Of Gothic structure was the northern fide,
O'er-wrought with ornaments of barb'rous pride.
There huge Colosses rose, with trophies crown'd,
And Runic characters were grav'd around.
There fate Zamolxis with erected eyes,
And Odin here in mimic trances dies.

120

There on rude iron columns smear'd with blood,
The horrid forms of Scythian heroes stood,
Druids and Bards (their once loud harps unstrung)
And youths that dy'd to be by Poets fung.
These and a thousand more of doubtful fame,

125

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 rest; Zamolxis was the disciple 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 subject 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, so celebrated for their savage virtue. Those heroic barbarians accounted it a dishonour to die in their beds, and rush'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 some, 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, transparent beryl were the walls,
The freezes gold, and gold the capitals:
As heav'n with stars, the roof with jewels glows,

And ever-living lamps depend in rows.

Full in the passage of each spacious gate,
The sage Historians in white garments wait;
Grav'd o'er their seats the form of Time was found,
His scythe revers'd, and both his pinions bound.
Within, stood Heroes who thro' loud alarms

In bloody fields pursu'd renown in arms.
High on a throne with trophies charg'd, I view'd
The Youth that all things but himself subdu'd;

VER. 132. The wall in lystre, &c.]
It fhone lighter than a glass,
And made well more than it was,

As kind thing of Fame is.

135

140

145

150

His

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

the

His feet on sceptres and Tiara's trod,

And his horn'd head bely'd the Lybian God.
There Cafar, grac'd with both Minerva's, shone; 155.
Cafar, the world's great master, and his own;

Unmov'd, superior still in ev'ry state,

And scarce detested in his Country's fate.

But chief were those, who not for empire fought,
But with their toils their people's safety bought: 160
High o'er the rest Epaminondas stood;

:

Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;
Bold Scipio, saviour of the Roman state,
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great;
And wife Aurelius, in whose well-taught mind 165
With boundless pow'r unbounded virtue join'd,
His own ftrict judge, and patron of mankind.

Much-suff'ring heroes next their honours claim,

Those of less noisy, and less guilty fame,
Fair Virtue's filent train: fupreme of these
Here ever shines the godlike Socrates :

}

170

the son 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 successors.

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 just, but when he sign'd the Shell:
Here his abode the martyr'd Phocion claims,
With Agis, not the last of Spartan names :
Unconquer'd Cato shews 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.] Ariftides, who for his great integrity was diftinguith'd by the appellation of the Juft. When his countrymen would have banish'd him by the Ostracism, where it was the custom for every man to fign the name of the person he voted to exile in an oyster-shell; 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 greatest names in learning of all antiquity. These are defcrib'd in such attitudes as express their different characters: The columns on which they are rais'd are adorn'd with sculptures, taken from the most striking subjects of their works; which sculpture bears a resemblance 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 shone 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 shone;
Eternal Adamant compos'd his throne;
Father of verse! in holy fillets dreft,
His filver beard wav'd gently o'er his breaft;
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 inspire,
Bold was the work, and prov'd the master's fire;
A ftrong expression most he seem'd t' affect,
And here and there disclos'd a brave neglect.

Upon a pillere farv I stonde
That was of lede and iron fine,
Him of the fect 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.

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