"How fhall I part, and whither wander down "And wild? How fhall we breathe in other air Almost innumerable would be the examples we could prefent the reader of this kind out of Milton, but as we think he has now before him fufficient to answer the purpofe of practice in reading, and as we are compelled to keep each department of our work within its proper bounds, in order that we may be able to introduce as much variety of matter as will reuder the selection entertaining, we fhall here clofe our extracts from Paradife Loft. If the fcholar make himself competent to the proper reading of what we have given out of this incomparable poem, he may be affured that it will be in his power to afford confiderable pleasure to his hearers, by perufing any other part he may think proper to fix upon. PASTORALS. We fhall now give the scholar a few paftorals, the most prominent features of which are fimplicity and delicacy of expreffion. The reader ought to confider a neat, unaffected foftness of delivery, as effential qualities, in order that thefe compofitions fhould be read with their proper effect. We do not know of any that will answer the purpose of the reader's exercise better man the well-known paftoral ballad, in four parts, written by Shenftone. It feems to poffefs the leading characteristics of this fpecies of poetry in the highest degree, and as fuch we fhall infert the whole in our volume.-Let your voice be particularly Smooth and pleasant to the ear, with nothing loitering and heavy in its tone. Some exceptions will Some exceptions will occur, which we shall point out as we go on. ABSENCE. YE fhepherds fo cheerful and gay, Nor talk of the change that ye find; I have left my dear Phillis behind. Now I know what it is to have strove And to leave her we love and admire. I have bade my dear Phillis farewel. Since Since Phillis vouchfaf'd me a look, I never once dream'd of my vine: Beyond all that had pleas'd me before; But why do I languish in vain? Why wander thus penfively here? The pride of that valley is flown! dear? I could wander with pleasure, alone. . There is a defponding melancholy throughout most parts of these verses and the two following, that must be attended to by the reader. Although the words must not drag upon the ear, ftill your tone must be pensive, and your manner a little dejected. When forc'd the fair nymph to forego, She gaz'd, as I flowly withdrew; My path I could hardly difcern; So fweetly the bade me adieu, The The pilgrim that journeys all day Is happy, nor heard to repine. HOPE. Now you must throw off that penfiveness and me lancholy which we recommended you to mingle with the eafy unaffected manner fo neceffary in reading the foregoing. Let your voice be trippingly harmonious, and your looks cheerful and pleafant in the following. MY banks they are furnish'd with bees, And my hills are white over with sheep. I feldom have met with a lofs, Such health do my fountains bestow; Not Not a pine in my grove is there feen, But a fweet-briar twines it around. One would think the might like to retire To prune the wild branches away. From the plains, from the woodlands, and groves, From thickets of rofes that blow! And when her bright form fhall appear, I have found out a gift for my fair, I have found where the wood-pigeons breed, But let me the plunder forbear, She will fay 'twas a barbarous deed. 3 For |