His simple question stole; as into truth, And serious deeds, he smiled the laughing race; Taught moral happy life, whate'er can bless, Through all the winding harmony of sound : In it the power of Eloquence, at large, Breathed the persuasive or pathetic soul; Stilled by degrees the democratic storm, Or grace mankind; and what he taught he Or bade it threatening rise, and tyrants shook, was. Compounded high, though plain, his doc- Flushed at the head of their victorious trine broke troops. In different schools. The bold poetic In it the Muse, her fury never quenched, By mean unyielding phrase, or jarring sound, phrase Of figured Plato, Xenophon's pure strain, Dissecting truth, the Stagyrite's keen eye; They, ever candid, reason still opposed The best. Then stood untouched the solid Of liberty, the liberty of mind: For systems yet, and soul-enslaving creeds, Slept with the monsters of succeeding times. Her unconfined divinity displayed; Or soft depressed it to the shepherd's moan, Orraised it swelling to the tongue of Gods. Heroic song was thine; the Fountainbard, Whence each poetic stream derives ts course. Thine the dread moral scene, thy chief delight! Where idle Fancy durst not mix her voice, When Reason spoke august; the fervent heart, Or plained, or stormed; and in the impassioned man, From priestly darkness sprung th' enlight- Concealing art with art, the poet sunk, ening arts Of fire, and sword, and rage, and horrid names. This potent school of manners, but when left Toloose neglect, a land corrupting plague, O Greece! thou sapient nurse of finer Was not unworthy deemed of public care, arts! Which to bright Science blooming Fancy bore, Be this thy praise, that thou, and thou In these hast led the way, in these excelled, Like a clear torrent close, or else diffused And boundless cost, by thee; whose every son Even last mechanic; the true taste pos- Of what had flavour to the nourished soul, Not the vain trill, that, void of passion, runs In giddy mazes, tickling idle ears; But that deep-searching voice, and artful That cruel-thoughted War the impatient hand, To which respondent shakes the varied soul. Thy fair ideas, thy delightful forms, By love imagined, by the graces touched, The boast of well-pleased Nature! Sculp ture seized, And bade them ever smile in Parian stone. Selecting Beauty's choice, and that again Exalting, blending in a perfect whole, Thy workmen left even Nature's self behind. From those far different, whose prolific hand Peoples a nation; they for years on years, By the cool touches of judicious toil, Their rapid genius curbing, poured it all Through the live features of one breathing stone. There, beaming full, it shone ; expressing Gods: Jove's awful brow, Apollo's air divine, The fierce atrocious frown of sinewed Mars, Or the sly graces of the Cyprian queen," Minutely perfect all! Each dimple sunk, And every muscle swelled, as nature taught. In tresses, braided gay, the marble waved; Flowed, in loose robes, or thin transparent veils ; Sprung into motion; softened into flesh; Was fired to passion, or refined to soul. Nor less thy Pencil with creative touch, Shed mimic life, when all thy brightest dames, Assembled, Zeuxis in his Helen mixed. The soul of beauty! called the queen of love, Fresh from the billows, blushing orient charms. Even such inchantment then thy Pencil poured, torch Dashed to the ground; and, rather than destroy The patriot picture, let the city 'scape. THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE. [Specimens.] I. O mortal man! who livest here by toil, Do not complain of this thy hard estate; That like an emmet thou must ever moil, Is a sad sentence of an ancient date; And, certes, there is for it reason great ; For, though sometimes it makes thee weep and wail, And curse thy star, and early drudge and late, Withouten that would come a heavier bale, Loose life, unruly passions, and diseases pale. II. In lowly dale, fast by a river's side, With woody hill o'er hill encompassed round, A most enchanting wizard did abide, Than whom a fiend more fell is nowhere found. It was, I ween, a lovely spot of ground: And there a season atween June and May, Half pranked with spring, with summer half imbrowned, A listless climate made, where, sooth to say, No living wight could work, ne cared even for play. III. Was nought around but images of rest: Sleep-soothing groves, and quiet lawns between ; |