Much-fuff'ring heroes next their honours claim,
Those of less noify, and lefs guilty fame,
Fair Virtue's filent train: fupreme of these
Here ever fhines the godlike Socrates:
He whom ungrateful Athens could expell,
At all times juft, but when he fign'd the Shell.
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 choir,
Six pompous columns o'er the reft afpire;

NOTES.

170

VER. 172. He whom ungrateful Athens, etc.) Ariftides, who for his great integrity was diftinguifhed by the appellation of the Just. When his countrymen would have banifhed him by the Oftracism, where it was the custom for every man to fign the name of the perfon he voted to exile in an Oyfter - fhell; a peafant, who could not write, came to Ariftides to do it for him; who readily figned his own name.

P.

VER. 178. But in the centre of the hallow'd choir】, etc.) In the midst of the temple, nearest the throne of Fame, are placed the greatest names in learning of all antiquity. These are defcribed in fuch attitudes as exprefs their different characters: the columns on which they are raised are adorned with sculptures, taken from the most striking fubjects of their works; which fculpture bears a refemblance, in its manner and character to the manner and character of their writings. r.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 179. Six pompous columns, etc.)

From the dees many a pillere,

Of metal that fhone not full clere, etc,

Upon a pillere faw I ftonde

That was of lede and iron fine,

Him of the fe&t Saturnine,

The Ebraicke Jofephus the old, etc.

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 boldness in his looks appears;
In years he feem'd, but not impair'd by years.
The wars of Troy were round the Pillar feen:
Here fierce Tydides wounds the Cyprian Queen;
Here Hector glorious from Patroclus' fall,
Here dragg'd in triumph round the Troyan wall.
Motion and life did ev'ry part infpire,
Bold was the work, and prov'd the mafter'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;

IMITATIONS.

Upon an iron piller ftrong,

That painted was all endlong,

With tiger's blood in every place,

The Tholofan that hight Stace,

That bare of Thebes up the name, eft, P.

VER. 182.)

Full wonder hye on a pillere

Of iran, he the great Omer,

And with him Dares and Titus, etc.

VER. 196, etc.)

180

185

190

195

There faw I ftand on a pillere

That was of tinned iron cleere,

The Latin Poet Virgyle,

That hath bore up of a great while

The fame of pius Æneas:

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 pofture, and his look fedate;
On Homer ftill he fix'd a rev'rend eye,
Great without pride, in modeft majelty.
In living sculpture on the fides were spread
The Latian Wars, and haughty Turnus dead;
Eliza ftretch'd upon the f'ral pyre,
Eneas bending with his aged fire:

200

205

Troy flam'd in burning gold, and o'er the throne
ARMS AND THE MAN in golden cyphers fhone.
Four fwans fuftain a car of filver bright,
With heads advanc'd, and pinions ftretch'd for flight:

NOTES.

210

VER. 210. Four swans fustain. etc.) Pindar being feared in a chariot, alludes to the chariot - races he celebrated in the Grecian games. The fwans are emblems of Poetry, their foaring posture intimates the fublimity and activity of his genius. Neptune prefided over the Ifthmian, and Jupiter over the Olympian games. P.

IMITATIONS.

And next him on a piliere was

Of copper, Venus clerke Ovide,
That hath fowen wondrous wide

The great God of Love's fame-
Tho faw on a piller by

Of iron wrought full fternly,

The great poet Dan Lucan,

That on his fhoulders bore up then
As hye as that I might fee,

The fame of Julius and Pompee.

And next him on a pillere ftode
Of fulphur, like as he were wode,
Dan Claudian, fothe for to tell,

That bare up all the fame of hell, etc.. OP,

215

Here, like fome furious prophet, Pindar rode,
And feem'd to labour with th' inspiring God.
Across the harp a carelefs hand he flings,
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 feem ftarting from the tone;
The champions in distorted postures threat;
And all appear'd irregularly great.

Here happy Horace tun'd th' Aufonian lyre.
To fweeter founds, and temper'd Pindar's fire:
Pleas'd with Alcaus' manly rage t'infuse
The fofter fpirit of the Sapphic Mufe.

IMITATIONS.

220

225

VER. 224. Pleafed with Alcaus' manly rage t'infuse The fofter Spirit of the Sapphic Mufe.) This expreffes the mix'd character of the odes of Horace: the fecond of thefe verfes alludes to that line of his,

Spiritum Graiæ tenuem camonæ.

As another which follows, to

Exegi monumentum ere perennius, 1

The action of the Doves hints at a paffage in the fourth ode of his third book.

Me fabulofe Vulture in Appulo

Altricis extra limen Apuliæ,

Ludo fatigatumque fomno,

Fronde nova puerum palumbes

Texére; mirum quod foret omnibus

Ut tuto ab atris corpore viperis

Dormirem & urfis; ut premerer facra
Lauroque collataque myrto,

Non fine. Diis animofus infans.

Which may be thus englifhed;

While yer a child, I chanc'd to ftray,

And in a defert (leeping lay; Bewert

The favage race withdrew, nor dar'd

The polifh'd pillar diff'rent fculptures grace;
A work outlafting 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 fhrine that caft a dazling light,
Sate fix'd in thought' the mighty Stagirite;
His facred head a radiant Zodiac crown'd,
And various Animals his fidcs furround;
His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view
Superior worlds, and look all Nature through.
With equal rays immortal Tully fhone,
The Roman Roftra deck'd the Conful's throne:
Gath'ring his flowing robe, he seem'd to stand
In act to speak, and graceful stretch'd his hand.
Behind, Rome's Genius waits with Civic crowns,
And the great Father of his country owns.

Thefe maffy columns in a circle rise.

T

230

238

240

O'er which a pompous dome invades the skies: 245
Scarce to the top. I ftretch'd my aking fight,
So large it fpread, and fwell'd to such a height.
Full in the midft proud Fame's imperial feat
With jewels blaz'd, magnificently great;
The vivid cm'ralds there revive the eye;
The flaming rubies fhew their fanguine dye,
Bright azure rays from lively sapphires stream;

IMITATIONS.

To touch the Mufes future bard;

But Cytherea's gentle dove

Myrtles and Bays around me fpread,
And crown'd your infant Poet's head,
Sacred to Mufic and to Love. P.

250