That weave their glitt'ring waves with tuneful lapse,
Among the fleeky pebbles, agate clear,
Cerulean ophite, and the flow'ry vein

Of orient jasper, pleas'd I move along,
And vases bofs'd, and huge infcriptive ftones,
And intermingling vines; and figur'd nymphs,
Flora's and Chloe's of delicious mould,

Chearing the darkness; and deep mpty tombs,
And dells, and mould'ring fhrines, with old decay
Ruftick and green and wide-embow'ring shades,
Shot from the crooked clefts of nodding tow'rs.
A folemn wilderness! With error fweet,

I wind the ling'ring ftep, where-e'er the path
Mazy conducts me, which the vulgar foot
O'er sculptures maim'd has made; Anubis, Sphinx,
Idols of antique guife, and horned Pan,
Terrifick, monftrous fhapes! prepost'rous Gods,
Of Fear and Ign'rance, by the sculptor's hand
Hewn into form, and worship'd; as ev'n now
Blindly they worship at their breathless mouths ↳

Several ftatues of the Pagan gods have been converted into images of faints.

In varied appellations: men to these

(From depth to depth in darkʼning error fall'n) At length afcrib'd th' INAPPLICABLE NAME. How doth it please and fill the memory

With deeds of brave renown, while on each hand
Hiftorick urns and breathing statues rife,
And speaking bufts! Sweet Scipio, Marius stern,
Pompey fuperb, the spirit-ftirring form
Of Cæfar raptur'd with the charm of rule
And boundless fame; impatient for exploits,
His eager eyes upcaft, he foars in thought
Above all height: and his own Brutus fee,
Defponding Brutus, dubious of the right,
In evil days, of faith, of publick weal
Solicitous and fad. Thy next regard
Be Tully's graceful attitude; uprais'd,
His out-ftretch'd arm he waves, in act to speak
Before the filent masters of the world,

And eloquence arrays him. There behold
Prepar❜d for combat in the front of war
The pious brothers; jealous Alba ftands

In fearful expectation of the strife,

And

And youthful Rome intent: the kindred foes
Fall on each other's neck in filent tears;
In forrowful benevolence embrace

Howe'er they foon unfheath the flashing sword,
Their country calls to arms; now all in vain
The mother clasps the knee, and evʼn the fair
Now weeps in vain ; their country calls to arms.
Such virtue Clelia, Cocles, Manlius, rous'd;
Such were the Fabii, Decii; fo infpir'd

The Scipio's battled, and the Gracchi spoke : So rofe the Roman ftate. Me now, of these Deep-mufing, high ambitious thoughts inflame Greatly to ferve my country, diftant land,

And build me virtuous fame; nor fhall the duft
Of these fall'n piles with fhew of fad decay
Avert the good refolve, mean argument,
The fate alone of matter.- -Now the brow

We gain enraptur'd; beauteoufly diftinct

The num'rous porticos and domes upfwell,
With obelifcs and columns interpos'd,

From the Palatin hill one fees most of the remarkable antiquities.

And

And pine, and fir, and oak: so fair a scene
Sees not the dervise from the fpiral tomb
Of ancient Chammos, while his eye beholds
Proud Memphis' reliques o'er th' Ægyptian plain:
Nor hoary hermit from Hymettus' brow,
Though graceful Athens, in the vale beneath.
Along the windings of the Muse's stream,
Lucid Ilyffus, weeps her filent schools,

And groves, unvifited by bard or fage.
Amid the tow'ry ruins, huge, fupreme,
Th' enormous amphitheatre behold,
Mountainous pile! o'er whofe capacious womb
Pours the broad firmament its varied light;
While from the central floor the feats afcend
Round above round, flow-wid'ning to the verge,
A circuit vaft and high; nor lefs had held
Imperial Rome, and her attendant realms,
When drunk with rule fhe will'd the fierce delight,
And op'd the gloomy caverns, whence out-rush'd
Before th' innumerable fhouting crowd
The fiery, madded, tyrants of the wilds,
Lions and tigers, wolves and elephants,

And

And defp'rate men, more fell. Abhorr'd intent! By frequent converse with familiar death,

To kindle brutal daring apt for war;

To lock the breast, and steel th' obdurate heart

Amid the piercing cries of fore distress
Impenetrable.But away thine eye;

Behold your steepy cliff; the modern pile
Perchance may now delight, while that, rever'd a
In ancient days, the page alone declares,

Or narrow coin through dim cærulean rust.
The fane was Jove's, its fpacious golden roof,
O'er thick-surrounding temples beaming wide,
Appear'd, as when above the morning hills
Half the round fun afcends; and tow'r'd aloft,
Suftain'd by columns huge, innumerous

As cedars proud on Canaan's verdant heights
Dark'ning their idols, when Aftarte lur'd
Too profp'rous Ifrael from his living strength.
And next regard yon venerable dome,

Which virtuous Latium, with erroneous aim,
Rais'd to her various deities, and nam'd