Of Gothic ftructure was the northern fide, O'er-wrought with ornaments of barb'rous pride. 120 There huge Coloffes rofe, with trophies crown'd, And Runic characters were grav'd around. There fate Zamolxis with erected eyes,

And Odin here in mimic trances dies.

There on rude iron columns smear'd with blood,

125

The horrid forms of Scythian heroes flood,

Druids and Bards (their once loud harps unftrung)
And youths that dy'd to be by Poets fung.
Thefe and a thousand more of doubtful fame,
To whom old fables gave a lasting name,

130

VER. 119. Of Gothic ftructure was the Northern fide.] The Architecture is agreeable to that part of the world. The learning of the Northern nations lay more obfcure than that of the reft; Zamolxis was the difciple of Pythagoras, who taught the immortality of the foul to the Scythians. Odin, or Woden, was the great legiflator and hero of the Goths. They tell us of him, that being fubject to fits, he perfuaded his followers that during those trances he receiv'd inspirations, from whence he dictated his laws he is faid to have been the inventor of the Runic characters.

VER. 127. Druids and Bards, &c.] These were the priests and poets of those people, fo celebrated for their favage virtue. Thofe heroic barbarians accounted it a difhonour to die in their beds, and rufh'd on to certain death in the profpect of an after-life, and for the glory of a fong from their bards in praise of their actions.

In

;

In ranks adorn'd the temples outward face
The wall in luftre and effect like Glass,
Which o'er each object cafting various dyes,
Enlarges fome, and others multiplies:
Nor void of emblem was the mystic wall,
For thus romantic Fame increases all.

The Temple shakes, the founding gates unfold,
Wide vaults appear, and roofs of fretted gold:
Rais'd on a thousand pillars, wreath'd around
With laurel-foliage, and with eagles crown'd:
Of bright, tranfparent beryl were the walls,
The freezes gold, and gold the capitals:

As heav'n with ftars, the roof with jewels glows,
And ever-living lamps depend in rows.

135

140

Full in the paffage of each fpacious gate,

145

The fage Hiftorians in white garments wait;

Grav'd o'er their feats the form of Time was found,

His fcythe revers'd, and both his pinions bound.
Within, ftood Heroes who thro' loud alarms
In bloody fields purfu'd renown in arms.

150

High on a throne with trophies charg'd, I view'd
The Youth that all things but himself subdu'd;

His

VER. 132. The wall in lyftre, &c.]

It fhone lighter than a

glass,

And made well more than it was,
As kind thing of Fame is.

VER. 152. The youth that all things but himself subdu'd.] Alexander the Great: The Tiara was the crown peculiar to the Afian Princes: his defire to be thought

the

His feet on fceptres and Tiara's trod,

And his horn'd head bely'd the Lybian God.

There Cafar, grac'd with both Minerva's, thone; 155
Cæfar, the world's great master, and his own;
Unmov'd, fuperior still in ev'ry state,

And scarce detefted in his Country's fate.
But chief were those, who not for empire fought,
But with their toils their people's fafety bought: 160
High o'er the rest Epaminondas stood;
Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;
Bold Scipio, faviour of the Roman state,
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great;
And wife Aurelius, in whofe well-taught mind 165
With boundless pow'r unbounded virtue join'd,
His own ftrict judge, and patron of mankind.
Much-fuff'ring heroes next their honours claim,
Those of less noify, and lefs guilty fame,
Fair Virtue's filent train: fupreme of these
Here ever shines the godlike Socrates:

170

the fon of Jupiter Ammon, caus'd him to wear the horns of that God, and to represent the fame upon his coins; which was continued by several of his fucceffors.

VER. 162. Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood.] Timoleon had fav'd the life of his brother Timophanes in the battle between the Argives and Corinthians; but afterwards kill'd him when he affected the tyranny, preferring his duty to his country to all the obligations of blood.

He whom ungrateful Athens could expel,
At all times juft, but when he fign'd the Shell:
Here his abode the martyr'd Phocion claims,
With Agis, not the last of Spartan names:
Unconquer'd Cato fhews the wound he tore,
And Brutus his ill Genius meets no more.
But in the centre of the hallow'd quire,
Six pompous columns o'er the rest aspire;

175

Around

VER. 172. He whom ungrateful Athens, &c.] Arifides, who for his great integrity was diftinguifh'd by the appellation of the Juft. When his countrymen would have banifh'd him by the Oftracifm, where it was the custom for every man to fign the name of the perfon he voted to exile in an oyster-fhell; a peafant, who could not write, came to Ariftides to do it for him, who readily fign'd his own name.

VER. 178. But in the centre of the hallow'd quire, &c.] In the midst of the temple, nearest the throne of Fame, are plac'd the greateft names in learning of all antiquity. Thefe are defcrib'd in fuch attitudes as exprefs their different characters: The columns on which they are rais'd are adorn'd with fculptures, taken from the moft ftriking fubjects of their works; which fculpture bears a refemblance in its manner and character, to the manner and character of their writings.

VER. 179. Six pompous columns, &c.]
From the dees many a pillere,

Of metal that fhone not full clere, &c.

Upon

Around the shrine itself of Fame they stand,
Hold the chief honours, and the fane command.
High on the first, the mighty Homer fhone;'
Eternal Adamant compos'd his throne;
Father of verse! in holy fillets drest,

His filver beard wav'd gently o'er his breast;
Tho' blind, a boldness in his looks appears;
In years he seem'd, but not impair'd by years.
The wars of Troy were round the pillar feen:
Here fierce Tydides wounds the Cyprian Queen;
Here Hector glorious from Patroclus' fall,
Here dragg'd in triumph round the Trojan wall.
Motion and life did ev'ry part infpire,
Bold was the work, and prov'd the master's fire;
A ftrong expreffion moft he feem'd t' affect,
And here and there disclos'd a brave neglect.

Upon a pillere far I ftonde
That was of lede and iron fine,
Him of the feet Saturnine,

The Ebraicke Jofephus the old, &c.
Upon an iron piller ftrong,

That painted was all endlong,
With tygers blood in every place,
The Tholofan that hight Stace,

That bare of Thebes up the name, &c.

VER. 182.]

Full wonder bye on a pillere

Of iron, he the great Omer,

And with him Dares and Titus, &c.

2

180

185

190

195