Sicyon, ingenious Beauty's native earth, And Rhodes, who gloried in Minerva's birth Hence Sculpture drew her nurseries of skill, While earth and Heaven exult in its advance To shine reflected in its bright expanse! Proud of her dauntless race in battle tried, 280 T And from oblivion fav'd the artift and the bard *. 290 *See NOTE XII. But, like the caft of Spartan manners, coarse, Yet Sculpture's fons, with Nature in their view, Such power Dipanus gave to Parian stone, That gods appear'd to make his cause their own; Thy fons, Anthermus, with a filial pride And bade, the measure of her fame to fill, They with malignant skill their art debas'd; 300 See NOTE XIII. G Pleas'd to devote to mockery's regard The nobler Graces, mourn'd the bickering hour, For aims more worthy of an art divine, A purer fame, Antenor, fhall be thine, 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 +!" 310 320 Inftructive Sculpture! chafte and awful queen For fhe, the prime ennobler of the mind, 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 330 340 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!" The generous artist fix'd, with proud delight, 360 |