets, especially. Among the _English_, _Milton_'s are often
very fine.

_Brandish'd aloft the horrid Edge came down,
Wide-wasting_.

The Compound Words, in Pastory, must be so easy and natural, as scarce
to be observ'd from the other Language. They must run easy and smooth,
and glide off the Tongue, and that will occasion their not being
observ'd in the reading.

A Pastoral Writer will often be able, if he gives an Image in one
Line, by a Compound Word in that Line to give another Image, or
another Thought as full and as fine an one as that which the whole
Line contains. But as this and the like Observations cannot be
well understood without Instances quoted, I shall leave 'em to the
Observation of those who intend to engage in Pastoral Writing; for that
and nothing else, will put 'em upon a thorough Search into the Springs
and Rules by which all former Pastoral Writers have excell'd.

SECT. 4.

_Of Turns of Words and Phrazes_.

Another help to Softness, and the very greatest Beauty of all in the
Pastoral Language, is, a handsome use of Phrazes. This must depend
entirely on the Genius of the Writers, for there is no one Rule can be
given for the attaining thereto. A Person who writes now may imitate
_Ovid_ and _Spencer_ in this particular (if he can submit his Fancy
to Imitation) and that is all the Assistance he can have. As for
rural Phrazes, there are not above half a dozen in all the Counties or
Dialects that I am acquainted with.

All that we can do on this Head, is to leave the Reader to Observation.
For I confess that I do not so much as know how I came by those few
I myself have, farther than that by use and practising in an Uncommon
Dialect, I happen'd on 'em at Unawares.

However I may quote those which are the very finest of any in _Spencer_.
Who is the only Write