Juft to his merit, Sculpture's grateful hand
With grace heroic gave his form to stand:
In lib'ral Corinth fhe the ftatue rear'd,
And as a guardian power this patriot chief rever'd *.
If e'er Greek Art, with Glory for her guide,
The high-foul'd portrait form'd with fonder pride,
Perchance 'twas when, a ftudious fcene to grace,
Her skill, employ'd on Plato's pensive face,
Labour'd to memorize from age to age
The speaking features of that fav'rite sage,
Who toil'd to fix, in honour of mankind,
Sublime ideas in the public mind.
Enlighten'd Pagan! whose bright works display
A cheering dawn before the Chriftian day!
Where the calm grove of Academus grew
Thy sculptur'd form a fignal luftre threw ;
Rais'd by a foreign prince, whofe lib'ral heart
To Grecian intellect and Grecian art
Paid this pure tribute, proud in thee to own
The friend who taught him virtue's noblest tone
Ye fages who, aloof from martial ftrife,
Purfu'd the purer charms of penfive life!
How oft has Sculpture joy'd, with moral aim,
To multiply your forms, and spread your name!
By Æfop's ftatue, Greece this leffon gave +,
Fame's path is open even to a slave;
And Socrates, ordain'd in bronze to stand
The honour'd labour of Lyfippus' hand,
Inform'd the world, although an injur'd fage
Had perish'd in a storm of envious rage,,
Repentant Athens, fighing o'er his dust,
Rever'd his glory as a public trust ‡.
How oft, before the gospel's rifing ray
Darted through earthly clouds celestial day,
In scenes where Meditation lov'd to dwell,
The public portico or private cell,
Has many a penfive, philosophic bust,
Reprefs'd the giddy, or confirm'd the just,
And kept frail Virtue on her mental throne
By the mild leffon of the fpeaking stone!
Nor breath'd Inftruction in her marble scene
Confin'd to ftronger Man's expreffive mein:
The female ftatue gloried to inspire
Maternal dignity and patriot fire.
The rigid Cato, with a cenfor's frown,
Strove from the fphere of fculptural renown
Aufterely to exclude the worthier frame,
And rail'd at ftatues rais'd in woman's name *,
Still the ftern Romans, though they ne'er poffefs'd
That zeal for art which fill'd the Grecian breast,
Gaz'd, with a generous admiration warm,
On female virtue in its sculptur'd form:
Witness th' equeftrian image that arose
To tell how Clelia, foiling potent foes
By patriot spirit, in Rome's early days
E'en from a hoftile king extorted praise
Witness maturer form, of matron grace,
Worthy, in Honour's fane, the pureft place. nole Thou Roman statue! whofe plain title fhone
With luftre to enrich the meaneft ftone,
"Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi!"Time!!
Could'ft thou, from every art-ennobled clime
Where buried Sculpture undiscover'd lies,
Bid, for my choice, her latent treasures rise,bro 7280
Cornelia would I choose, if happy ArtLub
Show'd, in her refcu'd form, a mother's heart;
Work wrought by Nature, on Perfection's plan,
To claim the boundless gratitude of man;
The finest work to which his thoughts can climb—
Confummate beauty and the true sublime + !
Sculpture! sweet power, whofe moral care exprefs'd
The deareft feelings of the human breast !
In early days, before the martial throng
Of Grecian heroes, arm'd for Helen's wrong!
'Twas thine to fhew, in Beauty's fhape enfhrin'd,
The prime perfection of the female mind.
When young Ulyffes won, in gallant ftrife,
The child of fond' Icarius for his wife,
The good old man defir'd the graceful pair
To live content in his paternal care;
Loth to resign the darling of his fight,
A peerless daughter, and his heart's delight :
Heroic duties bade the prudent chief
Decline the favour, to the father's grief,
Who, juftly feeling what forbade their stay
Led his lov'd children on their distant way.
'Tis time to part-but the too tender fire
Summons, in vain, his courage to retire:
Nature fubdues him, and the lovely bride
Clings, in mute anguish, to her father's fide.
The noble Ithacus, of manly foul,
Viewing, with pity, Nature's ftrong control,
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