Before the fane of that celeftial power,

Said, with parental smiles, to bless thy natal hour*. 310

Mifguided Julius! all the wide control

Which force and frankness in thy fearless soul
To thy firm grasp delufively affur'd,

Confummate cunning to thy heir fecur'd.

Blush, blush, ye poets of Auguftan days,
For all your pomp of prostituted praise!

The man, fo magnified through Flatt'ry's cloud,
Hymns to whose honour ye have sung so loud,
Seems, to the eye of an impartial age,

The prince of jugglers upon Fortune's stage,
Whom fear infpir'd with artifice fupreme
To win from flaves their prodigal esteem.
Ye lovely Arts! whose beauty and whose use
So largely to the weal of man conduce!

What might not Earth, in your propitious hours,

Expect from efforts of your blended

powers,

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See NOTE XV.

Beneath the guidance of a mind elate,
Supremely juft, and uniformly great,

If base Octavius by your aid could shine

To dazzle Romans with a light divine?

Peace to his crimes! though on their blackest dye

The blood of Tully seems aloud to cry;
While fofter'd Arts for their protector claim
No common portion of pacific fame.

He saw the rock on which bold Julius run,
And deeply labour'd the bright fnare to shun.
The subtle defpot wore a fervant's mask ;
Though able to command, he stoop'd to ask:
The eyes of envy from himself to turn,
Thy splendour, Rome! appear'd his fole concern.

Though fear devis'd, it was a graceful plan
(And Taste achiev'd what trembling Power began)
To bid fair Sculpture a new pomp affume,
And fit the public patronefs of Rome :

For fuch great charge to her he seem'd to give,
When the loft worthies she had taught to live

Whose blended merits in the tide of Time

Rais'd Roman glory to her height fublime;
Rang'd in his Forum with Augustan care,
Heard him before the hallow'd groupe declare
They stood as monitors, of folemn weight,

350

To him, and all who might direct the ftate,
At once a facred teft, and awful guide,

By whom he wifh'd his conduct to be tried.

O lovely Sculpture! what sweet praise were thine,

If strictly true to fuch a fair defign,

Prefiding power, in every realm on earth,
Call'd thee to minifter to public worth,

To worth, of milder and of purer ray
Than Rome's rapacious demi-gods display!

Though feated there in empire's ftrongest blaze,

The fhrewd Octavius aim'd at Ammon's praise,

His milder praise, (to shine in taste supreme,

And heighten talents by protection's beam,)
Bless'd in what Ammon wanted, bards renown'd!
Sculpture more coy than Poefy he found;

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Nor could the mandate of imperial fway

Raise a Lyfippus out of Roman clay;

And Fortune's fav'rite in the naval fcene,

Where funk the glory of the Ægyptian queen,

Though sculptur'd emblems of that profp'rous hour

Speak him the darling of defpotic power,

Has ftill the fate in feeble pomp to stand

The time-spar'd statue of no potent hand;

Wrought as if Sculpture felt her powers confin'd
By native meannefs in the monarch's mind *.

Yet many a wandering, ingenious Greek,
Sent, by his ftars, his Roman bread to feek,
Nourish'd degenerate pride on foreign praise,
And bleft the sunshine of Auguftan days.

One, whofe fine labour on the costly stone,

Greece, in her happiest days, might proudly own

Her Diofcorides! by Patience taught,

Minute resemblance on the gem he wrought,

See NOTE XVI.

P

370

380

And form'd, with Miniature's confummate grace,
Power's fav'rite fignet, the imperial face *.

Nor fhall his rival in the curious skill
Nice Diminution's lines with truth to fill,
The fculptor Solon, want the Mufe's praise,
Since on his work the Nine may fondly gaze;
For his the portrait of prime note to them,
Their own Mæcenas, their peculiar gem + !

As Nature, joying in her boundless reign,
Adorns the tiny links of Beauty's leffening chain,
Her rival Art, whom Emulation warms,
Loves to astonish by diminish'd forms,
And the confummate character to bring
Within the compafs of the coftly ring.
Delightful talent of the patient hand,
Gaining o'er life fuch delicate command!

The heroes of old time were proud to wear

The feal engraven with ingenious care;

* See NOTE XVII.

+ See NOTE XVIII.

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