I Was not surpriz'd my self at the success of this Pastoral; I confess my Friends thought the Town would have been kinder to it, and I was once almost tempted to be of their opinion; but the knowledge I have had of the disposition of an Audience towards such things, kept me from expecting any very good usage from 'em. 'Twas indeed unreasonable for me to hope they would be pleas'd with a person who had consulted their pleasure no more than I did.

If the Pastoral had been entirely my own, they would, I sup­pose, have shewn their resentments some other way, and not have been contented with neglecting it. They avoided it because they were afraid to condemn it boldly, lest they should make themselves ridiculous. For some, who never read any of Tasso's writings, have heard so much of their excellence, that they durst not appear openly against it; and it must he very uneasie for them to see a Play, which they are engag'd not to commend, and yet can't take the liberty to condemn, without exposing their own judgments. However, there were others who could not be restrain'd, and 'twas in vain to tell 'em they should he cautious in their censures of a Poem, which has been admir'd so many ages. A Poem, which the Great Tasso preferr'd to his Gierusallemme. In which the most beautiful thoughts of the Ancients (in this kind) are to be found, and which all that know any thing of the Author, or his Writings, think the best he ever writ: A Poem, which the Learned Mon­sieur Menage thought worth his remarks; of which Pastor Fido is but an Imperfect Copy; Tho for that very reason it met with dif­ferent [Page]treatment en our Theatre; for the Characters there, which never fail'd pleasing an Audience, are unnatural and monstrous. But there looks something in Pastor Fido like Intrigue, which will always have a good effect, where people are so fond of Gallantry, that they will not suffer so much as a Shepherd to appear without it.

I can't imagine what was said lately, with too much severi­ty, that the Shepherds Calendar excels the Aminta, prejudic'd the world against it; or that any body who have read it, will think Spencer's Pastoral equal to Tasso's. Is there any thing in Spen­cer's comparable to the story of the Bee in the first Act, or the ac­count which Daphne gives of Sylvia's admiring herself in the Fountain, in the second Act of the Aminta. Some persons (and among the rest Father Bouhours) have accus'd this last thought of too much affectation, and fancy 'tis not natural enough for a Shepherdess; but as Monsieur Fontenelle observes, if this is a fault, we may spare our selves the trouble of reading Guarini, Bo­narelli, and Marino. For this very thought of Sylvia's in com­parison of the best of theirs, is the most simple thing in the world; and he adds in the next sentence, that the Aminta is indispu­tably the best Pastoral which Italy has produc'd, and every one a­broad is of his opinion.

I am sensible many of the original Graces must be lost, our Lan­guage wants too much of the softness of the Italian, to render it e­qually beautiful in English; But I hope few of his thoughts have escapt me; and Monsieur St. Evermont, who confesses he is not a perfect Master of the Tongue, says the delicacy of thought in the Aminta has touch'd him so much, that he believes there never was an Italian more pleas'd with it. My Judges, who perhaps are not all as good Criticks as he is, not expecting any thing like this in the Pastoral, were very far from his sentiments, and did not mi­strust that there could be a thought in it too delicate for them. 'Twould be an affront to their taste to think it was not nice enough to perceive the Beauties, which almost every page of Tasso is full of; and I know they will not believe all that this Gentleman has said some where else, that there is no Country in Europe where the Men have more Courage, the Women more Beauty, and both more Wit than in England; but then there is no place where a good taste is so rarely to be met with. If they could have agreed to this, they [Page]had not been so forward in censuring Amintas, lest they might by chance make a wrong judgment, which very often falls out. They were not now long consulting what to do with it, but whether they un­derstood it or not, they were positive there was nothing in it, and most judiciously condemn'd what happens to be in the Original, the best thing of the kind that ever was or I believe ever will be written. There was no need of saying so much to vindicate Tasso, his reputation is fix'd, and 'tis not in the power of Malice or Ig­norance to injure it. As for the Translation, if there are any mi­stakes in it to th [...] Authors prejudice. I deserve to be blam'd, but tho I have heard the Conduct of the Play, the measure of the Verse, and the management of the Representation accus'd, yet none, as I know of, have laid any thing to my charge on that account. If they had, I should have taken this opportunity to confess my errors or answer their objections. The Conduct of this Pastoral is the same as I found it, (except in the last Act, which I was oblig'd to alter) and I may therfore affirm the most correct that ever was seen on an English Theatre. If there had been iatrigue, a great deal of stir, and something else in it, it had been more acceptable perhaps to those whose protection I desir'd, and whose pleasure I chiefly de­sign'd: but I was mistaken, and since I endeavour to please them in every thing I write, I shall next time avoid that unpardonable Crime, which ruin'd Amintas on the Stage, and not venture so much on their complaisance for the future.

There are few who consider the nature of Pastaral, that the Action ought to be simple, the Passions tender, and the Sentiments such, as are suitable to people bred up in ease and innocence. The nearer a man comes to this rule, the more perfect will his writings of this kind be: but the age is not yet prepar'd to be diverted with any thing simple, easie and innocent; and it may 'thad been prudence in me to have waited till some person should have attempted to please it this way, whose name might have given an authority to such an Innovation. Tho 'tis to be fear'd, those who have rais'd their Characters by Licentiousness and Irregularity, will not ha­zard losing 'em by writing correctly and decently; and yet many of 'em are so well settled in the good opinion of the publick, that whatever the should promote would infallibly succeed. And it may not be improper to observe here, what an influence Fame has [Page]on Certian Authors, who, having grown popular with their Fustian and Nonsence, have in time deserv'd by writing well, the Reputa­tion their ill Verses acquird 'em; ill usage has frequently the con­trary effect, and such as have done well, when they have not met with the applause they deserv'd, by endeavouring after to do better; have made the first judgments that, were made of 'em just.

Some think the measure of the Verse too short, but Tasso drew me in to this Error, if 'tis one, for since he thought the Italian, which is the sweetest Language in the World, wanted to be made yet more soft by the shortness of the measure; I believ'd the En­glish Heroick would be too Majestick, and not so agreeable to the great simplicity which should every where appear in a Pastoral, as Verse of seven or eight Syllables.

The management of the representation, particularly that part on't which I undertook, was very ill contriv'd. The small ac­quaintance I have had with such things did not qualify me to under­take what I did, and the success was answerable to the contrivance. I suppose every part of the Representation might have been orderd to more advantage, tho the Actors performd theirs as well as could be expected, and I question if any other Company would have done it better. But be the Management or the Action what it will, I am satisfy'd nothing could have drawn an audience to it, when once they had heard what they were to be entertaind with, and that their attention was required for three hours without one jest to divert 'em. I saw this the first night, and should have been much more discourag'd if some men of sense, whose judgments I can safely depend on, had not assur'd me that there was no reason for't, and that the could not without resentment, see the partiality of several persons, which might have been employ'd to more purpose against other, who Court their applause, and value their opinion more than I can.