The growing towers like exhalations rise, 91 And the huge columns heave into the skies.

The eastern front was glorious to behold, With diamond flaming and barbaric gold. There Ninus shone, who spread the Assyrian fame,

95 And the great founder of the Persian name: There in long robes the royal magi stand; Grave Zoroaster waves the circling wand; The sage Chaldeans, robed in white, appear’d; And Brachmans, deep in desert woods revered. These stopp'd the moon, and call’d the unbodied shades

101 To midnight banquets in the glimmering glades ; Made visionary fabrics round them rise, And airy spectres skim before their eyes ; Of talismans and sigils knew the power,

,105 And careful watch'd the planetary hour. Superior, and alone, Confucius stood, Who taught that useful science, to be good.

But on the south, a long majestic race Of Egypt's priests the gilded niches grace, 110 Who measured earth, described the starry spheres, And traced the long records of lunar years. High on his car, Sesostris struck my view, Whom sceptred slaves in golden harness drew : His hands a bow and pointed javelin hold; 115 His giant limbs are arm’d in scales of gold. Between the statues obelisks were placed, And the learn’d walls with hieroglyphics graced.

Of Gothic structure was the northern side, 119 O'erwrought with ornaments of barbarous pride : There huge colosses rose, with trophies crown'd; And Runic characters were graved around. There sat Zamolxis with erected eyes, And Odin here in mimic trances dies. There on rude iron columns, smear'd with blood, The horrid forms of Scythian heroes stood, 126 Druids and bards, their once loud harps unstrung; And youths that died to be by poets sung.

110 Egypt's priests, 8c. The learning of the old Egyptian priests consisted for the most part in geometry and astronomy : they also preserved the history of their nation. The greatest hero on record is Sesostris, whose actions and conquests may be seen at large in Diodorus, &c. He is said to have caused the kings he vanquished to draw him in his chariot. The posture of his statue, in these verses, is correspondent to the description which Herodotus gives of one of them remaining in his own time.-Pope.

119 Of Gothic structure was the northern side. The architecture is agreeable to that part of the world : the learning of the northern nations lay more obscure than that of the rest. Zamolxis was the disciple of Pythagoras, who taught the immortality of the soul to the Scythians : Odin, or Woden, was the great legislator and hero of the Goths.-Pope.

127 Druids and bards, 8c. These were the priests and poets

These, and a thousand more of doubtful fame,
To whom old fables gave a lasting name, 130
In ranks adorn'd the temple's outward face;
The wall in lustre and effect like glass,
Which o'er each object casting various dies,
Enlarges some, and others multiplies :
Nor void of emblem was the mystic wall, 135
For thus romantic Fame increases all.

The temple shakes, the sounding gates unfold,
Wide vaults appear, and roofs of fretted gold;
Raised on a thousand pillars, wreathed around
With laurel-foliage, and with eagles crown'd : 140
Of bright transparent beryl were the walls,
The friezes gold, and gold the capitals :
As heaven with stars, the roof with jewels glows,
And ever-living lamps depend in rows.
Full in the passage of each spacious gate, 145
The sage historians in white garments wait;
Graved o'er their seats the form of Time was found,
His scythe reversed, and both his pinions bound.
Within stood heroes, who through loud alarms
In bloody fields pursued renown in arms. 150
High on a throne with trophies charged, I view’d
The youth that all things but himself subdued ;
of those people, so celebrated for their savage virtue. Those
heroic barbarians accounted it a dishonor to die in their beds,
and rushed on to certain death in the prospect of an after-life,
and for the glory of a song from their bards in praise of their
actions.-Pope.

155

His feet on sceptres and tiaras trod,
And his horn'd head belied the Libyan god.
There Cæsar, graced with both Minervas,

shone;
Cæsar, the world's great master, and his own;
Unmoved, superior still in every 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 :
High o'er the rest Epaminondas stood; 161
Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;
Bold Scipio, savior of the Roman state ;
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great; 164
And wise Aurelius, in whose well-taught mind,
With boundless power, unbounded virtue join'd,
His own strict judge, and patron of mankind.

Much-suffering heroes next their honors claim, Those of less noisy and less guilty fame, Fair Virtue's silent train : supreme of these 170 Here ever shines the godlike Socrates : He whom ungrateful Athens could expel, At all times just, but when he sign'd the shell :

Here his abode the martyrd Phocion claims, i
With Agis, not the last of Spartan names: 175
Unconquer'd Cato shows the wound he tore,
And Brutus his ill genius meets no more.

But in the centre of the hallow'd choir,
Six pompous columns o’er the rest aspire;
Around the shrine itself of Fame they stand, 180
Hold the chief honors, and the fane command.
High on the first, the mighty Homer shone ;
Eternal adamant composed his throne;
Father of verse ! in holy fillets dress’d,
His silver beard waved gently o'er his breast; 185
Though 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 seen :
Here fierce Tydides wounds the Cyprian queen;
Here Hector, glorious from Patroclus' fall; 190
Here dragg’d in triumph round the Trojan

wall: Motion and life did every part inspire; Bold was the work, and proved the master's fire; A strong expression most he seem'd to affect, And here and there disclosed a brave neglect. 195