Even with thy labour'd Pomp, for whose vain show Deluded thousands ftarve; all age-begrim'd, Torn, robb'd and scatter'd in unnumber'd facks, 230 233 -240 These roads that yet the Roman hand affert, 245 What would you say, ye conquerers of earth ! 250° Ye Romans! could you raise the laurel'd head ; Could you the country fee, by feas of blood, And the dread toil of ages, won fo dear ; Your pride, your triumph, your fupreme delight! For whofe defence oft, in the doubtful hour, You rush'd with rapture down the gulph of fate, Of death ambitious! till by awful deeds, t Via facra.. 255 M. ANGELO BUONAROTI, PALLADIO, and RATHAEL D'URBINO; the three great modern masters in sculp ture, architecture, and painting), tell h Virtues, Virtues, and courage, that amaze mankind, Thus to behold her funk? Your crouded plains, 260 Ungrac'd your lakes ; your ports to fhips unknown; Soon bursting into fong: while thro' the groves In many a tortur'd ftream, you mus'd along? 270 And could you deem yon naked hills, that form, 275 Your Formian fhore? Once the delight of earth, On the gay land to lavish all their stores. How chang'd, how vacant, VIRGIL, wide around, 280 that inward gnaws, A native foe; a foreign, tears without. 285 * Tufculum is reckoned to have stood at a place now called Grotta Ferrata, a convent of monks. †The bay of Mola (anciently Formiae) into which HOM EX brings ULYSSES,and his companions. Near Formide CICERO had a villa. Naples, then under the Austrian government. 虚 Firft from your flatter'd CAESARS this began: A dreary ftillness, faddening o'er the coast; A neft for ferpents; from the red abyfs Campagna felice, adjoining to Capua. 290 295 300 305 310 $ The coast of Baiae; which was formerly adorned with the works mentioned in the fallowing lines; and where, a midst many magnificent ruins, those of a temple erected to Venus are ftill to be seen. *All along this coaft, the ancient Romans had their tvinter retreats; and feveral populous cities food. A reedy A reedy pool; and all to Cuma's point, The fea recovering his ufurp'd domain, And pour'd triumphant o'er the bury'd dome. 315 Hence, BRITAIN, learn; my best-establish'd, last, And more than GREECE, or ROME, my fteady reign; The land where, King and People equal bound By guardian laws, my fulleft bleffings flow; And where my jealous unfubmitting foul, The dread of tyrants! burns in every breast: Learn hence, if fuch the miferable fate Of an heroic race, the masters once 320 Of human kind; what, when depriv'd of Mɛ, 330 To higher powers; in spite of happy foils, To plow the dreadful all-producing wave? 340 Here paus'd the GODDESS. By the pause affur'd, In trembling accents thus I mov'd my prayer. "Oh firft, and moft benevolent of powers! "Come from eternal fplendors, here on earth, "Against defpótic pride, and rage, and luft, “Toshield mankind; to raise them to affèrt "The native rights and honour of their race: Teach me thy lowest subject, but in zeal X 345 «Yielding "Yielding to none, the PROGRESS OF THY REIGN, "May ne'er those sacred raptures touch her more, 350 355 Then, condefcending kind, the HEAVENLY POWER Return'd." What here, fuggefted by the scene, 360 "I flight unfold, record, and fing at home, "In that bleft ifle, where (fo we spirits move) "With one quick effort of my will I am. "There TRUTH, unlicens'd, walks; and dares acco "Even kings themselves, the monarchs of the Free! "Fix'd on my rock, there, an indulgent ráce, "O'er BRITONS wield the fceptre of their choice: "And there, to finish what his fires began, "A PRINCE behold! for ME who burns fincere, "Even with a subject's zeal. He my great work 370 "Will parent-like sustain; and added givé "The touch, the Graces and the Muses owe. "For BRITAIN's glory fwells his panting breast; "And ancient arts he emulous revolves: 366 375 "His pride to let the fmiling heart abroad; "Thro' clouds of pomp, that but conceal the man; "To please his pleasure; bounty his delight; "And all the foul of TITUS dwells in him." Hail, glorious theme! But how, alas! fhall verfe From the crude ftores of mortal language drawn, 380 How |