Inimitably great he seem'd to tower,
And pass the limits of the pencil's power.

220

Ye fons of art, tho' on the gulph of years No floating relic of your toil appears, Yet glory fhews, in every cultur'd clime, Your names ftill radiant thro' the clouds of time. Thy pride, O ROME, inclin'd thee to abhor Each work that call'd thee from thy fphere of war : By Freedom train'd, and favour'd by the Nine, 226 The powers of eloquence and verse were thine, While chilling damps upon the pencil hung,

230

Where TULLY thunder'd, and where VIRGIL fung,
Yet Grecian artists had the fplendid fate
To triumph o'er the Romans' scornful hate.
Their matchlefs works profufion toil'd to buy,
Their wonders glitter'd in the public eye,
Till ROME's terrific pomp, and letter'd pride,
Were funk in Defolation's whelming tide.

Oh! lovely Painting! long thy cheering light
Was loft and buried in barbaric night;

The furious rage of Anarchy effac'd

Each hallow'd character thy hand had trac❜d,

* Ver. 228. See NOTE XI.

235

And

And Ign'rance, mutt'ring in her monkish cell, 240
Bound thy free foul in her lethargic spell.

At length from this long trance thy spirit rose,
In that sweet vale where filver Arno flows;
There ftudious VINCI treafur'd every rule, *
To form the bafis of a rifing school:
Like early HESIOD, 'twas his fate to fhine,
The herald of a master more divine.

Inflam'd by Genius with fublimeft rage,
By toil unwearied, and unchill'd by age,
In the fine phrenzy of exalted thought
Gigantic ANGELO his wonders wrought; †
And high, by native strength of spirit rais'd,
The mighty HOMER of the pencil blaz❜d.

2:45

250

Tafte, Fancy, Judgment, all on RAPHAEL fmil'd, t Of Grandeur and of Grace the darling child : 255 Truth, paffion, character, his constant aim,

Both in the human and the heavenly frame,
Th' enchanting painter rules the willing heart,
And shines the finish'd VIRGIL of his art.

Ver. 244. See NOTE XII. + Ver. 251. See NOTE XIII. Ver. 254. See NOTE XIV.

The

The daring JULIO, tho' by RAPHAEL train'd, * Reach'd not the fummit where his master reign'd; 261 Yet to no common heights of epic fame

True Genius guided his adventurous aim.
Thus STATIUS, fraught with emulous regard,
Caught not the spirit of the Mantuan bard:
Tho' rival ardour his ambition fir'd,

And kindred talents his bold verse inspir❜d.

265

270

More richly warm, the glowing TITIAN knew + To blend with Nature's truth the living hue: O! had fublime defign his colours crown'd! Then had the world a finish'd painter found: With powers to seize the highest branch of art, He fix'd too fondly on an humbler part; Yet this low object of his partial care

Grew from his toil fo exquifitely fair,

That dazzled judgment, with suspended voice,

Fears to condemn the error of his choice.

275

Thus pleas'd a flowery valley to explore,
Whence never Poet cull'd a wreath before,

* Ver. 260. See NOTE XV.
† Ver. 268. See NOTE XVI.

Unde prius nulli velarunt Tempora Mufæ.

LUCRETIUS chofe the epic crown to lose
For the bright chaplets of an humbler muse.
Soft as CATULLUS, fweet CORREGIO play'd
With all the magic charms of light and fhade.
Tho' Parma claim it for her rival fon, t
The praise of sweeteft grace thy pencil won:

*

280

285

Unhappy genius! tho' of skill divine,

Unjuft neglect and penury were thine.
Lamenting o'er thy labours unrepaid,

Afflicted Art oppreft with wrongs decay'd,

Till with pure judgment the CARACCI came, ‡ 290 And, raifing her weak powers and finking frame, Reclaim'd the pencil of mifguided youth

From Affectation's glare to tints of modeft Truth. They form'd the Pencil, to whose infant fame Young ZAMPIERI Ow'd his nobler name: § Profoundly skill'd his figures to dispose,

The learned LANFRANC in their school arofe,

295

And,

And, train❜d to glory, by their forming care,
The tender GUIDO caught his graceful air.

Nor fhall ye fail your well-earn'd praise to gain, Ye! who adorn'd with art your native SPAIN! 301 The unfrequented fhore, that gave you birth, Tempts not the faithful Muse to hide your worth: Just to all regions, let her voice proclaim TITIAN'S mute fcholar, rival of his fame. † The power, that Nature to his lips denied, Indulgent Art, with fonder care, supplied : The cruel bar his happy genius broke ;

Tho' dumb the painter, all his pictures spoke.

305

And thou, VELASQUEZ, share the honour due ‡

To forceful tints, that fafcinate the view!

311

Thy bold illufive talents foar'd so high,

They mock'd, with mimic life, the cheated
Thou liberal artist! 'twas thy praise to guide
Thy happy scholar with parental pride`;

eye.

315

Thy care the foft, the rich MURILLO form'd, §
And as thy precept taught, thy friendship warm'd.

* Ver. 299. See NOTE XXII.
Ver. 305. See NOTE XXIII.
See NOTE XXIV.

Ver. 310.
§ Ver. 316. See NOTE XXV.

VOL. I.

C

Yet