His language failing, wrapt him round with night; Thus in the wood, when fummer drefs'd the days, This to my Friend-and when a friend infpires, My filent harp its master's hand requires ; 76 Shakes off the dust, and makes these rocks re found; For fortune plac'd me in unfertile ground; Far from the joys that with my foul agree, From wit, from learning---very far from thee. 80 Here mofs-grown trees expand the smallest leaf; Here half an acre's corn is half a fheaf; Here hills with naked heads the tempeft meet, Rocks at their fides, and torrents at their feet; Or lazy lakes unconfcious of a flood, 85 Whose dull brown Naiads ever sleep in mud. 90 L To, Mr. POPE. ET vulgar fouls triumphal arches raise, Or fpeaking marbles, to record their praise; And picture (to the voice of Fame unknown) The mimic Feature on the breathing ftone; Mere mortals; fubject to death's total fway, 5 Reptiles of earth, and beings of a day! 'Tis thine, on ev'ry heart to grave thy praise, A monument which Worth alone can raise: Sure to furvive, when time fhall whelm in duft The arch, the marble, and the mimic buft: 10 Nor 'till the volumes of th' expanded sky Blaze in one flame, fhalt thou and Homer die : Then fink together in the world's last fires, What heav'n created, and what heav'n inspires. If aught on earth, when once this breath is fled, 15 20 With human transport touch the mighty dead, 25 And the bold figure from the canvass fades, D 4 30 (x1) This you coafts, And gloomy Pluto shakes with all his ghosts. 45 The gentle breezes breathe away and die. Thus, like the radiant God who sheds the day, You paint the vale, or gild the azure way; 59 And while with ev'ry theme the verse complies, Sink without grov'ling, without rashness rise. Proceed,greatBard! awake th'harmonious string, Be ours all Homer! ftill Ulyffes fing. a How long that Hero, by unskilful hands, 55 Strip'd of his robes, a beggar trod our lands? 60 With royal robes, and bid him shine in gold; 64 Touch'd by your hand his manly frame improves With grace divine, and like a God he moves. Ev'n I, the meanest of the Muses' train, Inflam'd by thee, attempt a nobler strain; Advent'rous waken the Mæonian lyre, Tun'd by your hand, and fing as you infpire: 70 So arm'd by great Achilles for the fight, Patroclus conquer'd in Achilles' right: Like theirs, our Friendship! and I boast my name To thine united-for thy Friendship's Fame. This labour past, of heav'nly fubjects fing, 75 While hov'ring angels listen on the wing, |