And wife Ulyffes, if tradition's true,

No trifling pleasure from his fignet drew.

A dolphin's form the fculptur'd stone express'd,
Of gracious Providence a graceful test:

Sav'd from the deep, these wat'ry guardians bore
His filial pride, Telemachus, afhore;
And the fond fire difplay'd, with grateful joy,
The just memorial of his refcu'd boy +.

To this fine branch of useful Art we owe
Treasures that grandeur may be proud to show;
Features of men who, on Fame's lift enroll'd,

Gave life and luftre to the world of old.

Oblivion's pall, a net of Mercy's shape,

Has feiz'd the large, and let the small escape:

Worthies, whofe ftatues fail'd Time's flood to ftem,
Yet live effulgent in the deathlefs gem.

But, O how few can merit fuch a fate,

Where Nature finks by Power's defpotic weight!

410

420

+ See NOTE XIX.

When the proud player Auguftus, worn with age,

Made a calm exit from his brilliant stage,

In that vaft theatre what scenes enfu'd!

What beasts of Tyranny's imperial brood!
Sculpture, in days of turpitude profuse,
Of her funk powers deplor'd the fhameful use
When statues rose, to wound the public eye,
To the base sycophant and murd'rous spy;
Nor mourn'd fhe lefs diftinction ill-conferr'd
On many a wretch of her Cæfarean herd:
Most on the base Caligula, who burn'd
With frantic folly that all limits fpurn'd.
His life express'd, in every wild design,
Delirious fancy, with a heart malign;

And most display'd that fancy and that heart

In the fair province of infulted Art.

Oft o'er her Grecian works griev'd Sculpture figh'd, Made the maim'd vaffals of his impious pride * !

See NOTE XX.

He dies; but ftill the burthen'd earth must groan
For guilt gigantic on th' imperial throne;

And Sculpture's call'd, as waiting on the nod

Of Grandeur, wishing to be deem'd a god.
To her Greek votary she denied the skill
Requir❜d to execute vain Nero's will,

Who fought all splendor that could strike mankind
Save the pure splendor of the chaften'd mind;
Who marr'd the statues of Perfection's mould,
Thy bronze, Lyfippus, with debafing gold.
The daring defpot wifh'd, with frantic aim,
To awe the world by his coloffal frame:

Vainly he bade his molten image run

With metals to out-blaze the Rhodian fun;

His toiling Greek, though fam'd for works of brass,

Fail'd in his art to form the fluid mafs *.

But turn, indignant Muse! thine eyes away

From the mad monsters of unbridled sway,

440

450

See NOTE XXI.

To mark with just applause the milder mind,
Whom boundlefs domination fail'd to blind;
Whofe voice imperial bade the Arts appear
The friends of bounty, not the flaves of fear.

Frugal and gay, behold Vefpafian's care
Honour and Virtue's ruin'd fanes repair!
To statues, meant for Nero's golden dome,
Peace in her temple gives a purer home
Titus! the pride of Nature and her friend,
Could thy brief reign to happier length extend,
How might the warmth of thy benignant heart
Raise and inspirit every graceful art!

Sculpture might well her finest toil employ

To fill thy bofom with parental joy.

Fancy e'en now exults to see thee gaze

On thy rich gem, beyond the diamond's blaze.
Where by Evodus wrought, in narrow space
Shone thy fair Julia, full of filial grace :

L 460

470

See NOTE XXII.

III

Beauty and sweetness deck'd her maiden life,
But ah! no common fhame awaits the wife:

And Heaven, mild Titus ! made thy days fo brief,
To spare thee torments of domeftic grief* : -
Thy brother's ftatues, in their fate, fulfill'd
The rabble's vengeance on a tyrant kill'd †.

In radiant contraft to that wretch, afcend,
Trajan! the graceful Pliny's martial friend!

Juftly 'tis thine to stand an honour'd name
On thy rich column of imperial fame!
Through thy vaft empire, in which vice had spread
The worst contagion fpringing from its head,
Thy active spirit gloried to inspire

A noble portion of new vital fire.

Though fond, too fond of war and warlike praise,

Pacific talents fhar'd thy foft'ring rays.

Not that thy hand proud Victory's flag unfurl'd,
And added Dacia to the Roman world,

480

490

See NOTE XXIII.

+ See NOTE XXIV.