Part 46

It is professedly an imitation of Theocritus, whom Pope does not resemble, and whose Idylls he could only have read in a translation. The sources from which he really borrowed his materials will be seen in the notes.]

I do not find any lines that allude to the great storm of which the poet speaks.--WARTON.

Nor I. On the contrary, all the allusions to the winds are of the gentler kind,--"balmy Zephyrs," "whispering breezes" and so forth. Miss Tempest was the daughter of Henry Tempest, of Newton Grange, York, and grand-daughter of Sir John Tempest, Bart. She died unmarried. When Pope's Pastoral first appeared in Tonson's Miscellany, it was entitled "To the memory of a Fair Young Lady."--CROKER.]

And, shepherd, sweeter notes thy pipe do fill Than murm'ring springs that roll from yonder hill.--WAKEFIELD.]

nec quæ Saxosas inter decurrunt flumina valles.

For winding streams that through the valley glide. Dryden.--WAKEFIELD.]

Fountains, and ye that warble, as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.]

In the warm folds the tender flocks remain, The cattle slumber on the silent plain, While silent birds neglect their tuneful lays, Let us, dear Thyrsis, sing of Daphne's praise.--POPE.

It was originally,

Now in warm folds the tender flock remains.

Pope. "Objection to the word remains. I do not know whether these following be better or no, and desire your opinion.

Now while the groves in Cynthia's beams are dressed, And folded flocks in their soft fleeces rest; While sleeping birds, etc.

Or,

While Cynthia tips with silver all the groves, And scarce the winds the topmast branches moves.

While the bright moon with silver tips the grove, And not a breeze the quiv'ring branches move."

Walsh. "I think the last the best, but might not even that be mended?"]

As tuneful Congreve tries his rural strains, Pan quits the woods, the list'ning fauns the plains.

Dryden's Virgil, Ecl. vi. 100:

And called the mountain ashes to the plain.

Among the poems of Congreve is one entitled "The Mourning Muse of Alexis, a Pastoral lamenting the death of Queen Mary." This was the "sweet Alexis strain" to which Pope referred, and which the Thames "bade his willows learn."]

Audiit Eurotas, jussitque ediscere lauros.--POPE.

Admitting that a river gently flowing may be imagined a sensible being listening to a song, I cannot enter into the conceit of the river's ordering his laurels to learn the song. Here all resemblance to anything real is quite lost. This however is copied literally by Pope.--LORD KAMES.]

mandat fieri sibi talia Daphnis.]

And with fresh roses strew thy virgin urn.--STEEVENS.]

inducite fontibus umbras.... Et tumulum facite, et tumulo superaddite carmen.--POPE.

If the idea of "hiding the stream with myrtles" have either beauty or propriety, I am unable to discover them. Our poet unfortunately followed Dryden's turn of the original phrase in Virgil:

With cypress boughs the crystal fountains hide.--WAKEFIELD.]

Ecce! puer Veneris fert eversamque pharetram, Et fractos arcus, et sine luce facem.--WAKEFIELD.