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:
Even rough Sparta, though engrofs'd by arms,
Efteem'd the patient chiffel'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 fung the goddess in a hallow'd strain.
The triple homage won her kind regard,

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T

And from oblivion fav'd the artift and the bard *.

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*See NOTE XII.

But, like the caft of Spartan manners, coarse,
And flighting fofter charms for finewy force,
E'en Grecian art, through all its ftudious youth,
Reach'd not the latent grace of lovely Truth.
Her chiefs, her gods, as in a mental storm,
Aw'd with a proud aufterity of form;

Yet Sculpture's fons, with Nature in their view,
Increas'd in talents, and in honour grew.

Such power Dipanus gave to Parian stone,

That gods appear'd to make his cause their own;
And Terror thought they curs'd the fterile foil
Where hafte infulted 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 hafte,

They with malignant skill their art debas'd;

300

See NOTE XIII.

G

Pleas'd to devote to mockery's regard
The homely vifage of no trifling bard: ::
Hipponax, fam'd for acrimonious fong,
Soon with Iambic 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 abufe of mental power

For aims more worthy of an art divine,

A purer fame, Antenor, fhall be thine,
Whose skill to public reverence confign'd

The patriot idols of the Grecian mind ·

The young Tyrannicides, whofe dauntless foul

Difdain'd fubmiffion to ufurp'd control;

Whose brave achievement, and whose blended praise,

Athens rehears'd in her convivial lays —

Athens, exulting those dear forms to fee

Whofe very filence cried aloud,

"Be free +!"

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320

Inftructive Sculpture! chafte and awful queen
Of Arts that dignify this earthly scene!
Thy finest skill, thy most empaffion'd powers,
Form'd to outlive the pencil's fading flowers,
Are well devoted, as true honour's prize,
To Freedom's fon who for his parent dies:

For fhe, the prime ennobler of the mind,
That, wanting her bleft beam, is weak and blind.
Freedom, of Excellence the foftering friend,

Whom Virtue loves, and Sciences attend

Freedom firft made in Greece, her favourite land,

Beauty and Force the creatures of thy hand :

She taught thee with fuch forms to deck thy sphere

As wife Idolatry may yet revere;

Forms, in which Art refin'd on Nature's plan,

At once resembling and furpaffing Man.

'Twas in the fplendor of those glorious days,

When attic valour won eternal praise

When, happy to have clear'd her cumber'd coaft
From fierce Invafion's foil'd barbaric hoft

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340

Exulting Liberty to Sculpture cried,

“Aid thou our triumphs, and our joys divide!

"Since I and Nature in this scene confpire

"To warm accomplish'd minds with happiest fire, 350

"That Fame may fee them in her fane prefide, "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 viciffitudes of time,

"Hail those who fav'd her from Oppreffion's rod,

"The patriot hero, or the guardian god!"
So Freedom fpake, 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

360