iters more surprizing to me, than that no one
has allotted any Part of Characters in their Pieces to the _SOFT-SEX_:
But have, to a Writer, introduc'd only Men, and even the roughest of
that Sex.

I can no otherways account for that their Conduct, but that _Theocritus_
happen'd not to make any true Female Characters, nor to introduce any
such of the Fair-Sex, as would shine in Pastoral, and they pretend to
nothing farther than the Copying after him.

This is the more strange, since even Epick-Poetry and Tragedy, whose
Nature is Violence and Warmth, cannot well subsist without the tender
Characters. 'Tis they that sprinkle so sweet a Variety thro' those
Pieces, and relax the Minds of the Readers, with the Beautiful and Soft,
after it is sated with the Sublime.

Now if even the warmest Kinds of Poetry delight in Female Personages,
How much more Pastoral, which is all Tenderness and Simplicity? Whose
design is to sooth and spread a Calm over the Mind, as the higher Poems
are to elevate and strike It.

But 'tis not enough that we introduce some Characters drawn from the
_SOFT-SEX_: our Male Characters must be also of the same Nature, far
from rough or unmanner'd. Every Character must also be of such a Kind
as will be entertaining to the Mind. For there are some more, some less
delightful, among those Female _Characters_, which at first sight seem
equally proper to Pastoral. Of this kind is a Prudish _Character_, or
excessively reserv'd. For, besides that frankness and Openness of Heart,
is what we imagine natural to Shepherds, a Poet can never raise Delight
from such a Character. Her fault is too hateful to excite Pity in her
Punishment; and too small to raise Joy in beholding bar Unfortunate.
Besides that such a Joy were not proper for Pastoral. Of the same Nature
is a Finical, or Squeamish Character, and many others, at first sight
agreeable to Pastoral.

SECT. 2

_What Passions we may allot our Shepherds_.

Although I am for raising the Characters in Pastoral somewhat above
the degree of Boors and Clowns; yet no one is more for retaining the
Pastoral Simplicity. Our Characters of young and tender Innocents,
give, I think, a better Opportunity of introducing the true Pastoral
Simplicity, than those very mean and low Personages, which rather lead
us to an unmanner'd Clownishness, than an agreeable Simplicity.

To preserve this Simplicity, we must avoid attributing to our Swains,
any of those Passions or Desires