10 The wond'rous fong with rapture they rehearse; Then ask who wrought that miracle of verfe? He anfwer'd with a frown; "I now reveal "A truth, that envy bids me not conceal : Retiring frequent to this Laureat vale, "I warbled to the Lyre that fav'rite tale, “Which, unobserv'd, a wand'ring Greek and blind, "Heard me repeat, and treafur'd in his mind; "And fir'd with thirst of more than mortal praife, 15 "From me, the God of Wit, ufurp'd the bays. "But let vain Greece indulge her growing fame, Proud with celeftial spoils to grace her name; "Yet when my Arts fhall triumph in the Weft, "And the white Ifle with female pow'r is bleft; "Fame, I forefee, will make reprisals there, "And the Tranflator's Palm to me transfer. "With lefs regret my claim I now decline, "The World will think his English Iliad mine." 20 E. FENTON. To Mr. P OPE. O praife, and still with just respect to praise The Learn'd to fhow, the Senfible commend, Yet ftill preferve the province of the Friend; O might thy Genius in my bofom shine ; The brighteft Ancients might at once agree Horace himself would own thou doft excell How flame the glories of Belinda's Hair, 10 15 20 Belles war with Beaux, and Whims defcend for Gods. But know, ye Fair, a point conceal'd with art, 25 Peeps o'er their head, and laughs behind the scene. In Fame's fair Temple, o'er the boldest wits Infhrin'd on high the facred Virgil fits; And fits in meafures fuch as Virgil's Mufe To place thee near him might be fond to chufe. How might he tune th' alternate reed with three, Perhaps a Strephon thou, a Daphnis he; While fome old Damon, o'er the vulgar wife, Thinks he deferves, and thou deferv'it the Prize? Rapt with the thought, my fancy feeks the plains, And turns me fhepherd while I hear the ftrains. Indulgent nurfe of ev'ry tender gale, Parent of flowrets, old Arcadia, hail! 30 35 40 Here in the cool my limbs at ease I spread, 50 Himself unknown, his mighty name admir'd; 60 How vaft, how copious, are thy new defigns! 65 How ev'ry Mufic varies in thy lines! Still, as I read, I feel my bofom beat, And rife in raptures by another's heat. Thus in the wood, when fummer drefs'd the days, While Windfor lent us tuneful hours of ease, ༡༠ Our ears the lark, the thrufh, the turtle bleft, The shades refound with fong-O foftly tread, 76 Shakes off the dust, and makes these rocks refound; For fortune plac'd me in unfertile ground; 80 Far from the joys that with my foul agree, L To Mr. P OPE. ET vulgar fouls triumphal arches raise, Or fpeaking marbles, to record their praise; And picture (to the voice of Fame unknown) The mimic Feature on the breathing ftone; Mere mortals; fubject to death's total sway, Reptiles of earth, and beings of a day! 'Tis thine, on ev'ry heart to grave thy praise, A monument which Worth alone can raife: 85 90 5 Sure to furvive, when time fhall whelm in duft ; 10 If aught on earth, when once this breath is fled, 15 With human tranfport touch the mighty dead, Shakespear, rejoice! his hand thy page refines; Now ev'ry scene with native brightness fhines Juft to thy fame, he gives thy genuine thought; So Tully publish'd what Lucretius wrote; Prun'd by his care, thy laurels loftier grow, And bloom afresh on thy immortal brow. 20 Thus when thy draughts, O Raphael! time invades, And the bold figure from the canvafs fades, A rival hand recalls from ev'ry part 25 30 Some latent grace, and equals art with art; |