The Mantuan there in fober triumph fate,
Compos'd his posture, and his look fedate:
On Homer ftill he fix'd a rev'rend eye,
Great without pride, in modeft majesty..
In living fculpture on the fides were spread
The Latian wars, and haughty Turnus dead;
Eliza ftretch'd upon the fun'rał pyre;

Eneas bending with his aged Sire;

Troy flam'd in burning gold; and o'er the throne ARMS AND THE MAN in golden cyphers shone.

Four swans fuftain a car of filver bright, With heads advanc'd, and pinions ftretch'd for flight:

Here, like some 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 strings..
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 fteeds feem ftarting from the flone:
The champions in distorted postures threat
And all appear'd irregularly great.

Here happy Harace tun'd th' Aufonian lyre To sweeter founds, and temper'd Pindar's fire; Pleas'd with Alcaus' manly rage t'infuse The fofter fpirit of the Sapphic Mufe. The polish'd pillar diff'rent sculptures grace;; A work outlafting monumental brafs.

Here

When the wing'd colonies firft tempt the sky,
O'er duky fields and shaded waters fly,

Or fettling, feize the fweets the bloffoms yield,
And a low murmur runs along the field.
Millions of fuppliant crouds the shrine attend,
And all degrees before the Goddess bend;
The poor, the rich, the valiant, and the sage,
And boafting youth, and narrative old-age.
Their pleas were diff'rent, their requeft the fame;
For good and bad alike are fond of fame.”
Some the difgrac'd, and fome with honours
crown'd;

Unlike fucceffes equal merits found.

Thus her blind fifter, fickle Fortune, reigns,
And undiscerning scatters crowns and chains.

Firft at the shrine the Learned world appear,
And to the Goddess thus prefer their pray'r.
Long have we fought t'inftruct and please man-
kind,

With ftudies pale, with midnight vigils blind;
But thank'd by few, rewarded yet by none,
We here appeal to thy fuperior throne:
On Wit and Learning the just prize bestow;
For Fame is all we must expect below.

The Goddess heard, and bad the Muses raise
The golden Trumpet of eternal Praise :
From pole to pole the winds diffuse the found
That fills the circuit of the world around;

Not

A

Τ

Not all at once, as thunder breaks the cloud;
The notes at firft were rather fweet than loud:
By just degrees they ev'ry moment rife,
Fill the wide earth, and gain upon the skies,
At ev'ry breath were balmy odours fhed,
Which still grew fweeter as they wider spread ;
Lefs fragrant fcents th'unfolding rofe exhales,
Or fpices breathing in Arabian gales.

Next these the good and juft, an awful train, Thus on their knees addrefs the facred fane. Since living virtue is with envy curs'd, And the best men are treated like the worst, Do thou, juft Goddess, call our merits forth, And give each deed th’exact intrinfic worth. Not with bare justice shall your act be crown'd, (Said Fame) but high above defert renown'd : Let fuller notes th'applauding world amaze, And the loud clarion labour in your praise.

This band difmifs'd, behold another croud Prefer the fame request, and lowly bow'd; The conftant tenour of whofe well-fpent days No lefs deferv'd a just return of praise.

But ftraight the direful Trump of Slander founds;
Thro' the big dome the doubling thunder bounds;
Loud as the burst of cannon rends the skies,
The dire report through ev'ry region flies,
In ev'ry ear inceffant rumours rung,

And gath'ring fcandals grew on ev'ry tongue.
H

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When the wing'd colonies firft tempt the sky,
O'er dusky fields and shaded waters fly,

Or fettling, feize the sweets the bloffoms yield,
And a low murmur runs along the field.
Millions of fuppliant crouds the shrine attend,
And all degrees before the Goddess bend ;
The poor, the rich, the valiant, and the fage,
And boasting youth, and narrative old-age.
Their pleas were diff'rent, their request the fame; -
For good and bad alike are fond of fame."
Some the difgrac'd, and fome with honours
crown'd.;

Unlike fucceffes equal merits found.

Thus her blind fifter, fickle Fortune, reigns,
And undifcerning fcatters crowns and chains.

Firft at the fhrine the Learned world appear, And to the Goddess thus prefer their pray'r. Long have we fought t'inftruct and pleafe mankind,

With ftudies pale, with midnight vigils blind;
But thank'd by few, rewarded yet by none,
We here appeal to thy fuperior throne:
On Wit and Learning the just prize bestow;
For Fame is all we must expect below.

The Goddess heard, and bad the Mufes raise
The golden Trumpet of eternal Praise :
From pole to pole the winds diffuse the found
That fills the circuit of the world around;

Not

Not all at once, as thunder breaks the cloud;
The notes at firft were rather fweet than loud:
By juft degrees they ev'ry moment rife,
Fill the wide earth, and gain upon the skies.
At ev'ry breath were balmy odours fhed,
Which ftill grew fweeter as they wider spread;
Lefs fragrant fcents th'unfolding rofe exhales,
Or fpices breathing in Arabian gales.

Next these the good and juft, an awful train, Thus on their knees addrefs the facred fane. Since living virtue is with envy curs'd, And the best men are treated like the worst, Do thou, juft Goddefs, call our merits forth, And give each deed th’exact intrinfic worth. Not with bare justice shall your act be crown'd, (Said Fame) but high above defert renown'd: Let fuller notes th'applauding world amaze, And the loud clarion labour in your praise.

This band difmifs'd, behold another croud Prefer the fame request, and lowly bow'd; The conftant tenour of whose well-spent days No lefs deferv'd a just return of praise.

But ftraight the direful Trump of Slander founds;
Thro' the big dome the doubling thunder bounds;
Loud as the burst of cannon rends the skies,
The dire report through ev'ry region flies,
In ev'ry ear incessant rumours rung,

And gath'ring fcandals grew on ev'ry tongue.
H

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