TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sufannah Countess of Eglinton. MADAM, HE love of approbation, and a defire to please to their defigns with chearfulnefs. But confcious of their own inability to oppose a storm of spleen and haughty illnature, it is generally an ingenious cuftom amongst them to chufe fome honourable thade. Wherefore I beg leave to put my Paftoral under your Ladyfhip's protection. If my patronefs fays, the Shepherds fpeak as they ought, and that there are several natural flowers that beautify the rural wild, I fhall have good reafon to think myfelf fafe from the aukward cenfure of fome pretended judges, who condemn before examination. I am fure of vaft numbers that will croud into your Ladyfhip's opinion, and think it their honour to agree in their fentiments with the Countess of Eglinton, whose penetration, fuperior wit, and found judgment, fhines with uncommon luftre, while accompanied with the diviner charms of goodnefs and equality of mind. If it were not for offending only your Ladyfhip, here, Madam, I might give the fulleft liberty to my mufe to delineate the finest of women, by drawing your Ladyfhip's character, and be in no hazard of being deemed a flatterer; fince flattery lies not in paying what is due to merit, but in praifes misplaced. Were I to begin with your Ladyfhip's honourable birth and alliance, the field is ample, and presents us with numberless great and good patriots, that have dignified the names of Kennedy and Montgomery. Be that the eare of the herald and the historian. 'I'is perfonal merit, and the heavenly fweetness of the fair, that infpire the tuneful lays. Here every Lesbia must be excepted, whose tongues give liberty to the flaves, which their eyes had made captives. Such may be flattered; but your Lady. fhip justly claims our admiration and profoundest refpect. For whilft you are poffeffed of every outward charm in the most perfect degree, the never-fading beauties of wildom and piety, which adorn your Ladyfhip's mind, command devotion. All this is very true, cries a four-plumb of better sense than good-nature; but what occasion have you to tell us the fun fhines, when we have the use of our eyes, and feel his influence?Very true: but I have the liberty to ufe the poet's privilege, which is, To fpeak what every body thinks. Indeed, there might be fome ftrength in the reflection, if the Idalian regifters were of as hort duration as life but the bard, who fondly hopes immortality, has a certain praife-worthy pleafure in com. municating to pollerity the fame of diftinguished characters.I write this laft fentence, with a hand that trembles between hope and fear; but if I fhould prove fo happy as to pleafe your Ladyfhip in the following attempt, then all my doubts fhall evanifli like a morning vapour; I fhall hope to be claffed with Taffo and Guari ni, and fing with Ovid, If 'tis allow'd to poets to divine, TO THE COUNTESS OF EGLINTON, With the following PASTORA L. A CCEPT, Oh, Eglinton! the rural lays, Or near the stream, or in the rural fhade; Inftructed from these scenes, what glowing fires [6] With willing inind, is bounteous to relent, With words like these, that fail'd not to engage, Pure and untaught, fuch nature first inspir'd, Fleav'n only to the rural ftate bestows Conqueft o'er life, and freedom from its woes; Nor rais'd by hope, nor yet deprefs'd by fear : Bleft ftill to spend the hours that heav'n has lent, But now the rural state these joys has loft; 4 Boun |