In Storms fublime the daring WILSON foars,

And on the blafted Oak his mimic Lightning pours: APOLLO triumphs in his flaming fkies,

And claffic Beauties in his fcenes arife.

241

Thy Graces, HUMPHREYS, and thy Colours clear,

From Miniature's fmall circle disappear:
May their diftinguish'd merit still prevail,
And shine with luftre on the larger Scale.
Let candid Juftice our attention lead
To the foft Crayon of the graceful READ:
Nor, GARD'NER, fhall the Mufe, in haffe, forget
Thy Taste and Eafe; tho' with a fond regret

245

250

She pays,
while here the Crayon's pow'r fhe notes,
A figh of homage to the Shade of COATES.

Nor, if her favour'd hand may hope to shed
The flowers of glory o'er the skilful dead,

Thy Talents, HOGARTH! will fhe leave unfung; *
Charm of all eyes, and Theme of every tongue! 256
A separate province 'twas thy praise to rule;
Self-form'd thy Pencil! yet thy works a School;
'Where ftrongly painted, in gradations nice,

The Pomp of Folly, and the Shame of Vice,

260

* Ver. 255 See NOTE LI.

Reach'd

Reach'd thro' the laughing Eye the mended Mind, And moral Humour sportive Art refin'd.

While fleeting Manners, as minutely fhewn

As the clear profpect on the mirror thrown ;
While Truth of Character, exactly hit,

And dreft in all the dyes of comic wit;

While these, in FIELDING's page, delight fupply,
So long thy Pencil with his Pen fhall vie.

Science with grief beheld thy drooping age

Fall the fad victim of a Poet's rage:

But Wit's vindictive spleen, that mocks controul,
Nature's high tax on luxury of foul !

This, both in Bards and Painters, Fame forgives;
Their Frailty's buried, but their Genius lives.

265

270

Still many a Painter, not of humble Name,

275

Appears the tribute of applause to claim;
Some alien Artists, more of English Race,
With fair ANGELICA our foreign Grace,

Who paints, with Energy and Softness join'd,

The fond Emotions of the female Mind;

289

And CIPRIANI, whom the Loves furround,
And sportive Nymphs in Beauty's Cestus bound:
For him those Nymphs their every Charm display,
For him coy VENUS throws her veil away;

And ZAFFANI, whofe faithful colours give
The tranfient glories of the Stage to live;
On his bright canvass each dramatic Muse
A perfect copy of her scene reviews ;

Each, while those scenes her loft delight restore,

Almoft forgets her Garrick is no more.

285

290

O'er these I pass reluctant, leaft too long

The Muse diffusely spin a tedious Song.

Yet one short pause, ye Pow'rs of Verse, allow
To cull a Myrtle Leaf for MEYERS's Brow!
Tho' fmall its Field, thy Pencil may presume

295

To afk a Wreath where Flowers immortal bloom.
As Nature's felf, in all her pictures fair,

Colours her Infect works with niceft care,

Nor better forms, to please the curious eye,
The spotted Leopard than the gilded Fly;
So thy fine Pencil, in its narrow space,
Pours the full portion of uninjur❜d Grace,
And Portraits, true to Nature's larger line,

Boaft not an air more exquifite than thine.

300

Soft Beauty's charms thy happiest works exprefs, 305
Beauty thy model and thy Patronefs.

For her thy care has to perfection brought

Th' uncertain toil, with anxious trouble fraught;

Thy

Thy colour'd Crystal, at her fond defire,

Draws deathlefs Luftre from the dang'rous Fire, 310
And, pleas'd to gaze on its immortal charm,
She binds thy Bracelet on her snowy arm.

While Admiration views, with raptur'd eye,
These Lights of Art that gild the British sky;
Oh! may my Friend arife, with luftre clear,
And add new Glory to this radiant Sphere.

This wifh, my ROMNEY, from the pureft fource,

315

Has Reason's Warrant, join'd to Friendship's Force. For Genius breath'd into thy infant Frame

The vital Spirit of his facred Flame,

Which frequent mifts of Diffidence o'ercloud,
Proving the vigor of the Sun they shroud.
Nature in thee her every gift combin❜d,

Which forms the Artist of the nobleft kind;

320

That fond Ambition, which bestows on Art

325

Each talent of the Mind, and paffion of the Heart;

That dauntless Patience, which all toil defies,

Nor feels the labour while it views the prize.
Enlight'ning Study, with maturing pow'r,

From these fair feeds has call'd the op'ning flow'r;
Thy juft, thy graceful Portraits charm the view, 331
With every tender tint that TITIAN knew.

Round

Round Fancy's circle when thy Pencil Aies,

With what terrific pomp thy Spectres rife!

What luft of mischief marks thy Witch's form, 335

340

While on the LAPLAND Rock fhe fwells the storm!
Tho' led by Fancy thro' her boundless reign,
Well doft thou know to quit her wild domain,
When History bids thee paint, severely chaste,
Her fimpler scene, with uncorrupted taste.
While in these fields thy judging eyes explore,
What spot untried may yield its fecret ore,
Thy happy Genius springs a virgin Mine
Of copious, pure, original Defign;
Truth gives it value, and, diftinctly bold,
The ftamp of Character compleats thy Gold.
Thy Figures rife in Beauty's noblest scale,
Sublimely telling their heroic Tale.

345

Still may thy Powers in full exertion blaze,

And Time revere them with unrivall'd praise !

350

May Art, in honour of a Son like thee,

So juftly daring, with a foul fo free,

Each feparate Province to thy care commend,

And all her Glories in thy Pencil blend !
May tender TITIAN'S mellow Softness join,

355

With mighty ANGELO's fublimer Line;

CORREGIO'S