S '/ 

 34 Poetry* [Chap. XX. -^ 



stionably hold the first place, lie has, indeed,- 

 been pronounced the greatest pastoral poet that 

 ever lived, not excepting Theocritus himself, the 

 fatlier of this species of poetry. In the novelty of 

 ma!iy of his thoughts, in the judicious choice of 

 subjects, in liveliness of description, and in ex- 

 quisite pathos and tenderness of sentiment, he is 

 without a rival. The Idylls, or Rural Stories, of 

 mademoiselle Levesque, a poetess of France, are 

 said by some critics to approach that excellence 

 which^ distinguishes the productions of Gesner* 

 To these may be added the Eclogues of Fonte- 

 nclle and de la Motte, of the same country, which 

 deserve to be mentioned with honour among the 

 pastoral writings of the age. 



The late pastoral poets of Great Britain are nu* 

 merous ; but of these few are worthy of being di- 

 stinguished. Among such as deserve to be .men- 

 tioned with particular honour. Dr. Beattie and 

 Mr. South ey stand in the first rank. The Hermit 

 of the former, which belongs ta this class rather 

 than any other, in ease, in solemn musical expres- 

 sion, in elevation of sentiment, and in pathetic 

 touches, is almost unrivalled, and would be suffi- 

 cient alone to establish the author's immortality as' 

 a poet * : and the Old Majisi'in-House, the Ruined 

 Cottage, and the Botany-Bay Eclogues of the latter, 

 display theifme imagination, the graceful simpli- 



landscape painting as well as in poetry. He wrote much beside 

 tiis Death of Abel, and his Idj/lls. He died in 1788. 



* This excellent man and charming poet was born in 1735, ' 

 and died in 1803. His memory will be aftectionately and le- 

 s}>ectfully cherished as long as religion, viitue;, ajid taste, txist^ 



