Soon as the flocks fhook off the nightly dews, Two Swains, whom Love kept wakeful, and the Mufe, Pour'd o'er the whit ning vale their fleecy care, Fresh as the morn, and as the season fair: The dawn now blushing on the mountain's fide, Thus Daphnis spoke, and Strephon thus reply'd.

DAPHNIS.

Hear how the birds, on ev'ry blooming spray, With joyous music wake the dawning day! Why fit we mute, when early linnets fing, When warbling Philomel falutes the spring?

REMARKS.

20

25

VER. 16. And all th' aërial audience, &c.] Pope was not perhaps aware of it, but the circumftance of " audience" and "clapping" gives an air of burlesque to this paffage. It is true, birds clap their wings, but the image and the expreffions here, come too near artificial life, from which they should be as remote as poffible.

VER. 17, &c.] The Scene of this Pastoral a Valley, the Time the Morning. It flood originally thus,

Daphnis and Strephon to the fhades retir'd,

Both warm'd by love, and by the Muse inspir'd,
Fresh as the morn, and as the season fair,
In flow'ry vales they fed their fleecy care;

And while Aurora gilds the mountain's fide,
Thus Daphnis fpoke, and Strephon thus reply'd.

IMITATIONS.

WARTON.

the fourth, seventh; the eighth, ftill the eighth; the seventh, the ninth; the tenth and last, as it was called, ftill the tenth. Vol. I. 205.

The collection of paffages imitated from the Claffics, marked in the margin with the letter P. was made by the accurate and learned Mr. Bowyer the Printer.

WARTON.
Why

Why fit we fad, when Phosphor fhines fo clear,
And lavish Nature paints the purple year?

STREPHON.

Sing then, and Damon fhall attend the strain,
While yon' flow oxen turn the furrow'd plain.
Here the bright crocus and blue vi'let glow,
Here western winds on breathing roses blow.
I'll stake yon' lamb, that near the fountain plays,
And from the brink his dancing fhade furveys.

DAPHNIS.

And I this bowl, where wanton ivy twines,

And swelling clusters bend the curling vines:

REMARKS.

30

35

VER. 32. Here weflern winds, &c.] The flow oxen, the bright crocus, and the blue violet, are images of Spring, the feafon of this Paftoral: the introduction of rofes at the fame time is not fo appropriate.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 28. Dr. Warton obferves this verfe is from Spenfer's Muiopotmos. The words, "lavifh nature," are, but there is nothing of "painting the purple year."

Spenfer's words are,

There lavish nature, in her beft attire,

Pours forth fweet odors, and alluring fights.

VER. 28. Purple year?] Dryden has " purple spring.' Purple is used in the Latin fenfe, of the brightest, most vivid colouring in general, not of that peculiar tint fo called.

WARBURTON.

Gray has adopted the expreffion of the purple year, in the first ftanza of his exquifite Ode on Spring.

WARTON.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 34. The first reading was,

And his own image from the bank surveys. WARBURTON.

Four

Four figures rifing from the work appear,
The various feafons of the rolling year;
And what is that, which binds the radiant fky,
Where twelve fair figns in beauteous order lie?

DAMON.

40

Then fing by turns, by turns the Mufes fing, Now hawthorns bloffom, now the daifies fpring, Now leaves the trees, and flow'rs adorn the ground; Begin, the vales fhall ev'ry note rebound.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 36. And clufters lurk beneath the curling vines. PorE. This line was probably rejected from its resembling too nearly Dryden. The "Grapes in clusters lurk beneath the vines." Dryden's Tranflation of Virgil's Eclogues.

REMARKS.

VER. 38. The various feasons, &c.] The subject of these Pastorals engraven on the bowl is not without its propriety.

WARBURTON.

My friend Mr. William Collins, author of the Perfian Eclogues and Odes, affured me that Thomfon informed him, that he took the first hint and idea of writing his Seasons, from the titles of Pope's four Paftorals. So that these Pastorals have not had only the merit of fetting a pattern for correct and musical verfification; but have given rife to fome of the trueft poetry in our language. WARTON.

Ver. 35, 36.

IMITATIONS.

"Lenta quibus torno facili fuperaddita vitis,

Diffufos edera veftit pallente corymbos." Virg.

РОРЕ.

The Shepherd's hesitation at the name of the Zodiac imitates that

STREPHON.

Infpire me, Phoebus, in my Delia's praise, With Waller's ftrains, or Granville's moving lays! A milk-white Bull fhall at your altars ftand, That threats a fight, and spurns the rifing fand.

DAPHNIS.

O Love! for Sylvia let me gain the prize,
And make my tongue victorious as her eyes:
No lambs or sheep for victims I'll impart,
Thy victim, Love, fhall be the fhepherd's heart.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 49. Originally thus in the MS.

Pan, let my numbers equal Strephon's lays,
Of Parian stone thy ftatue will I raise;

But if I conquer and augment my fold,

45

50

Thy Parian statue shall be chang'd to gold. WARBURTON.

REMARKS.

VER. 41. fing by turns,] Amabæan verfes, and the custom of vying in extempore verfes, by turns, was derived from the old Sicilian shepherds, and fpread over all Italy; and is, as Mr. Spence obferves, exactly like the practice of the Improvifatori at present in Italy. They are furprizingly ready in their anfwers, and go on, octave for octave, and speech for speech alternately, for a confiderable time. At Florence they have even had Improvifo Comedies. It is remarkable that the celebrated Triffino, Leonardi du Vinci, Bramante, and the charming dramatic poet Metaftafio, were all Improvifatori. WARTON.

VER. 46. Granville-] George Granville, afterwards Lord Lanfdown, known for his Poems, moft of which he compos'd very young, and propos'd Waller as his model.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 41. Then fing by turns,] Literally from Virgil, "Alternis dicetis, amant alterna Camoenae :

POPE.

"POPE.

Et nunc omnis ager, nunc omnis parturit arbos, Nunc frondent fylvae, nunc formofiffimus annus. VER. 47. A milk-white Bull.] Virg.-" Pafcite taurum, Qui cornu petat, et pedibus jam fpargat arenam."

Me

STREPHON.

Me gentle Delia beckons from the plain, Then hid in shades, eludes her eager fwain; But feigns a laugh, to fee me fearch around, And by that laugh the willing fair is found.

DAPHNIS.

The fprightly Sylvia trips along the green, She runs, but hopes fhe does not run unfeen; While a kind glance at her purfuer flies,

How much at variance are her feet and eyes!

STREPHON.

O'er golden fands let rich Pactolus flow,

And trees weep amber on the banks of Po;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 61. It flood thus at first,

Let rich Iberia golden fleeces boast,

Her purple wool the proud Affyrian coaft,

Bleft Thames's fhores, &c.

VER. 61. Originally thus in the MS.

Go, flow'ry wreath, and let my Sylvia know,

Compar'd to thine how bright her Beauties fhow;
Then die; and dying teach the lovely Maid
How foon the brightest beauties are decay'd.

DAPHNIS.

Go, tuneful bird, that pleas'd the woods fo long,
Of Amaryllis learn a fwecter fong;

To Heav'n arifing then her notes convey,

For Heav'n alone is worthy fuch a lay.

REMARKS.

55

бо

POPE.

WARBURTON.

VER. 60. How much at variance] A very trifling and falfe conceit, and too witty for the occafion.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 58. She runs, but hopes] Imitation of Virgil, "Malo me Galatea petit, lafciva puella,

Et fugit ad falices, fed fe cupit ante videri."

F 3

WARTON.

POPE.

Bright