Citharon's echoes answer to his call,

And half the mountain rolls into a wall:

There might you see the length'ning fpires afcend,
The domes fwell up, the wid'ning arches bend, 90
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 fhone, who spread th' Affyrian fame,
And the great founder of the Persian name:
There in long robes the royal Magi stand,
Grave Zoroafter waves the circling wand,
The fage Chaldæans rob'd in white appear'd,
And Brachmans, deep in defert woods rever'd. 100
These stop'd the moon, and call'd the unbody'd
fhades

To midnight banquets in the glimm'ring glades;
Made vifionary fabricks round them rise,
And airy spectres skim before their eyes;

NOTES.

VER. 96. And the great founder of the Perfian name :] Cyrus was the beginning of the Perfian, as Ninus was of the Affy rian Monarchy. The Magi and Chaldæans (the chief of whom was Zoroafter) employed their studies upon magic and aftrology, which was in a manner almost all the learning of the ancient Asian people. We have scarce any account of a moral philofopher except Confucius, the great law-giver of the Chinese, who lived about two thousand years ago. P.

Of Talismans and Sigils knew the pow'r, 10g
And careful watch'd the Planetary hour.
Superior, and alone, Confucius ftood,
Who taught that useful science, to be good.
But on the South, a long majestic race

Of Ægypt's Priests the gilded niches grace, 110
Who measur'd earth, describ'd the starry spheres,
And trac'd the long records of lunar years.

High on his car Sefoftris ftruck my view,
Whom scepter'd flaves in golden harness drew :
His hands a bow and pointed jav'lin hold; 115
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 ftructure was the Northern fide, 119 O'erwrought with ornaments of barb'rous pride.

NOTES.

VER. 110. Egypt's priefts, etc.] The learning of the old Ægyptian Priefts confifted for the moft part in geometry and aftronomy they also preserved the Hiftory of their nation. Their greateft Hero upon record is Sefoftris, whose actions and conquefts may be feen at large in Diodorus, etc. He is faid to have caufed the Kings he vanquished to draw him in his Chariot. The posture of his ftatue, in these verses, is correfpondent to the defcription which Herodotus gives of one of them remaining in his own time. P.

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

There huge Coloffes rofe, with trophies crown'd,
And Runic characters were grav'd around.
There fate Zamolxis with erected eyes,
And Odin here in mimic trances dies.

There on rude iron columns, fmear'd with blood,
The horrid forms of Scythian heroes stood, 126
Druids and Bards (their once loud harps unftrung)
And youths that dy'd to be by Poets fung.
These and a thousand more of doubtful fame,
To whom old fables gave a lafting name, 130
In ranks adorn'd the Temple's outward face;
The wall in luftre and effect like glass,

NOTES.

of the rest; Zamolxis was the difciple of Pythagoras, who taught the immortality of the foul to the Scythians. Odin, or Woden, was the great legislator and hero of the Goths.. They tell us of him, that, being fubject to fits, he perfuaded his followers, that during thofe trances he received inspirations, from whence he dictated his laws: he is faid to have been the inventor of the Runic characters. P.

VER. 127. Druids and Bards, etc.] Thefe were the priests and poets of those people, fo celebrated for their favage virtue. Those heroic barbarians accounted it a dishonour to die in their beds, and rufhed 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. P.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 132. The wall in luftre, etc.]
It fhone lighter than a glass,
And made well more than it was,
As kind of thing Fame is,

Which o'er each object casting various dyes,
Enlarges fome, and others multiplies :

Nor void of emblem was the mystic wall, 135
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: 140 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 paffage of each spacious gate, The fage Hiftorians in white garments wait; Grav'd o'er their feats 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 purfu'd renown in arms. High on a throne with trophies charg'd, I view'd The Youth that all things but himself subdu'd;

NOTES.

145

150

VER. 152. The Youth that all things but himself fubdu'd ;] Alexander the Great: the Tiara was the crown peculiar to the Afian Princes: his defire to be thought the fon of Jupiter Ammon, caufed him to wear the horns of that God, and to reprefent the fame upon his coins; which was continued by feveral of his fucceffors. P.

His feet on fceptres and tiara's trod,

And his horn'd head bely'd the Libyan God. There Cæfar, grac'd with both Minerva's, fhone; Cæfar, the world's great mafter, and his own; 156 Unmov'd, fuperior still in ev'ry state,

And scarce detefted in his Country's fate.

But chief were those, who not for empire fought,
But with their toils their people's fafety bought: 160
High o'er the rest Epaminondas stood;
Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;
Bold Scipio, faviour of the Roman state;
Great in his triumphs, in retirement great; 165
And wife Aurelius, in whose well-taught mind
With boundless pow'r unbounded virtue join'd,
His own strict judge, and patron of mankind.
Much-fuff'ring heroes next their honours claim,
Those of less noify, and lefs guilty fame,
Fair Virtue's filent train: fupreme of these 170
Here ever shines the godlike Socrates:

NOTES.

VER. 162. Timoleon, glorious in his brother's blood;] Timoleon had faved the life of his brother Timophanes in the battle between the Argives and Corinthians; but afterwards killed him when he affected the tyranny, preferring his duty to his country to all the obligations of blood. P.