Citharon's echoes answer to his call,
And half the mountain rolls into a wal.
There might you see the length’ning spires ascend,
The domes swell up, the widening 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 robed in white appeared,
And Brahmans, deep in desert woods revered.
These stopped the moon, and called the unbodied

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 power,
And careful watched 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, 3
Who measured earth, described the starry spheres,
And traced the long records of lunar years.
High on his car Sesostris struck my view,
Whom sceptered slaves in golden harness drew:
His hands a bow and pointed javelin hold;
His giant limbs are armed in scales of gold.

Between the statues obelisks were placed,
And the learned walls with hieroglyphics graced.

Of Gothic structure was the northern side,
O’erwrought with ornaments of barb'rous pride.
There huge colosses rose, with trophies crowned,
And Runic characters were graved around.
There sate Zamolxis with erected eyes,
And Odin here in mimic trances dies.
There on rude iron columns, smeared with blood,
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 adorned the temple's outward face;
The wall in lustre and effect like glass,
Which o’er each object casting 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 sounding gates unfold,
Wide vaults appear, and roofs of fretted gold:
Raised on a thousand pillars, wreathed around
With laurel foliage, and with eagles crowned:
Of bright, transparent beryl were the walls,
The friezes 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;
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.

High on a throne with trophies charged, I viewed
The youth that all things but himself subdued;1
His feet on sceptres and tiaras trod,
And his horned head belied the Libyan God.
There Cæsar, graced with both Minervas, 2 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;
Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood; *
Bold Scipio, saviour of the Roman state;
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great;
And wise Aureli. 23 in whose well-taught mind
With boundless power unbounded virtue joined,
His own strict udge, 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:
He whom ungrateful Athens could expel, 6
At all times just, but when he signed the shell:
Here his abode the martyred Phocion claims,"
With Agis, not the last of Spartan names:

1 Alexander the Great: the Tiara was the crown pecaliar to the Asian princes: his desire, to be thought the son of Jupiter Ammon, caused him to wear the horns of that god, and to represent the same upon bis coins; which was continued by several of his successors. - Pope.

. 2 The warlıke and learned.

3 The great Theban general, in whom all the virtues were united, who won the battles of Leuctra and Mantinea.

4 Timoleon had saved the life of his brother Timophanes in the battle between the Argives and Corinthians : but afterwards killed bim when he affected the tyranny, preferring his duty to his country to all the obligations of blood.-Pope.

5 E:nperor of Rome.

6 Aristides, who for his great integrity was distinguished by the appellation of the Just. When his countrymen would have banished him by the Ostracism, where it was the custom for every man to sign the name of the person he voted to exile in an oyster-shell, a peasant, who could not write, came to Aristides to do it for him, who readily signed his own name.-Pope.

7 Who. when he was about to drink the hemlock, charged his son to forgive his enemies, and not to revenge his death on those Athenians who had decreed it. -- Warton.

8 Agis, king of Sparta, was beheaded because he tried to restore the ancient discipline of Lycurgus.

Unconquered Cato shows the wound he tore,'
And Brutus his ill genius meets no more.”

But in the centre of the hallowed choir, 3
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 composed his throne;
Father of verse ! in holy fillets drest,
His silver beard waved gently o'er his breast;
Though blind, a boldness in his looks appears;
In years he seemed, but not impaired by years.
The wars of Troy were round the pillar seen:
Here fierce Tydides* wounds the Cyprian Queen;
Here Hector glorious from Patroclus' fall,
Here dragged in triumph round the Trojan wall,
Motion and life did ev'ry part inspire,
Bold was the work, and proved the master's fire!
A strong expression most he seemed t affect,
And here and there disclosed a brave neglect.

A golden column next in rank appeared,
On which a shrine of purest gold was reared;
Finished the whole, and laboured ev'ry part,
With patient touches of unwearied art:
The Mantuan there in sober triumph sate,
Composed his posture, and his look sedate;
On Homer still he fixed a rev’rend eye,
Great without pride, in modest majesty.
In living sculpture on the sides were spread
The Latian Wars, and haughty Turnus dead;
Eliza' stretched upon the funeral pyre,
Æneas bending with his aged sire: 8

Troy flamed in burning gold, and o'er the throne, "ARMS AND THE MAN” in golden cyphers shone.

Four swans sustain a car of silver bright,
With heads advanced, and pinions stretched for flight:
Here, like some furious prophet, Pindar rode,
And seemed to labour with th' inspiring God.
Across the harp a careless hand he flings,
And boldly sinks into the sounding strings.
The figured games of Greece the column grace,
Neptune and Jove survey the rapid race.
The youths hang o'er their chariots as they run;
The fiery steeds seem starting from the stone;
The champions in distorted postures threat;
And all appeared irregularly great.

Here happy Horace tuned th’ Ausonian lyre
To sweeter sounds, and tempered Pindar's fire:
Pleased with Alcæus' manly rage to infuse
The softer spirit of the Sapphic muse.”
The polished pillar diff'rent sculptures grace;
A work outlasting monumental brass.
Here smiling loves and Bacchanals appear,
The Julian star, and great Augustus here.
The doves that round the infant poet spread o
Myrtles and bays, hung hov’ring o'er his head.

Here in a shrine that cast a dazzling light,
Sate fixed in thought the mighty Stagirite;