LED by the Muse, my step pervades
The sacred haunts, the peaceful shades,
Where  and  reign:
I see, I see, at their command,
The living stones in order stand,
And marble breathe through ev'ry vein!
breaks his hostile scythe; he sighs
To find his pow'r malignant fled;
"And what avails my dart, he cried,
"Since these can animate the dead?
"Since wak'd to mimic life, again in stone
"The patriot seems to speak, the heroe frown? "
There  silent train are seen,
Fast fix'd their looks, erect their mien.
Lo! while, with more than stoic soul,
The  exhausts the bowl,
A pale suffusion shades his eyes,
Till by degrees the marble dies!
See there the injur'd  bleed!
Ah! see he droops his languid head!
What starting nerves, what dying pain,
What horror freezes ev'ry vein!
These are thy works,  thine to shew
In rugged rock a feeling sense of woe.
Yet not alone such themes demand
The  stroke, the  hand;
I view with melting eyes
A softer scene of grief display'd,
While from her breast the duteous maid
Her  with food supplies.
In pitying stone she weeps, to see
His squalid hair, and galling chains:
And trembling, on her bended knee,
His hoary head her hand sustains;
While ev'ry look, and sorrowing feature prove,
How soft her breast, how great her filial love.
Lo! there the wild
With threat'ning brow, and frantic mien!
Revenge! revenge! the marble cries,
While fury sparkles in her eyes.
Thus was her aweful form beheld,
When  proud sons rebell'd;
She left the woman's vainer care,
And flew with loose dishevell'd hair;
She stretch'd her hand, imbru'd in blood,
While pale Sedition trembling stood;
In sudden silence, the mad crowd obey'd
Her aweful voice, and Stygian Discord fled!
With hope, or fear, or love, by turns,
The marble leaps, or shrinks, or burns,
As  waves her hand;
The varying passions of the mind
Her faithful handmaids are assign'd,
And rise and fall by her command.
When now life's wasted lamps expire,
When sinks to dust this mortal frame,
She, like Prometheus, grasps the fire;
Her touch revives the lambent flame;
While phoenix-like, the statesman, bard, or sage,
Spring fresh to life, and breathe through every age.
Hence, where the organ full and clear,
With loud hosannas charms the ear,
Behold (a prism within his hands)
Absorb'd in thought, great  stands;
Such was his solemn wonted state,
His serious brow, and musing gait,
When, taught on eagles-wings to fly,
He trac'd the wonders of the sky;
The chambers of the sun explor'd,
Where tints of thousand hues are stor'd;
Whence every flower in painted robes is drest,
And varying  steals her gaudy vest.
Here, as  heavenly queen,
Conducts her best, her fav'rite train,
At  shrine they bow!
And while with raptur'd eyes they gaze,
With  purest vestal rays,
Behold their ardent bosoms glow!
Hail, mighty mind! hail, aweful name!
I feel inspir'd my lab'ring breast;
And lo! I pant, I burn for fame!
Come, Science, bright etherial guest,
Oh come, and lead thy meanest, humblest son,
Through  arduous paths to fair renown.
Could I to one faint ray aspire,
One spark of that celestial fire,
The leading cynosure, that glow'd
While  explor'd the dark abode,
Where  sate on  shrine,
How great my boast! what praise were mine!
Illustrious sage! who first could'st tell
Wherein the power of  dwell;
And ev'ry magic chain untie,
That binds the soul of
To  when mould'ring in the dust,
To  shall swell the breathing bust:
Shall here (for this reward thy merits claim)
"Stand next in place to  as in fame."