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These ever new, nor subject to decays,
Spread, and grow brighter with the length of days.
So Zembla's rocks (the beauteous work of Frost)
Rise white in air, and glitter o'er the coast;
Pale suns, unfelt, at distance roll away,
And on th' impassive ice the lightnings play;
Eternal snows the growing mass supply,

Till the bright mountains prop th' incumbent sky;
As Atlas fix'd, each hoary pile appears,
The gather'd winter of a thousand years.
On this foundation Fame's high temple stands;
Stupendous pile! not rear'd by mortal hands.
Whate'er proud Rome or artful Greece beheld,
Or elder Babylon, its frame excell'd.

Four faces had the dome, and ev'ry face
Of various structure, but of equal grace.
Four brazen gates, on columns lifted high,
Salute the diff'rent quarters of the sky.
Here fabled chiefs in darker ages born,
Or worthies old, whom arts or arms adorn,
Who cities rais'd, or tam'd a monstrous race,
The walls in venerable order grace:

Heroes in animated marble frown,

And legislators seem to think in stone.

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Westward, a sumptuous frontispiece appear'd, 75 On Doric pillars of white marble rear'd, Crown'd with an architrave of antique mold, And sculpture rising on the roughen'd gold. In shaggy spoils here Theseus was beheld, And Perseus dreadful with Minerva's shield;

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There great Alcides, stooping with his toil,
Rests on his club, and holds th' Hesperian spoil;
Here Orpheus sings; trees moving to the sound,
Start from their roots, and form a shade around;
Amphion there the loud creating lyre
Strikes, and beholds a sudden Thebes aspire!
Cythæron's echoes answer to his call,

And half the mountain rolls into a wall.

There might you see the length'ning spires ascend,
The domes swell up, the wid'ning arches bend,
The growing tow'rs, like exhalations rise,
And the huge columns heave into the skies.
The eastern front was glorious to behold,
With di'mond flaming, and barbaric gold.
There Ninus shone, who spread th' Assyrian fame,
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 rob'd in white appear'd,

And Brachmans, deep in desert woods rever'd.

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These stopp'd the moon, and call'd th' unbody'd shades
To midnight banquets in the glimm'ring glades;
Made visionary fabrics round them rise,

And airy spectres skim before their eyes;
Of talismans and sigils knew the pow'r,
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,

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Who measur'd earth, describ'd the starry spheres,
And trac'd the long records of lunar years.
High on his car Sesostris struck my view,
Whom scepter'd slaves in golden harness drew;
His hands a bow and pointed jav'lin hold;
His giant limbs are arm'd in scales of gold.
Between the statues obelisks were plac'd,
And the learn'd walls with hieroglyphics grac'd.
Of Gothic structure was the northern side,
O'erwrought with ornaments of barb'rous pride. 120
There huge Colosses rose, with trophies crown'd,
And Runic characters were grav'd around;

There sat Zamolxis with erected eyes,

And Odin here in mimic trances dies.

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There on rude iron columns, smear'd with blood, 125
The horrid forms of Scythian heroes stood;
Druids and bards (their once loud harps unstrung,)
And youths that died to be by poets sung.
These and a thousand more of doubtful fame,
To whom old fables gave a lasting name,
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,
For thus romantic Fame increases all.

The temple shakes, the sounding 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.

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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 through 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;
His feet on sceptres and tiaras trod,

And his horn'd head bely'd the Libyan god.

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There Cæsar, grac'd with both Minervas, shone; 155
Cæsar, 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 Epamonidas stood;

Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;
Bold Scipio, saviour of the Roman s ́ate,
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great;
And wise Aurelius, in whose well-taught mind
With boundless pow'r unbounded virtue join'd,
His own strict judge, and patron of mankind.
Much-suff'ring heroes next their honours claim,
Those of less noisy, and less guilty fame,
Fair Virtue's silent train; supreme of these
Here ever shines the god-like Socrates;

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He whom ungrateful Athens could expell,
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 choir,
Six pompous columns o'er the rest aspire;
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 drest,

His silver beard wav'd gently o'er his breast;
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 pillars seen;
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 strong expression most he seem'd t'affect,
And here and there disclos'd a brave neglect.

A golden column next in rank appear'd,
On which a shrine of purest gold was rear'd;
Finish'd the whole, and labour'd ev'ry part,
With patient touches of unweary'd art:
The Mantuan there in sober triumph sate,
Compos'd his posture, and his look sedate;

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