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GREAT marvell bath it been, and (that not unworthily) to diverse worthy wits, that in this our island of Britain, in all rare sciences so greatly abounding, more especially in all kinds of poesie highly flourishing, no poet (though otherwise of notable cunning in roundelays ) bath hit on the right simple Eclogue, after the true ancient guise of Theocritus, before this mine attempt.

Other poet travailing in this plain highway of pastoral know I none. Yet, certes, such it behoveth a pastoral to be, as nature in the country affordeth, and the manners also meetly copied from the rustical folk therein. In this also my love to my native country Britain much pricketb me forward, to describe aright the manners of our own bonest und laborious ploughmen, in no wise, sure more unworthy a Brit sh poet's imitation, than those of Sicily or Arcadie; albeit not ignorant I am what a rout and rabblement of critical gallimawfry bath been made of late

days by certain young men of insipid delicacy, concerning I wist not what Golden Ag, and other outrageous conceits, to which they would confine pastoral; whereof, I avow, I account nought at all, knowing no age so justly to be instiled Golden, as this of our sovereign lady Queen Anne.

This idle trumpery (only fit for schools and schoolboys) unto that ancient Doric shepherd Theocritus, or his mates, was never known; he rightly, throughout his fifth Idyll, maketh his louts give foul language, and behold their goats at rut in all simplicity.

Ωπόλις οκκ' εσορη τὰς μηκάδας οἷα βαλεώνα
Τακείαι ὀφθαλμὼς ὅκι 8 τράγος αυτός εγινίο.

Theoc.

Verily as little pleasance receiveth a true homebred taste from all the fine finical newfangled fooleries of this gay Gothick garniture, wherewith they so nicely bedeck their court clowns, or clown courtiers, (for which .o call them rightly I wot no!) as would a prudent citizen journeying to his country farms, should be find them occupied by people of this motley make, instead of plaine, downright, hearty, cleanly folk, such as be now tenants to the burgesses of this realme.

Furthermore, it is my purpose, gentle Reader, to set before thee, as it were, a picture, or rather lively landscape of thy own country, just as thou migh.est see it, didest thou take a walk into the fields at the proper season; even as Maister Milton bath elegantly set forth the same.

As one who long in populous city pent,

Where houses thick and sewers annoy the air,

Gay.]

Lij

Forth issuing on a summer's morn to breathe
Among the pleasant villages and farms

Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight;
The smell of grain, or tedded grass or kine,
Or dairie, each rural sight, each rural sound.

Thou wilt not find my shepherdesses idly piping on eaten reeds, but milking the kine, tying up the sheaves, or if the bogs are astray, driving them to their syes. My shepherd gathereth none other nosegays but what are the growth of our own fields; be sleepeth not under myrile shades, but under a bedge; nor doth be vigilantly defend bis flocks from wolves, because there are none, as Maister Spenser well observeth,

Well is known that since the Saxon King
Never was wolf seen, many or some,

Nor in all Kent nor in Christendom.

For as much as I have mentioned Maister Spenser, soothly I must acknowledge him a bard of sweetest memorial. Yet bath his shepherd's boy at sometimes raised his rustic reed to rhimes more rumbling than rural. Diverse grave points also bath be handled of churcbly matter, and doubts in religion daily arising, to great clerks only appertaining. What liketb me best are his names, indeed right simple and meet for the country, such as Lobbin, Cuddy, Hobbinol, Diggon, and others, some of which I have made bold to borrow. Moreover, as be called his Eclogues The Shepherd's Calendar, and divided the same into the twelve months, I have chosen, (peradventure not over rashly) to name mine by the

days of the week, omitting Sunday or the Sabbath, ours being supposed to be Christian Shepherds, and to be then at church worship. Yet further of many of Maister Spenser's Eclogues it may be observed, though months they be called, of the said months, therein nothing is specified, wherein I have also esteemed him worthy mine imitation.

That principally, courteous Reader, whereof I would have thee to be advertised, (seeing I depart from the vulgar usage) is touching the language of my shepherds; which is soothly to say, such as is neither spoken by the country maiden or the courtly dame; nay, not only such as in the present times is not uttered, but was never uttered in times past, and, if I judge aright, will never be uttered in times future; it having too much of the country to be fit for the court; too much of the court to be fit for the country; too much the language of old times to be fit for the present; too much of the present to have been fit for the old; and too much of bob to be fit for any time to come. Granted also it is, that in this my la guage seem unto myself as a London mason, who calculateth his work for a term of years, when he buildeth with old materials upon a ground-rent that is not his own, which soon turneth to rubbish and ruins. For this point no reason can I alledge, only deeplearned ensamples having led me thereunto.

I

But bere again much comfort ariseth in me from the hopes, in that I conceive, when these words in the course of transitory things shall decay, it may se hap, in meet time, that some lover of simplicity shall arise, who shall have the hardiness to

render these mine Eclogues into such more modern dialect as shall be then understood, to which end, glosses and explications of uncouth pastoral terms are annexed.

Gentle Reader, turn over the leaf, and entertain thyself with the prospect of bine own country, limned by the painful band of

thy loving countryman,

JOHN GAY.

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