Tho' foreign Theorists, with System blind *, 15

Prescribe falfe limits to the British mind,

And, warp'd by Vanity, presume to hold
Our northern Genius dark, confin'd, and cold :
Painting, fweet Nymph, unconscious of their chain,

In this fair Ifland forms her new Domain,

And freely gives to BRITAIN's eager view

20

Those charms which once her fav'rite ATHENS knew.
'Tis true, when Painting, on ITALIA's fhore,
Difplay'd those Graces which all Realms adore,
No kindred forms of English growth appear;

Age after age the hapless Pencil here
Dropt unsuccessful from the Native's hand,
And fail'd to decorate this darker Land.

But freely let impartial History say,

25

Why Art on BRITAIN shone with later ray.

30

When on this Ifle, the Gothic clouds withdrawn,

Now lov'd, now fcorn'd, now worshipp'd, now de

Thee as his Wives, enchanting Art! he priz'd, 35 Now fought to crown thee, now thy death devis'd: Now ftrove to fix, with liberal support,

Thy darling RAPHAEL in his sumptuous Court;

Now o'er the hallow'd fhrines thy hand had grac❜d, "Cried havock, and let flip the Dogs of Waste." 40 When timid Art faw ruin his delight,

She fled in terror from the Tyrant's fight.

The Virgin Queen, whom dazzled eyes admire,
The subtle Child of this imperious Sire,
Untaught the moral force of Art to feel, *
Profcrib'd it as the flave of bigot Zeal;

Or doom'd it, throwing nobler works afide,
To drudge in flatt'ring her fantastic Pride:
And hence the Epic pencil in the shade
Of blank neglect and cold obftruction laid,

45

50

E'en while the Fairy-sprite, and Muse of fire,

Hung high in Glory's hall the English lyre.

JAMES, both for Empire and for Arts unfit,
(His fenfe a quibble, and a pun his wit)
Whatever works he patroniz'd debas'd,
But haply left the Pencil undisgrac❜d.

* Ver. 45. See NOTE XLII.

55

With

With fairer mind arofe his nobler Son,

Seduc'd by Parafites, by Priests undone :

Unhappy CHARLES! oh! had thy feeling heart

But honour'd Freedom as it valued Art!

To merit juft, thy bounty flow'd alike

60

On bolder RUBENS, and the foft VANDYKE:
To this ennobled realm thy judgment brought

The facred miracles that RAPHAEL Wrought.

But regal Pride, with vain Ambition blind,
Cut off the promife of thy cultur'd mind.

By wounded Liberty's convulfive hand
Unbound, fierce Anarchy ufurps the Land;
While trembling Art to foreign regions flies,
To feek a refuge in ferener skies.

These storms fubfiding, see her once again
Returning in the second CHARLES's train!
She comes to copy, in licentious fport,

The Minions of a loofc luxurious Court;

65

70

From whence the modeft Graces turn their eyes, 75

Where Genius fees, and o'er the profpect fighs,
LELY's foft tints, and DRYDEN's nobler Lyre,
Made the mean Slaves of diffolute Defire.

Once more, alarm'd by War's terrific roar,
The fweet Enchantrefs quits the troubled fhore; 80

While

While facred Freedom, darting in difdain
Her vengeful Thunder on th' apostate Train,
And, pleas'd the gloomy Tyrant to disown,
Gives to NASSAU the abdicated Throne.

The peaceful Prince may rifing Art defend,

And Art shall crown her Patron and her Friend.
In tumults, from the cradle to the grave,

'Tis thine, O WILLIAM! finking realms to save. To thee no leifure mightier cares allow,

85

To bind the laurel on the Artist's brow:

90

'Tis thine to fix, with tutelary hand,

The Base of Freedom, on which Art must stand.

Yet to thy Palace KNELLER'S skill supplied

Its richest ornament in Beauty's pride.

*

Unhappy KNELLER! covetous though vain ; .95
Thee Glory yielded to feducing Gain:

While partial Taste from modest RILEY turn'd, †
By diffidence depriv'd of praise well earn'd.

Tho' in fucceeding years the Mufes taught,

"How ANN commanded, and how MARLBRO'

And THORNHILL's blaze of Allegory gilt *

The piles, that WREN's fuperior genius built;
Contending Factions, in her closing reign,

Like winds imprison'd, fhook fair Freedom's Fane.
Painting, foft timid Nymph, ftill chofe to roam, 105
And fear'd to settle in this shaking Dome.

At length, the fury of each storm o'erblown,

That threaten'd BRUNSWICK's race on BRITAIN'S

throne,

Rebellion vanquish'd on her native shore,

Her clans extinguish'd, and her chiefs no more: 110

The youthful Noble, on a princely Plan, †
Encourag'd infant Art, and first began

Before the studious eye of Youth to place

The ancient Models of ideal Grace.

When BRITAIN triumph'd, thro' her wide domain, O'er FRANCE, fupported by imperious SPAIN, 116 And, fated with her Laurels' large increase, Began to cultivate the plants of Peace; Fixt by kind Majesty's protecting hand, Painting, no more an alien in our land,

Firft fmil'd to fee, on this propitious ground,

Her temples open'd, and her altars crown'd:

120

And