Page:Amyntas, a tale of the woods; from the Italien of Torquato Tasso (IA amyntastaleofwoo00tass).pdf/25

 is as far surpassed by Comus and the Faithful Shepherdess. With the former, which is of a more supernatural kind, it does not so directly come under comparison; but compared with the latter, which is a complete sylvan work on the Italian model, it is as inferior, poetically speaking, as a lawn with a few trees on it is to the depths of a forest. It wants the crust of the old barks, the heaps of leaves, the tangled richness of exuberance, the squirrels, glades, and brooks, the ancient twilight, the reposing yet vital solitudes, the quaint and earthy population, the mid-way world between men and gods; the old overgrowth and beardiness of nature, fit for the shaggy satyrs to haunt, and for the flowers and the budding nymphs to supply with an under-look of youth and joy.

On the other hand, while it is still the work of