There ftudious VINCI treafur'd every rule,*
To form the bafis of a rifing school:
Like early HESIOD, 'twas his fate to shine,
The herald of a mafter more divine.
Inflam'd by Genius with sublimest 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.
Tafte, Fancy, Judgment, all on RAPHAEL fmil'd, ‡ Of Grandeur and of Grace the darling child :
Truth, paffion, character, his constant aim,
Both in the human and the heavenly frame,
Th' enchanting painter rules the willing heart,
And fhines the finish'd VIRGIL of his art.
The daring JULIO, tho' by RAPHAEL train'd, §
Reach'd not the fummit, where his mafter reign'd;
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.
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 feize 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 fufpended voice,
Fears to condemn the error of his choice.
Thus pleased a flowery valley to explore
Whence never Poet cull'd a wreath before, +
LUCRETIUS chofe the epic crown to lose
For the bright chaplets of an humbler muse.
* Ver. 268. See NOTE XVI.
Unde prius nulli velarunt Tempora Mufæ. LUCRETIUS, Lib. iv. Ver. 5.
Soft as CATULLUS, fweet CORREGIO play'd
With all the magic charms of light and shade.
Tho' PARMA claim it for her rival fon, †
The praise of sweetest grace thy pencil won :
Unhappy genius! tho' of skill divine,
Unjust 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, ‡
And raising her weak powers and finking frame,
Reclaim'd the pencil of mifguided youth,
From Affectation's glare to tints of modest Truth.
They form'd the Pencil, to whofe infant fame
Young ZAMPIERI Ow'd his nobler name : §
Profoundly skill'd his figures to dispose,
The learned LANFRANC in their school arofe, ||
And, trained to glory, by their forming care,
The tender GUIDO caught his graceful air. ¶
Nor shall ye fail your well-earn'd praise to gain, 300 Ye! who adorn'd with art your native SPAIN! The unfrequented fhore, that gave you birth,
Tempts not the faithful Muse to hide your worth :
Juft 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, fupplied:
The cruel bar his happy genius broke;
Tho' dumb the painter, all his pictures spoke.
And thou, VELASQUEZ, fhare the honour due + 310
To forceful tints, that fascinate the view
Thy bold illufive talents foar'd so high,
They mock'd, with mimic life, the cheated eye.
Thou liberal artift! 'twas thy praise to guide
Thy happy scholar with parental pride;
Thy care the foft, the rich MURILLO form'd, t
And as thy precept taught, thy friendship warm'd..
Ver. 305. See NOTE XXIII.
Ver. 310. See NOTE XXIV.`
Ver. 316. See NOTE XXV..
Yet other names, and not a fcanty band!
Have added luftre to th' IBERIAN land;
But, generous ITALY, thy genial earth
Superior numbers bore of splendid worth!
And rais'd amidft them, in thy golden days,
No mean historian to record their praise.
On Thee, whom Art, thy patronefs and pride, Taught both the pencil and the pen to guide;
Whose generous zeal and modeft truth have known
To blazon others' skill, not boast thy own;
On thee, VASARI, let my verfe bestow
That just applause, so freely seen to flow
From thy ingenuous heart and liberal hand,
To each great artist of thy native land!
Tho' many shine in thy elaborate page,
And more have rifen fince thy distant age,
Their various talents, and their different fame,
The Muse, unskilful, muft decline to name,
Least in the nice attempt her judgment fail,
To poise their merits in Precifion's scale.
* Ver. 323. See NOTE XXVI.
|