*Pure plain Devotion to a folemn farce; To holy dotage Virtue, even to guile, To murder, and a mockery of oaths;
Brave antient Freedom to the † Rage of Slaves, Proud of their state, and fighting for their chains; 95 Dishonour'd Courage to the + Bravo's trade,
To civil broil; and Glory to romance. Thus human life unhing'd, to ruin reel'd, And giddy Reason totter'd on her throne.
At laft HEAVEN's beft inexplicable scheme, Disclosing, bade new brightening aeras smile. The high command gone forth, ARTS in my train, And azure-mantled SCIENCE, fwift We Spread A founding pinion. Eager pity, mix'd
With indignation, urg'd her downward flight. On Latium first we stoop'd, for doubtful life That panted, funk beneath unnumber'd woes. poor Italia! what a bitter Of vengeance haft thoudrain'd? Goths, Vandals, Huns, Lombards, barbarians broke from
How many a ruffian form haft thou beheld?
What horrid jargons heard, where rage alone Was all thy frighted ear could comprehend? How frequent by the red inhuman hand,
Yet warm with brother's, husband's, father's blood, 115 Haft thou thy matrons and thy virgins seen To violation dragg'd, and mingled death?
What conflagrations, earthquakes, ravage, floods, Have turn'd thy cities into ftony wilds; And fuccourless, and bare, the poor remains Of wretches forth to nature's common caft?
The corruptions of the church of Rome. Vaffalage, whence the attachment of clans to their chief.
Added to these, the still continued waste Of* inbred foes, that on thy vitals prey,
And, double tyrants, feize the very foul.
Where had'st thou treasures for this rapine all? These hungry myriads, that thy bowels tore, Heap'd fack on fack, and bury'd in their rage Wonders of art; whence this grey scene of mine Of more than gold becomes and orient gems, Where Egypt, Greece, and Rome united glow.. 130 Here SCULPTURE,PAINTING, ARCHITECTURE,bent From antient models to restore their arts, Remain'd. A little trace we how they rose. Amid the heary ruins Sculpture first,
Deep digging, from the cavern dark and damp, 135 Their grave for ages, bid her marble race
Spring to new light. Joy sparkled in her eyes, And old remembrance thrill'd in every thought, As the the pleafing refurrection faw..
In leaning fite, refpiring from his toils,
The well-known + Hero, who deliver'd Greece, His ample cheft, all tempefted with force, Unconquerable rear'd. She faw the head, Breathing the hero, fmall, of Grecian fize, Scarce more extensive than the finewy neck ; The fpreading fhoulders, mufcular and broad; The whole a mass of swelling finews, touch'd Into harmonious fhape; fhe faw, and joy'd. The yellow hunter, Meleager, rais'd
His beauteous front, and thro' the finish'd whole 150 Shows what ideas fmiled of old in Greece.
Of raging afpect, rufh'd impetuous forth The Gladiator. Pitylefs his look,
* The Hierarchy. The Fighting Gladiator. B b
And each keen finew brac'd, the storm of war, Ruffling, o'er all his nervous body frowns. The Dying Other from the gloom she drew. Supported on his fhortened arm he leans, Prone, agonizing; with incumbent fate Heavy, declines his head; yet dark beneath The fuffering feature fullen vengeance lowrs, Shame, indignation, unaccomplish'd rage, And still the cheated eye expects his fall. All conqueft-fuf'd, from proftrate Python came The † Quivered God. In graceful act he stands, His arm extended with the flackened bow. Light flows his easy robe, and fair displays A manly-foftened form. The bloom of Gods Seems youthful o'er the beardless cheek to wave. His features yet heroic ardor warms; And sweet fubfiding to a native smile, Mixt with the joy elating-conqueft gives, A fcatter'd frown exalts his matchlefs air. On Flora mov'd; her full-proportion'd limbs Rife thro' the mantle fluttering in the breeze. The Queen of Love arofe, as from the deep She sprung in all the melting pomp of charms. Bashful fhe bends, her well-taught look afide Turns in enchanting guife, where dubious mix Vain confcious beauty, a diffembled sense Of modest shame, and flippery looks of love.
The gazer grows enamour'd, and the stone, As if exulting in its conqueft, fimiles.
So turn'd each limb, fo fwell'd with softening art, That the deluded eye the marble doubts.
*The Dying Gladiator. ↑ The Apollo of Belvidere.
At laft her utmost Masterpiece fhe found, That Maro fir'd, the miserable fire, Wrapt with his fons in Fate's feverest grafp. The ferpents, twisting round, their stringent folds Inextricable tie. Such paffion here,
Such agonies, fuch bitternefs of pain,
Seem fo to tremble thro' the tortur'd stone,
That the touch'd heart engroffes all the view. Almost unmark'd the best proportions pass, That ever Greece beheld; and, seen alone,
On the rapt eye th' imperious passions seize : The father's double pangs, both for himself And fons convuls'd; to Heaven his rueful look, Imploring aid, and half-accufing, cast; His fell defpair with indignation mixt,
As the strong-curling monfters from his fide His full-extended fury cannot tear.
More tender touch'd, with varied art, his fons All the foft rage of younger passions show. In a boy's helpless-fate one finks opprefs'd; While, yet unpierc'd, the frighted other tries His foot to fteal out of the horrid twine.
She bore no more, but ftrait from Gothic ruft Her chifel clear'd, and ‡ duft and fragments drove Impetuous round. Succeffive as it went
From fon to fon, with more enlivening touch, From the brute rock it call'd the breathing form ; Till, in a legislator's awful grace
* The groupe of Laocoon and his two fons, destroyed by two ferpents. + See Æneid II. Ver. 199.-22.7.
It is reported of Michael Angelo Buonaroti, the most celebrated master in modern Sculpture, that he wrought with a kind of inspiration, or enthusiastical fury, which produced the effect here mentioned.
Dreft, Buonaroti bid a * Moses rise,
And, looking love immenfe, a SAVIOUR-GOD. Of thefe obfervant, PAINTING felt the fire Burn inward. Then extatic she diffus'd
The canvafs, feiz'd the pallet, with quick hand The colours brew'd; and on the void expanfe Her gay creation pour'd, her mimic world. Poor was the manner of her eldest race, Barren, and dry; just struggling from the tafte That had for ages fcar'd, in cloysters dim, The fuperftitious herd: yet glorious then Were deem'd their works; where undevelop'd lay The future wonders that enrich'd mankind, And a new light and grace o'er Europe cast. Arts gradual gather ftreams. Enlarging This To each his portion of her various gifts The GODDESS dealt, to none indulging all ; No, not to Raphael. At kind distance still Perfection ftands, like Happiness, to tempt Th' eternal chace. In elegant defign Improving nature; in ideas fair,
Or great, extracted from the fine antique ; In attitude, expreffion, airs divine;
Her fons of Rome and] Florence bore the prize.
To thofe of Venice the the magic art
Of colours melting into colours gave. Theirs too it was by one embracing mafs
Of light and shade, that settles round the whole, 240 Or varies tremulous from part to part,
O'er all a binding harmony to throw,
To raise the picture, and repofe the fight.
The + Lombard fchool fucceeding, mingled both.
* Efteemed the two fineft pieces of modern Sculpture. The school of the Caracci,
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