did twitch his Ear, mean thoughts infuse,
And with this whisper check't th' inspiring Muse.
A Sheapard, Tityrus, his Sheep should feed,
And choose a subject suited to his reed,

This certainly was a serious admonition, implyed by the twitching of
his Ear, and I believe if he had continued in this former humor and
not obey'd the smarting admonition. He had still felt it: so far was
he from thinking Kings and Battels fit Themes for a _Sheapards_ song:
and this evidently shows that in _Virgils_ opinion, contrary to
_Nanniu's_ fancy, great things cannot in the least be comprehended
within the subject matter of _Pastorals;_ no, it must be low and
humble, which _Theocritus_ very happily expresseth by this word
*Boukoliasden* _i.e._ as the interpreters explain it, sing humble
Strains.

Theefore let _Pastoral_ never venture upon a {25} lofty subject, let
it not recede one jot from its proper matter, but be employ'd about
Rustick affairs: such as are mean and humble in themselves; and such
are the affairs of Shepherds, especially their Loves, but those must
be pure and innocent; not disturb'd by vain suspitious jealousy, nor
polluted by Rapes; The Rivals must not fight, and their emulations
must be without quarrellings: such as _Vida_ meant.

Whilst on his Reed he Shepherd's stifes conveys,
And soft complaints in smooth Sicilian lays.

To these may be added _sports_, _Jests_, _Gifts_, and _Presents_; but
not _costly_, such are yellow Apples, young stock-Doves, Milk,
Flowers, and the like; all things must appear delightful and easy,
nothing vitious and rough: A perfidious Pimp, a designing Jilt, a
gripeing Usurer, a crafty factious Servant must have no room there,
but every part must be full of the simplicity of the _Golden-Age_, and
of that Candor which was then eminent: for as _Juvenal affirms_

Baseness was a great wonder in that Age;

Sometimes _Funeral-Rites_ are the subject of an _Eclogue_, where the
Shepherds scatter flowers on the Tomb, and sing Rustick Songs in honor
of the Dead: Examples of this kind are left us by _Virgil_ in his
_Daphnis_, and _Bion_ in his _Adonis_, and this hath nothing
disagreeable to a Shepherd: In {26} short whatever, the decorum being
still preserv'd, can be done by a _Sheapard_, may be the Subject of a
_Pastoral_.

Now there may be more kinds of Subjects than _Servius_ or _Donatus_
allow, for they confine us to that Number which _Virgil_ hath made use
of, tho _Minturnus_ i