65

125

Where with enlighten'd justice mercy mix'd.
He e'en, into his tender fyftem, took
Whatever fhares the brotherhood of life.
He taught that life's indiffoluble flame,
From brute to man, and man to brute again,
For ever shifting, runs th' eternal round;
Thence try'd against the blood-pol uted meal,
And limbs yet quivering with fome kindred foul,
To turn the human heart. Delightful truth!
Had he beheld the living chain afcend,
And not a circling form, but rifing whole.
Amid thefe fmall Republics one arofe,
On yellow Tiber's bank, almighty Rome!
Fated for Me A nobler fpirit warm'd
Her fons; and, rous'd by tyrants, nobler ftill
It burn'd in Brutus; the proud Tarquins chas'd,
With all their crimes; bade radiant eras rife,
And the long honours of the Conful line.

Here from the fairer, not the greater, plan
Of Greece I vary'd, whofe unmixing ftates,
By the keen foul of Emulation pierc'd,
Long wag'd alone the bloedlefs war of Arts,
And their beft empire gain'd; but ta diffufe
O'er men an empire was My purpose now;
To let My martial Majefty abroad;
Into the vortex of One State to draw
The whole mix'd force and liberty on earth;
To conquer tyrants, and fet nations free.

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80

85

9

Already have I given, with flying touch, A broken view of this My ampleft reign: Now while its first, laft, periods you furvey, Mark how it lab'ring rofe, and rapid fell. When Rome in noon-tide empire grafp'd the world,

96

100

105

And, foon as her refiftlefs legions thone,
The nations floop'd around; tho' then appear'd
Her grandeur moft, yet in her dawn of power,
By many a jealous equal people prefs'd,
Then was the toil, the mighty struggle then;
Then for each Roman I an hero told,
And evey paffing fun and Latian scene
Saw patriot virtues then, and awful deeds,
That or furpafs the faith of modern times,
Or, if believ'd, with facred horror strike.
For then, to prove My most exalted power,
I to the point of full perfection pufh'd,
To fondnefs and enthufiaftic zeal,
The great, the reigning paffion cf the Free!
That godlike paffion! which the bounds of Self
Divinely burfting, the whole public takes
Into the heart, enlarg'd, and burning high
With the mix d ardour o unnumber'd felves;
Of all who fafe beneath the voted laws
Of the fame parent ftate, fraternal, live,
From this kind fun of moral Nature flow'd
Virtues that fhine the light of human kind,
And, ray'd thro' ftory, warm remotest time.
Thefe virtues, too, reflected to their fource,
Increas'd its flame. The focial charm went
round,

The fair idea, more attractive ftill,

III

120

As more by virtue mark'd, till Romans, all
One band of friends unconquerable grew.
Hence, when their country rais'd her plain-
tive voice,

130

140

145

In whom Corruption could not lodge one charm,
While he his honeft roots to gold preferr'd;
While truly rich, and by his Sabine field
The man maintain'd, the Roman's fplendor all
Was in the public wealth and glory plac'd;
Or ready, a rough fwain, to guide the plough,
Or elfe, the purple o'er his fhoulder thrown,
In long majestic flow, to rule the state,
With Wifdom's pureft eye, or clad in steel,
To drive the steady battle on the foe.
Hence every paffion, e'en the proudest, floop'd
To common-good: Camillus! thy revenge;
Thy glory, Fabius! All fubmiffive, hence
Confuls, Dictators, fill refign'd their rule,
The very moment that the laws ordain'd.
Tho' conqueft o'er them clapp'd her eagle-wings,
Her laurels wreath'd, and yok'd her fnowy fteeds
To the triumphal car, foon as expir'd
The latest hour of fway, taught to fubmit,
(A harder leffon that than to command,)
Into the private Roman funk the chief.
If Rome was ferv'd, and glorious, carciefs they
By whom their country's fame they deem'd their

own;

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160

And, above envy, in the rivals train,
Sung the loud los by themfelves deferv'd
Hence matchlefs courage: on Cremera's bank
Hence fell the Fabii: hence the Decii dy'd;
And Curtius plung'd into the flaming gulf: 165
Hence Regulus the wavering Fathers firm'd,
By dreadful counfel never given before;
For Roman honour fu'd, and his own doom;
Hence he fuftain'd to dare a death prepar'd
By Punic rage: on earth his manly look,
Relentless fix'd, he from a last embrace,
By chains polluted, put his wife afide,
His little children climbing for a kifs;
Then dumb thro' rows of weeping wondering
friends,

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195

Life had no charms, nof any terrors fate,
When Rome and Glory call'd. But, in one view,
Mark the rare boast of unequal'd times.
Ages reyolv'd unfelly'd by a crime;
Area reign'd, and fcarcely needed laws
To bind a race clated with the pride
Of virtue, and difdaining to defcend
To meannefs, mutual violence, and wrongs.
While war around them rag'd, in happy Rome
All peaceful smil'd, all fave the passing clouds
That often hang on Freedom's jealous brow,
And fair unblemish'd centuries elaps'd,
When not a Roman bled but in the field.
Their virtue fuch that an unbalanc'd ftate,
Still between Noble and Plebeian tofs'd,
As flow'd the wave of fluctuating power,
Was thence kept firm, and with triumphant prow
Rode out the form. Oft' tho' the native feuds,
That from the first their conftitutio. hook,
A latent ruin, growing as it grew,)
Stood on the treat'ning poin of Civil war
Ready to rush, yet could the lenicut voice
Of Aildom, frothing the tumultuous foul,
Thofe fons of Virtue calm. Their generous hearts,
Unpetrify'd by Self, fo naked lay,
And fenfible to truth, that o'er the rage
Of giddy faction, by Oppreffion fwell'd,
Prevail'da fimple fable, and at once
To peace recover'd the divided fate.
But if their often-cheated hopes refus'd
The foothing touch, fill in the love of Rome
The dread Dictator found a fure refource.
Was the affaulted? was her glory fain'd?
One common quarrel wide-inflam'd the whole.
Foes in the Forum in the field were friends,
By focial danger bound; each fond for cach,
And for their dearest country all, to dic.

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220

Thus up the hill of Empire flow they toil'd, Till, the bold fummit gain'd, the Thoufand

States

Of proud Italia blended into one:
Then o'er the nations they refifflefs rufh'd,
And touch'd the limits of the failing world.

Laft that beneath the burning zone behold;
See where it runs, from the deep loaded plains
Of Mauritania to the Libya fands,
Where Ammou lifts amid the torrid wafte

A verdant ifle, with fhade and fountain freth, 250
And farther to the full Egyptian shore,
To where the Nile from Ethiopian clouds,
His never drain'd ethereal urn, defcends.
In this vaft space what various tongues and ftates!
What bounding rocks, and mountains, floods, and
feas!

What purple tyrants quell'd, and nations freed! O'er Greece defcended chief, with stealth divine,

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265

The Roman bounty in a flood of day,
As at her Ifthmian games, a fading pomp!
Her ful! affumbled youth innumerous fwarm'd.
On a tribunal rais'd Flaminius fate;
A victor he, from the deep phalanx pierc'd
Of Iron-coted Macedon, and back
The Grecian tyrant to his bounds repell'd.
In the high thoughtless gaiety of game,
While fport alone their unambicious hearts
Poffefs'd, the fudden trumpet, founding hoarfe,
Bade filence o'er the bright affembly reign.
Then thus a herald To the ftates of Greece
"The Roman people, unconfin'd, restore
"Their countries, cities, liberties, and laws;
"Taxes reftit, and garrifons withdraw."
The crowd, aftonifh'd half, and half inform'd,
Star'd dubious round; fome question'd, fome
exc aim'd,

270

Let Fancy's eye the diftant lities unite, See that which borders wild the western main, Where forms at large refound, and tides immenfe; From Caledonia's dim cerulean coaft, And moist Hibernia, to where Atlas, lodg'd, Amid the restlefs clouds and leaning heaven, 231 Hangs o'er the deep that borrows thence its name. Mark that oppos'd, where firft the fpringing

Morn

The swelling fea, the rocks, and vocal hills: 285
Thro' all her turrets Aately Corinth fhook,
And. from the void above of flatter'd air,
The flitting bird fell breathlefs to the ground.
What piercing blifs! how keen a fenfe of fame
Did then, Flaminius! reach thy inmost foui!
And with what deep-felt glory disift thou then
Efcape the fondness of transported Greece!
Mix'd in a tempest of luperior joy,

hey left the fports; like Bacchanals they flew, Each other ftraining in a strict embrace, 295 Nor ftrain'd a flave; and loud acclaims till night ound the Proconful's tent repeated 'rung, Then, crowu'd with garlands, came the feftive

430

No land to fack and pillage but their own.
By brutal Marius and keen Sylla first
Effus'd the deluge dire of civil blood,
Unceafing woes began, and this or that
(Deep drenching their revenge) nor virtue fpar'd,
Nor fex, nor age, nor quality, nor name;
Till Rome into an human fhanables turn'd, 435
Made deferts lovely-Oh! too well earn'd chains!
Devoted race!If no true Roman then,
No Scævola, there was, to raise for Me

A vengeful hand; was there no father, robb'd
Of blooming youth to prop his wither'd age?
No fon a witnefs to his hoary fire

In dust and gore defil'd? No fiend, forlørn? No wretch that doubtful trembled for himself?

:

None brave, or wild, to pierce a monster's heart,
Who, heaping horror round, no more deserv'd-
The facred fhelter of the laws he spurn'd?
No fad o'er all profound Dejection fate,
And nerveless Fear. The flave's asylum theirs ;
Or flight, il-judging, that the timid back
Turns weak to flaughter, or partaken guilt.
In vain from Sylla's vanity I drew,
An unexampled deed. The power refign'd,
And all unhop'd the Commonwealth restor'd,
Amaz'd the public, and effac'd his crimes.
Thro' ftreets yet ftreaming from his murderous
455

hand

450

Unarm'd he fray'd, unguarded, unaffail'd,
And on the bed of peace his afhes laid;
A grace which I to his difmiffion gave.
But with him died not th' defpotic foul :
Ambition faw that flooping Rome could bear
A Mafter, nor had virtue to be free.
461
Hence for fucceeding years My troubled reign,
No certain peace, no fpreading profpect, knew.
Destruction gathered round. Still the black foul
Or oft a Cataline or Rullus fwell'd
With fell defigns, and all the watchful art
Of Cicero demanded, all the force,
All the state-wielding magic of his tongue,
And all the thunder of My Cato's zeal.
With thefe I linger'd, till the flame anew 470
Burst out in blaze immenfe, and wrapt the
world.

465

475

480

A rage impatient of an equal name;
Or to the nobler Cæfar, on whofe brow
O'er daring Vice deluding Virtue smil'd,
And who no lets a vain fuperior feem'd.
Both bled, but bled in vain, New traitors rofe.
The venal will be bought, the base have lords.
To thefe vile wars I left ambitious flaves
And from Phillppi's field, from where in duft
The laft of Romans, matchlefs Brutus! lay,
Spread to the North, untam'd, a rapid wing.
What tho' the firft smooth Cæfars arts carefs'd,
Merit and Virtue, fimulating Me?
Severely tender! cruelly humane!
The chain to clench, and make it fofter fit
On the new broken ftill ferocious state,
From the dark Third, fucceeding, I beheld

485

490

Th' imperial monsters all-A race on earth
Vindictive fent the fcourge of human kind!
Whose blind profufion drain'd a bankrupt world,
Whofe luft to forming Nature seems difgrace,
Andhofe infernal rage bade every drop
of ancient blood that yet retain'd my flame, 495
To that of Pætus in the peaceful bath,
O'er Rome's affrighted ftreets inglorious flow.
But almoft juft the meanly-patient death
That waits a tyrant's unprevented stroke.
Titus, indeed, gave one short evening gleam;
More cordial felt, as in the midft it spread
Of storm and horror the delight of men!
He who the day, when his o'erflowing hand
Had made no happy heart, concluded loft ;
Trajan and he, with the mild Sire and Son, 505

His fon of virtue ! eas'd a while mankind,
And Arts revivid beneath their gentle beam.
Then was their laft effort; what Sculpture rais'd
To Trajan's glory, following triumphs stole,
And mixt with Gothic forms, (the chiffel's
fhame,)
510

On that triumphal arch, the forms of Greece.

Mean time o'er rocky Thrace, and the deep
vales

Of gelid Hamus, I purfu'd my flight,
And, piercing fartheft Scythia, weftward swept
Sarmatia, travers'd by a thousand streams: SI5
A fullen land of lakes, and fens immenfe,
Of rocks, refounding torrents, gloomy heaths,
And cruel deferts, black with founding pine,
Where Nature frowns; tho' fometimes into fmiles
She foftens, and immediate, at the touch
Of fouthern gales, throws from the fudden glebe
Luxuriant pafture and a waste of flowers.
But, cold compreft, when the whole loaded hea-

ven

520

Defends in fnow, loft in one white abrupt
Lies undiftinguish'd earth; and, feiz'd by froft,
Lakes, headlong streams, and floods, and oceans,

fleep.

526

530

Yet there life glows; the furry millions there
Deep-dig their dens beneath the fheltering fnows;
And there a race of men prolific fwarms,
To various pain, to little pleasure, us'd;
On whom, keen parching, beat Riphæan winds,
Hard like their foil, and like their climate fierce,
The nursery of nations -Thefe I rous'd,
Drove land on land, on people people pour'd,
Till from almoft perpetual night they broke, 535
As if in fearch of day, and o'er the banks
Of yielding Empire, only flave-fuftain'd,
Refiftlefs rag'd, in vengeance urg'd by Me.