de CARMINE PASTORALI
Written by RAPIN.
_The First Part_.
To be as short as possible in my discourse upon the present Subject,
I shall not touch upon the Excellency of _Poetry_ in general; nor
repeat those high _Encomiums_, (as that tis the most divine of all
human Arts, and the like) which _Plato_ in his _Jone_, _Aristotele_ in
his _Poetica_, and other Learned men have copiously insisted on: And
this I do that I might more closely and briefly pursue my present
design, which, no doubt will not please every man; for since I treat
of that part of _Poetry_, which (to use _Quintilian's_ words,) by
reason of its Clownishness, is affraid of the Court and City; some may
imagine that I follow _Nichocaris_ his humor, who would paint only the
most ugly and deform'd, and those too in the meanest and most
frightful dress, that real, or fancy'd Poverty could put them in.
{2} For some think that to be a Sheapard is in it self mean, base, and
sordid; And this I think is the first thing that the graver and
soberer sort will be ready to object.
But if we consider how honorable that employment is, our Objectors
from that Topick will be easily answer'd, for as _Heroick_ Poems owe
their dignity to the Quality of _Heroes_, so _Pastorals_ to that of
_Sheapards_.
Now to manifest this, I shall not rely on the authority of the
_Fabulous_, and _Heroick_ Ages, tho, in the former, a God fed Sheep in
_Thessaly_, and in the latter, _Hercules_ the Prince of _Heroes_, (as
_Paterculus_ stiles him) graz'd on mount _Aventine_: These Examples,
tis true, are not convinceing, yet they sufficiently shew that the
employment of a Sheapard was sometime look'd upon to be such, as in
those Fabulous times was not alltogether unbecomeing the _Dignity_ of
a _Heroe_, or the _Divinity_ of a _God_: which consideration if it
cannot be of force enough to procure excellence, yet certainly it may
secure it from the imputation of baseness, since it was sometime lookt
upon as fit for the greatest in Earth or Heaven.
But not to insist on the authority of _Poets_, _Sacred Writt_ tells
us that _Jacob_ and _Esau_, two great men, were Sheapards; And _Amos_,
one of the Royal Family, asserts the same of himself, for _He was_
among _the Sheapards of Tecua_, following that employment: The like by
Gods own appointment {3} prepared _Moses_ for a Scepter, as _Philo_
intimates in his life, when He tells us, _that a Sheapards Art is a
suitable preparation to a Kingdome_; the same He mentions in the Life
of _Joseph_, affirming that the care a Sheapard hath over his Cattle,
very much resembles that which a King hath over his Subjects: The same
_Basil_ in his Homily de _S. Mamm. Martyre_ hath concerning _David_,
who was taken from following the Ews great with young ones to feed
_Israel_, for He says that the Art of feeding and governing are very
near akin, and even Sisters: And upon this account I suppose twas,
that Kings amongst the _Greeks_ reckoned the name of Sheapard one of
their greatest titles, for, if we believe _Varro_, amongst the
Antients, the best and bravest was still a Sheapard: Every body knows
that the _Romans_ the worthiest and greatest Nation in the World
sprang from _Sheapards_: The Augury of the Twelve Vulturs plac't a
Scepter in _Romulus's_ hand which held a Crook before; and at that
time, as _Ovid_ says,
His own small Flock each Senator did keep.
_Lucretius_ mentions an extraordinary happiness, and as it were
Divinity in a _Sheaperd's_ life,
Thro Sheapards ease, and their Divine retreats.
And this is the reason, I suppose, why the solitude of the Country,
the shady Groves, and security of that happy Quiet was so grateful to
the Muses, for thus _Horace_ represents them,
{4} The Muses that the Country Love.
Which Observation was first made by _Mnasalce_ the _Sicyonian_ in his
Epigram upon _Venus_
The Rural Muse upon the Mountains feeds.
For sometimes the Country is so raveshing and delightful, that twill
raise Wit and Spirit even in the dullest Clod, And in truth, amongst
so many heats of Lust and Ambition which usually fire our Citys, I
cannot see what retreat, what comfort is left for a chast and sober
Muse.
And to speak from the very bottome of my heart, (not to mention the
integrity and innocence of Sheapards upon which so many have
insisted, and so copiously declaimed) methinks he is much more happy
in a Wood, that at ease contemplates this universe, as his own, and
in it, the Sun and Stars, the pleasing Meadows, shady Groves, green
Banks, stately Trees, flowing Springs, and the wanton windings of a
River, fit objects for quiet innocence, than he that with Fire and
Sword disturbs the World, and measures his possessions by the wast
that lys about him: _Augustus_ in the remotest East fights for peace,
but how tedious were his Voyages? how troublesome his Marches? how
great his disquiets? what fears and hopes distracted his designs?
whilst _Tityrus_ contented with a little, happy in the enjoyment of
his Love, and at ease under his spreading Beech.
Taught Trees to sound his _Amaryllis_ name.
{5} On the one side _Meliboeus_ is forc't to leave his Country, and
_Antony_ on the other; the one a Sheapard, the other a great man, in
the Common-Wealth; how disagreeable was the Event? the Sheapard could
endure himself; and sit down contentedly under his misfortunes, whilst
lost _Antony_, unable to hold out, and quitting all hopes both for
himself and his Queen, became his own barbarous Executioner: Than
which sad and deplorable fall I cannot imagine what could be worse,
for certainly nothing is so miserable as a Wretch made so from a
flowrishing & happy man; by which tis evident how much we ought to
prefer before the gaity of a great and shining State, that Idol of the
Crowd, the lowly simplicity of a Sheapards Life: for what is that but
a perfect image of the state of Innocence, of that golden Age, that
blessed time, when Sincerity and Innocence, Peace, Ease, and Plenty
inhabited the Plains?