Sicyon, ingenious Beauty's native earth, And Rhodes, who gloried in Minerva’s birth — Hence Sculpture drew her nurseries of skill, Rich as a river fed by many a rill; While earth and Heaven exult in its advance To shine reflected in its bright expanse! Nor there alone did liberal Art display The sweet enchantment of her early fway: 1 Even rough Sparta, though engross’d by arms, Esteem’d the patient chissel's fofter charms. Proud of her dauntless race in battle tried, She rear'd a sculptor with parental pride ; .. Pleas’d that her fon Gitiades combin'd' . Three kindred arts in his accomplish'd mind.. He built, he deck'd with bronze Minerva’s fane, Then sung the goddess in a hallow'd strain. :: The triple homage won her kind regard, And from oblivion fav’d the artist and the bard *. .
But, like the cast of Spartan manners, coarse, ' And flighting softer charms for finewy force, E'en Grecian art, through all its studious youth, Reach'd not the latent grace of lovely Truth. Her chiefs, her gods, as in a mental storm, Aw'd with a proud austerity of form; Yet Sculpture’s fons; with Nature in their view, Increas’d in talents, and in honour grew. ;" Such power Dipænus gave to Parian ftone, That gods appear’d to make his cause their own; And Terror thought they curs’d the sterile foil Where haste insulted his unfinish'd toil*
Thy fons, Anthermus, with a filial pride Their dear hereditary talents plied, And bade, the measure of her fame to fill, Their native Chios glory in their skill : But, in an evil hour of angry haste, They with malignant skill their art debas'd;
Pleas’d to devote to mockery's regard The homely visage of no trifling bard: : : 310 Hipponax, fam’d for acrimonious song,.:.. Soon with lambic rage aveng’d the wrong. ; ?;,. Deform’d of foul, Derifion fann’d the strife : : But the mild patrons of enlighten'd life, The nobler Graces, mourn’d the bickering hour, And blam'd the mean abuse of mental power *. .
For aims more worthy of an art divine, A purer fame, Antenor, shall be thine, .;. Whose skill to public reverence confign’d The patriot idols of the Grecian mind - i : 320 The young Tyrannicides, whose dauntless foul Disdain’d submission to usurp'd control;.. . te Whose brave achievement, and whose blended praise, . Athens rehears'd in her convivial lays - Athens, exulting those dear forms to fee- Whose very filence cried aloud, “Be free + !"
Instructive Sculpture ! chaste and awful queen Of Arts that dignify this earthly scene ! Thy finest skill, thy moft empassion d powers, Form’d to outlive the pencil's fading flowers, - 330 Are well devoted, as true honour's prize, To Freedom's son who for his parent dies : For she, the prime ennobler of the mind,
. That, wanting her blest beam, is weak and blind Freedom, of Excellence the fostering friend, Whom Virtue loves, and Sciences attend - . . Freedom first made in Greece, her favourite land, Beauty and Force the creatures of thy hand : She taught thee with such forms to deck thy sphere As wise Idolatry may yet revere;
340 Forms, in which Art refin’d on Nature's plan, At once resembling and surpassing Man.
'Twas in the splendor of those glorious days, When attic valour won eternal praise - - When, happy to have clear’d her cumber'd coast From fierce Invasion's foil'd barbaric hoft- ".
Exulting Liberty to Sculpture cried, “ Aid thou our triumphs, and our joys divide ! : “ Since I and Nature in this scene conspire “ To warm accomplish'd minds with happiest fire, 350 “ That Fame may see them in her fane preside, “ And deem her attic fons her dearest pride! “ To memorize their noble forms be thine! “ Grace thou the mortal with an air divine ! “ That Grecian excellence, eluding fate, “ Age after age may shine supremely great ; “ That Greece herself, and every polish'd clime, “ May, through the long vicissitudes of time, “ Hail those who fav’d her from Oppression's rod, “ The patriot hero, or the guardian god !" So Freedom spake, and at her potent call Obedient Sculpture peopled every hall; : The generous artist fix’d, with proud delight, The state's brave champions in the public fight; And grateful Genius felt his powers expand, While public virtue taught his willing hand
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