Yet other names, and not a scanty band!
Have added luftre to th' IBERIAN land;
But, generous ITALY, thy genial earth
Superior numbers bore of fplendid worth!
And rais'd amidst them, in thy golden days,
No mean hiftorian to record their praise. *

On Thee, whom Art, thy patroness and pride,

Taught both the pencil and the pen to guide;

320

325

Whofe generous zeal and modest truth have known

To blazon others' fkill, not boaft thy own;

On thee, VASARI, let my verfe bestow
That just applause, so freely feen to flow
From thy ingenuous heart and liberal hand,
To each great artist of thy native land!

Tho' many fhine in thy elaborate page,
And more have rifen fince thy diftant age,
Their various talents, and their different fame,
The Mufe, unfkilful, must decline to name,
Least in the nice attempt her judgment fail
To poife their merits in Precifion's fcale."
E'en public Tafte, by no determin'd rule,
Has clafs'd the merit of each nobler fchool:

* Ver. 323. See NOTE XXVI.

330

335

Το

TO ROME and FLORENCE, in Expreffion ftrong,
The highest honours of Defign belong;

341

On her pure Style fee mild BOLOGNA claim *

Her faireft right to fecondary fame;

Tho' prouder VENICE would ufurp that praise,

Upon the fplendid force of TITIAN's golden rays. † But ill they know the value of their art,

346

Who, flattering the eye, neglect the heart.

Tho' matchlefs tints a lafting name fecure,
Tho' ftrong the magic of the clear-obfcure,
These must submit, as a dependant part,
To pure Design, the very foul of Art;

Or Fame, misguided, muft invert her course,

350

And RAPHAEL'S Grace muft yield to REMBRANDT's

Force; +

Fancy's bold thought to Labour's patient touch,

And Rome's exalted genius to the Dutch.

Yet, HOLLAND, thy unwearied labours raise §

A perfect title to peculiar praise :

Thy hum'rous pencil fhuns the epic field,

The blazing falchion, and the fanguine fhield;

* Ver. 342.

+ Ver. 345.

See NOTE XXVII.

See NOTE XXVIII.

Ver. 353. See NOTE XXIX.

Ver. 356. See NOTE XXX.

355

But hap❜ly marks the group of rural Mirth,
In focial circle round the chearful hearth;
And ruftic Joy, from bufy cares releas'd,

To the gay gambols of the village feast :

360

While Nature fmiles her very faults to view,

Trac'd with a skill fo exquifitely true.

365

Thefe faults, O REMBRANDT, 'twas thy praife to

hide!

New pow'rs of ART thy fertile mind supplied; With dazzling force thy gorgeous colouring glows,

And o'er each scene an air of grandeur throws:
The meanest Figures dignity affume,

370

From thy contrafted light, and magic gloom.

These strong illufions are fupremely thine,

And laugh at Imitation's vague defign :

So near to blemishes thy beauties run,

Those who affect thy fplendor are undone :
While thy rash rivals, loose and incorrect,
Mifcall their shadowy want of truth Effect,
And into paths of affectation ftart:

375

Neglect of Nature is the bane of Art.

Proud of the praife by RUBENS' pencil won,
Let FLANDERS boaft her bold inventive fon!

380

* Ver. 380. See NOTE XXXI.

Whose

385

Whose glowing hues magnificently shine
With warmth congenial to his rich design:
And him, her fecond pride, whose milder care
From living Beauty caught its loveliest air!
Who truth of character with grace combin❜d,
And in the speaking feature mark'd the mind,
Her foft VANDYKE, while graceful portraits please,
Shall reign the model of unrivall'd ease.

*

389

́Painting shall tell, with many a grateful thought,
From FLANDERS first the secret pow'r fhe caught, †
To grace and guard the offspring of her toil,
With all the virtues of enduring oil;

Tho' charm'd by ITALY's alluring views,

(Where sumptuous LEO courted every Muse, † 395 And lovely Science grew the public care) She fix'd the glories of her empire there ;

There in her zenith foon fhe ceas'd to fhine,

With talents flowing in free Nature's course,
With juft exertion of unborrow'd force,
Untrodden paths of art SALVATOR tried, **
And daring Fancy was his favourite guide.

O'er his wild rocks, at her command, he throws

A favage grandeur, and fublime repose;

Or gives th' hiftoric scene a charm as strong
As the terrific gloom of DANTE's fong,
His bold ideas, unrefin'd by taste,

Exprefs'd with vigour, tho' conceiv d in hafte,

Before flow judgment their defects can find,
With awful pleasure fill the paffive mind.

405

410

Nor could one art, with various beauty fraught, 415 Engrofs the ardor of his active thought:

His pencil paufing, with fatiric fire

He ftruck the chords of the congenial lyre;
By generous verfe attempting to reclaim

The meaner artist from each abject aim.
But vain his fatire! his example vain!
Degraded Painting finks with many a stain :
Her clouded beams, from ITALY withdrawn,
On colder FRANCE with tranfient luftre dawn.

420

• Ver. 405.

See NOTE XXXV.

There,