To foar beyond this earthly clime, Beyond our petty bounds of time, To feek, where Goodnefs dwells with heav'n's im The fifter-Nymphs of song and science came, And, 'midft the triumphs of the feftal hour, Review'd their glories on the rolls of Fame: "Ye, who from fields of ftrife, and haunts of care, Full oft retir'd to feed the lofty thought, Ye, who to us preferr'd the duteous pray❜r, Great Great fons approach," exclaim'd the virgin band, "Rejoin our once lov'd choir :"-and Hermes wav'd his wand. II. With ready hafte, the Mufe's fav'rite train Came from furrounding woods in order bright: At Hefper's call, the fplendors of the night. Whofe eye looks many a tale of horrid woe, And § Fancy all anew proud Perfia's fall pourtrays. III. Inftant Alcæus girds his loofe attire, [twin'd; Grafps the dread fteel with myrtle-wreaths en Æfchylus. § Alludes to his play of the Perfæ. Again Again with manly rage he wakes the lyre, Its deep tones tell the grandeur of his mind. Sacred his fong ftill flows to Freedom's lore, How gallant youths have dar'd, and tyrants bled, They dar'd, fuperior to the doom of pow'r, Nor fleep they now, and moulder with the dead; With Homer's chiefs, they live beyond the main.' He fung and laurel groves repeat the gen'rous ftrain. IV. Clad with pure grace, beyond what art bestows, Comes meekly grave the chief, historian, sage, Who led his band thro' wilds and legion'd foes, And shines the hero of his modeft page; Who on the moral teacher, lift'ning, hung, How heav'nly truth fhould grace a heav'n-born mind; And, * Xenophon. And, while he heard the dictates of his tongue, Bade them inftruct to latest times confign'd. Yet, lib'ral youths, his Attic voice ye hear, Ye tafte his honey'd ftore, nor latent poison fear. V. Lo! fweetly tripping o'er the flow'ry scene, + Two Roman chiefs the gentle Terence lead, This wears the thund'rer's dread, majeftic mien, In that are wisdom's mildest charms difplay'd. Mufing behind, in loosely-flowing vest, He comes, who in fair Tufculum's retreat Hung up his civic crown to letter'd reft, While yet at distance roll'd the ftorms of state. Still, at each paufe of ftep, they might defcry The speaker's awful form, and fire-illumin'd eye. Scipio and Lælius, Cicero. VI. VI. Near him is feen, who bade these tempefts roll, Who through fad ruin rush'd in queft of pow'r; But foon were reft the triumphs of his foul, And foon his purple pall was drench'd in gore. Array'd in robes of lefs enfanguin'd hue, Such, as when Vict'ry hail'd the friend of Rome, No wreath he boafts, but what in Gallia grew, And round th' hiftorian's brow will ever bloom; Thy hands, pure Truth, the beauteous ftory wrought, When Cæfar fimply told, how Cæfar bravely fought. VII. Anon, || low-brooding mifts involv'd the day: The choir all figh'd-till, from the glooms of night, A form The ignorance of the middle centuries is meant to be characterised by the mifts, which involve the day. |