But chief were those who not for empire fought, But with their toils their people's fafety bought : High o'er the rest Epaminondas ftood; Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood; Bold Scipio, faviour of the Roman state, Great in his triumphs, in retirement great. And wife Aurelius, in whofe well-taught mind With boundless pow'r unbounded virtue join'd, His own strict judge, and patron of mankind. Much-fuff'ring heroes next their honours claim, Those of lefs noify, and lefs guilty fame, Fair virtue's filent train: fupreme of thefe Here ever shines the godlike Socrates : * He whom ungrateful Athens could expell, At all times juft, but when he fign'd the fhell. Here his abode the martyr'd Phocion claims, With Agis, not the laft of Spartan names: Unconquer'd Cato fhews the wound he tore, And Brutus his ill Genius meets no more. But in the centre of the hallow'd quire, Six pompous columns o'er the rest aspire;
* Ariftides. Vid. Plutarch.
Around the fhrine itself of Fame they stand,
Hold the chief honours, and the fane command.
High on the first, the mighty Homer fhone;
Eternal Adamant compos'd his throne;
Father of verfe! in holy fillets dreft,
His filver beard wav'd gently o'er his breaft;
Tho' blind, a boldnefs in his looks appears;
In years he feem'd, but not impair'd by years.
The wars of Troy were round the pillar seen:
Here fierce Tydides wounds the Cyprian Queen :
Here Hector glorious from Patroclus fall,
Here dragg'd in triumph round the Trojan wall.
Motion and life did ev'ry part inspire,
Bold was the work, and prov'd the master's fire;
A ftrong expreffion moft he feem'd t'affect,
And here and there difclos'd a brave neglect.
A golden column next in rank appear'd,
On which a fhrine of pureft gold was rear'd;
Finish'd the whole, and labour'd ev'ry part,
With patient touches of unweary'd art:
The Mantuan there in fober triumph fate,
Compos'd his posture, and his look sedate;
On Homer still he fix'd a rev'rend eye,
Great without pride, in modest majesty.
In living sculpture on the fides were spread
The Latian wars, and haughty Turnus dead;
Eliza ftretch'd upon the fun'ral pyre,
Æneas bending with his aged fire:
Troy flam'd in burnish'd gold, and o'er the throne
Arms and the Man in golden cyphers fhone.
Four swans sustain a car of filver bright,
With heads advanc'd, and pinions ftretch'd for flight:
Here, like fome furious prophet, Pindar rode,
And feem'd to labour with th' inspiring God.
Across the harp a careless hand he flings,
And boldly finks into the founding ftrings.
The figur'd games of Greece the column grace,
Neptune and Jove furvey the rapid race:
The youths hang o'er their chariots as they run;
The fiery steeds seem starting from the stone;
The champions in distorted postures threat;
And all appear'd irregularly great.
Here happy Horace tun'd th' Aufonian lyre
To sweeter founds, and temper'd Pindar's fire:
Pleas'd with Alcaus' manly rage t'infuse
The fofter spirit of the Saphic Muse.
The polish'd pillar diff'rent fculptures grace;
A work outlasting monumental brass.
Here fmiling Loves and Bacchanals appear,
The Julian ftar and great Auguftus here.
The * doves that round the infant Poet fpread
Myrtles and bays, hung hov'ring o'er his head.
Here in a shrine that caft a dazling light,
Sate fix'd in thought the mighty Stagyrite;
His facred head a radiant Zodiack crown'd,
And various animals his fides furround;
His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view
Superior worlds, and look all nature thro'.
With equal rays immortal Tully fhone,
The Roman Roftra deck'd the Conful's throne:
Gath'ring his flowing robe, he feem'd to stand,
In act to fpeak, and graceful stretch'd his hand :
Behind, Rome's Genius waits with Civic crowns,
And the great father of his country owns.
* Vid. Horat. lib. 3. Ode 4.
These maffy columns in a circle rife,
O'er which a pompous dome invades the skies:
Scarce to the top I ftretch'd my aking sight,
So large it spread, and fwell'd to fuch a height.
Full in the midst proud Fame's imperial feat
With jewels blaz'd, magnificently great;
The vivid em'ralds there revive the eye,
The flaming rubies fhew their fanguine dye,
Bright azure rays from lively faphyrs stream,
And lucid amber cafts a golden gleam.
With various-colour'd light the pavement fhone,
And all on fire appear'd the glowing throne;
The dome's high arch reflects the mingled blaze,
And forms a rainbow of alternate rays.
When on the Goddess first I caft my sight,
Scarce feem'd her ftature of a cubit's height,
But fwell'd to larger fize, the more I gaz'd,
Till to the roof her tow'ring front she rais'd.
With her, the Temple ev'ry moment grew,
And ampler Vista's open'd to my view,
Upward the columns fhoot, the roofs afcend,
And arches widen, and long iles extend.
|