Diggon anfwers: Hur was hur, while it was day-light; But the most beautiful example of this kind that I ever met with, is in a very valuable piece which I chanced to find among fome old manufcripts, entituled, A Paftoral Ballad: which I think, for its nature and fimplicity, may (notwithstanding the modesty of the title) be allowed a perfect Paftoral. It is compofed in the Somersetshire dialect, and the names fuch as are proper to the country people. It may be obferved as a further beauty of this Paftoral, the words Nymph, Dryad, Naiad, Fawn, Cupid, or Satyr, are not once mentioned throughout the whole. I fhall make no apology for inferting fome few lines of this excellent piece. Cicily breaks thus into the fubject, as fhe is going a milking: Cicily. Rager, go vetch tha * Kee, or else tha Zun Roger. Thou shouldst not ax ma tweece, but I've a bee It is to be obferved, that this whole dialogue is formed upon the paffion of Jealoufy; and his mentioning the Parfon's Kine naturally revives the jealoufy of the fhepherdefs Cicily, which the expreffes as follows: Cicily. Ah Rager, Rager, ches was zore avraid, When in yon Vield you kiss'd tha Parson's maid : * That is, the Kine or Cows. Roger. Roger. Cicily, thou charg'ft me valfe,--I'll zwear to thee, Tha Parfon's maid is ftill a maid for me. In which answer of his, are expreffed at once that Spirit of Religion, and that Innocence of the Golden age, fo neceffary to be observed by all writers of Pastoral. At the conclufion of this piece, the author reconciles the Lovers, and ends the Eclogue the most fimply in the world: So Rager parted vor to vetch tha Kee, I am loth to show my fondness for antiquity so far as to prefer this ancient British author to our prefent English Writers of Paftoral; but I cannot avoid making this obvious remark, that Philips hath hit into the fame road with this old West Country Bard of ours. After all that hath been faid, I hope none can think it any injuftice to Mr. Pope that I forbore to mention him as a Paftoral writer; fince, upon the whole, he is of the fame clafs with Mofchus and Bion, whom we have excluded that rank; and of whose Eclogues, as well as fome of Virgil's, it may be faid, that (according to the defcription we have given of this fort of poetry) they are by no means Pastorals, but fomething better. No. 6.1. May 21, 1713. Primoque a caede ferarum Incaluiffe putem maculatum fanguine ferrum. OVID. I CANNOT think it extravagant to imagine, that mankind are no lefs, in proportion, accountable for the ill use of their dominion over creatures of the lower rank of beings, than for the exercise of tyranny over their own Species. The more entirely the inferior creation is fubmitted to our power, the more answerable we should feem for our mismanagement of it; and the rather, as the very condition of nature renders these creatures incapable of receiving any recompence in another life for their ill treatment in this. 'Tis obfervable of those noxious animals, which have qualities most powerful to injure us, that they naturally avoid mankind, and never hurt us unless provoked, or neceffitated by hunger. Man, on the other hand, feeks out and purfues even the most inoffensive animals, on purpose to perfecute and deftroy them. Montaigne thinks it fome reflection upon human nature itself, that few people take delight in feeing beafts carefs or play together, but almoft every one is pleased to fee them lacerate and worry one another. I am forry this temper is become almost a distinguishing character of our own nation, from the obfervation which is made by foreigners of our beloved paftimes, Bear-baiting, Cock-fighting, and the like. We should find it hard to vindicate the deftroying of any thing that has life, merely out of wantonnefs; yet in this principle our children are bred up, and one of the : first pleasures we allow them, is the licence of inflicting pain upon poor animals: almost as soon as we are sensible what life is ourselves, we make it our sport to take it from other creatures. I cannot but believe a very good use might be made of the fancy which children have for birds and infects. Mr. Locke takes notice of a mother who permitted them to her children, but rewarded or punished them as they treated them well or ill. This was no other than entering them betimes into a daily exercise of humanity, and improving their very diverfion to a virtue. Í fancy too, fome advantage might be taken of the common notion, that 'tis ominous or unlucky, to destroy some forts of birds, as Swallows and Martins. This opinion might poffibly arife from the confidence thefe birds feem to put in us by building under our roofs, fo that it is a kind of violation of the laws of hospitality to murder them. As for Robin-red-breafts in particular, 'tis not improbable they owe their fecurity to the old ballad of The Children in the Word. However it be, I don't know, I fay, why this prejudice, well improved and carried as far as it would go, might not be made to conduce to the prefervation of many innocent creatures, which are now exposed to all the wantonnefs of an ignorant barbarity. There are other animals that have the misfortune, for no manner of reason, to be treated as common enemies where-ever found. The conceit that a Cat has nine lives has coft at least nine lives in ten of the whole race of them: fcarce a boy in the streets but has in this point outdone Hercules himself, who was famous for killing a monster that had but three lives. Whether the unaccountable animofity against this useful domestick may be any caufe of the general perfecution of Owls (who are a fort of feathered cats) or whether it be only IT 4 an an unreasonable pique the moderns have taken to a ferious countenance, I fhall not determine. Tho' I am inclined to believe the former; fince I observe the fole reafon alledged for the deftruction of Frogs is because they are like Toads. Yet amidst all the misfortunes of thefe unfriended creatures, 'tis fome happiness that we have not yet taken a fancy to eat them: for fhould our countrymen refine upon the French never so little, 'tis not to be conceived to what unheard-of torments owls, cats, and frogs may be yet referved. When we grow up to men, we have another fucceffion of Sanguinary fports; in particular hunting. I dare not attack a diverfion which has fuch authority and cuftom to fupport it; but must have leave to be of opinion, that the agitation of that exercife, with the example and number of the chafers, not a little contribute to refift those checks, which compaffion would naturally fuggeft in behalf of the animal purfued. Nor fhall I fay with Monficur Fleury, that this fport is a remain of the Gothic barbarity; but I muft animadvert upon a certain custom yet in ufe with us, and barbarous enough to be derived from the Goths, or even the Scythians I mean that favage compliment our huntsmen pafs upon Ladies of quality, who are present at the death of a Stag, when they put the knife in their hands to cut the throat of a helpless, trembling and weeping creature. Queftuque cruentus, Atque Imploranti fimilis. But if our sports are deftructive, our gluttony is more fo, and in a more inhuman manner. Lobfters roafted alive, Pigs whipp'd to death, Fowls fewed up, are teftimonies of our outragious luxury. Thofe, who (as Seneca expreffes it) divide. |