And the whole eastern ocean, waving far
As eye could dart its vision, nobly check'd.
While in extended battle, at the field
Of Marathon, my keen ATHENIANS drove
Before their ardent band an hoft of flaves.
Hence thro' the continent ten thousand GREEKS Urg'd a retreat, whofe glory not the prime Of victories can reach. Defarts, in vain, Oppos'd their courfe; and hoftile lands, unknown; And deep rapacious floods, dire bank'd with death; 190 And mountains, in whose jaws destruction grin'd; Hunger, and toil; Armenian fnows, and ftorms; And circling myriads ftill of barbarous foes. GREECE in their view, and glory yet untouch'd, Their steady column pierc'd the scattering herds 195 Which a whole empire pour'd; and held its way Triumphant, by the SAGE-EXALTED CHIEF Fir'd and fuitain'd. Oh light and force of mind, Almoft almighty in severe extremes!
The fea at laft from Golchian mountains seen,
Kind-hearted tranfport round their captains threw
The foldier's fond embrace; o'erflow'd their eyes
With tender floods, and loos'd the general voice
To cries refounding loud, The fea! The fea!
In ATTIC bounds hence heroes, fages, wits,
Shone thick as ftars, the milky way of GREECE!
And tho' gay wit, and pleasing grace was theirs,
All the foft modes of elegance and ease,
Yet was not courage less, the patient touch
Of toiling art, and disquisition deep.
MY SPIRIT pours a vigour thro' the soul,
Th' unfetter'd thought with energy inspires,
Invincible in arts, in the bright field
Of nobler Science, as in that of Arms.
ATHENIANS thus not less intrepid burst
The bonds of tyrant darkness, than they spurn'd
The Perfian chains: while thro' the city, full
Of mirthful quarrel and of witty war,
Inceffant struggled taste refining tafte,
And friendly free difcuffion, calling forth
From the fair jewel TRUTH its latent ray.
O'er All fhone out the great * ATHENIAN SAGE,
And Father of Philofophy: the fun,
From whose white blaze emerg'd, each various sect
Took various teints, but with diminish'd beam.
Tutor of ATHENS he, in every street,
Dealt priceless treasure: goodness his delight,
Wisdom his wealth, and glory his reward.
Deep thro' the human heart, with playful art,
His fimple question ftole; as into truth,
And ferious deeds, he fmil'd the laughing race;
Taught moral happy life, whate'er can blefs,
Or grace mankind; and what he taught he was.
Compounded high, tho' plain, his doctrine broke
In different SCHOOLS: The bold poetic phrase
Of figur'd PLATO; XENOPHON'S pure ftrain,
Like the clear brook that steals along the vale;
Diffecting truth, the STAGYRITE's keen eye;
Th' exalted STOIC pride; the CYNIC fneer
The flow-confenting ACADEMIC doubt;
And, joining blifs to virtue, the glad ease
Of EPICURUS, seldom understood.
They, ever-candid, reafon still oppos'd
To reafon; and, fince Virtue was their aim,
Each by pure practice try'd to prove his way
The best. Then ftood untouch'd the folid bafe
Of liberty, the Liberty of Mind.
For fyftems yet, and foul-enflaving creeds
Slept with the monsters of fucceeding times.
From priestly darkness fprung th' enlightening arts 250
Of fire, and sword, and rage, and horrid names.
O GREECE! thou fapient Nurfe of FINER ARTS,
Which to bright Science blooming Fancy bore,
Be this thy praise, that Thou, and thou alone
In Thefe haft led the way, in These excell'd,
Crown'd with the laurel of affenting Time.
In thy full language, fpeaking mighty things,
A broad majestic ftream, and rowling on
Like a clear torrent close, or else diffus'd
Thro' all the winding harmony of found,
In it the power of ELOQUENCE, at large,
Breath'd the perfuafive or pathetic foul";
Still'd by degrees the Democratic storm,
Or bade it threatening rife, and tyrants shook,
Flush'd at the head of their victorious troops.
In it the MUSE, her fury never quench'd
By mean unyielding phrase, or jarring found
Her unconfin'd Divinity difplay'd;
And, still harmonious, form'd it to her will::
Or foft deprefs'd it to the shepherd's moan,
Or rais'd it fwelling to the tongue of Gods.
Heroic Song was thine; the FoUNTAIN-BARD,
Whence each poetic stream derives its course.
Thine the dread Moral Scene, thy chief delight!
Where idle Fancy durft not mix her voice,
When Reason spoke auguft; the fervent heart
Or plain'd, or storm'd; and in th' impassion'd man,
Concealing art with art, the poet funk.
This potent school of manners, but when left
To loose neglect, a land-corrupting plague,
Was not unworthy deem'd of public care,
And boundless coit, by thee; whofe every son,
Even laft mechanic, the true taste poffefs'd
Of what had flavour to the nourish'd foul.
The sweet enforcer of the poet's strain,
Thine was the meaning Music of the heart.
Not the vain trill, that, void of passion, runs
In giddy mazes, tickling idle ears;
But that deep-searching voice, and artful hand,
To which respondent fhakes the varied foul.
Thy fair ideas, thy delightful forms,
By Love imagin'd, by the Graces touch'd,
The boast of well-pleas'd Nature, SCULPTURE feiz'd,
And bad them ever fmile in Parian ftone.
Selecting Beauty's choice, and that again
Exalting, blending in a perfect whole,
Thy workmen left even Nature's felf behind.
From those far different, whofe prolific hand
Peoples a nation; they for years on years,
By the cool touches of judicious toil,
Their rapid genius curbing, pour'd it all
Thro' the live features of one breathing stone.
There, beaming full, it fhone, expreffing Gods:
Jove's awful brow, Apollo's air divine,
The fierce atrocious frown of finew'd Mars,
Or the fly graces of the Cyprian Queen:
Minutely perfect all! Each dimple funk,
And every muscle fwell'd, as nature taught.
In treffes, braided gay, the marble wav'd;
Flow'd in loose robes, or thin transparent veils; 310
Sprung into motion; soften'd into flesh;
Was fir'd to Paffion, or refin'd to Soul.
Nor less thy PENCIL, with creative touch,
Shed mimic life, when all thy brightest dames,
Affembled, ZEUXIS in his HELEN mix'd:
And when APELLES, who peculiar knew
To give a grace that more than mortal smil'd,
The Soul of Beauty! call'd the Queen of Love,
Fresh from the billows, blushing orient charms.
Even fuch enchantment then thy pencil pour'd,
That cruel-thoughted War th' impatient torch
Dafh'd to the ground; and, rather than destroy
The patriot picture, let the city scape.
First elder Sculpture taught her Sifter Art
Correct defign; where great ideas shone,
And in the fecret trace expression spoke :
Taught her the graceful attitude; the turn,
And beauteous airs of head; the native act,
Or bold, or easy; and, cast free behind, -
1 The fwelling mantle's well-adjufted flow.
Then the bright Mufe, their eldest Sister, came;
And bade her follow where he led the way:
Bade earth, and sea, and air, in colours rife ;
And copious action on the canvas glow
Gave her gay Fable; fpread Invention's ftore; 335
Inlarg'd her View; taught Compofition high,
And just Arrangement, circling round one point,
That starts to fight, binds and commands the whole:
Caught from the heavenly Muse a nobler aim,
When Demetrius befieged Rhodes, and could have redueed the city, by fetting fire to that quarter of it where stood the houfe of the celebrated PROTOGENES; he chofe rather to ralfe the fiege, than hazard the burning of a famous picture called JASYLUS, a inafterpiece of that painter, Y 3
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