For this, as 'tis a rule relateing to _Poetry_ in general, so it respects this kind also of which we are treating; and against this _Tasso_ in his _Amyntas_, _Bonarellus_ in his _Phyllis_, _Guarinus_ in his _Pastor Fido_, _Marinus_ in his _Idylliums_, and most of the _Italians_ grievously offend, for they make their _Shepherds_ too polite, and elegant, and cloth them with all the neatness of the Town, and Complement of the Court, which tho it may seem very pretty, yet amongst good _Critics_, let _Veratus_ {32} say what he will in their excuse, it cannot be allowed: For 'tis against _Minturnus's_ Opinion, who in his second Book _de Poetâ_ says thus: _Mean Persons are brought in, those in Comedy indeed more polite, those in Pastorals more unelegant, as suppos'd to lead a rude life in Solitude_; and _Jason Denor_ a Doctor of _Padua_ takes notice of the same as a very absurd Error: _Aristotle_ heretofore for a like fault reprehended the _Megarensians_, who observ'd no _Decorum_ in their _Theater_, but brought in mean persons with a Train fit for a _King_ and cloath'd a Cobler or Tinker in a Purple Robe: In vain doth _Veratus_ in his Dispute against _Jason Denor_, to defend those elaborately exquisite discourses, and notable sublime sentences of his _Pastor Fido_, bring some lofty _Idylliums_ of _Theocritus_, for those are not acknowledged to be Pastoral; _Theocritus_ and _Virgil_ must be consulted in this matter, the former designdly makes his Shepherds discourse in the _Dorick_ i. e. the Rustick Dialect, sometimes scarce true Grammar; & the other studiously affects ignorance in the persons of his Shepherds, as _Servius_ hath observ'd, and is evident in _Melibæus_, who makes _Oaxes_ to be a River in _Crete_ when 'tis in _Mesopotamia_: and both of them take this way that the Manners may the more exactly suit with the Persons they represent, who of themselves are rude and unpolisht: And this proves that they scandalously err, who make their Shepherds appear polite and elegant; nor can I imagine what _Veratus_ {33} who makes so much ado about the polite manners of the _Arcadian_ Shepherds, would say to _Polybius_ who tells us that _Arcadians_ by reason of the Mountainousness of the Country and hardness of the weather, are very unsociable and austere.