Of truth's myfterious bofom) &c. According to the opinion of those who affert moral obligation to be founded on an immutable and, univerfal law, and that pathetic feeling which is ufually call'd the moral fense, to be determin'd by the peculiar temper of the imagination and the earliest associations of ideas.

(0) Line 591. Lyceum) The school of Ariftotle. (p) Line 592. Academus.) The fchool of Plato.

(9) Line 594. Tiffus.) One of the rivers on which Athens was fituated. Plato, in fome of his finest dialogues, lays the fcene of the converfation with Socrates on its banks.

The

ARGUMENT of the

SECOND BOOK.

THE Separation of the works of imagination from philofophy, the caufe of their abufe among the moderns; to verfe 41.. ProSpect of their re-union under the influence of publick liberty; to v. 61. Enumeration of accidental pleafures, which increase the effect of objects delightful to the imagination. The pleafures of fenfe; v. 73. Particular circumftances of the mind; v. 84. Difcovery of truth; v. 97. Perception of contrivance and defign; v. 121. Emotion of the paffions; v. 136. All the natural paffions partake of a pleafing fenfation, with the final cause of this conftitution illuftrated by an allegorical vifion, and exemplified in forrow, pity, terror and indignation; from v. 155 to the end.

THE

THE

PLEASURES

O F

IMAGINATION

W

Book the SECOND.

HEN all the laurel and the vocal string

Refume their honours? When fhall we behold

The tuneful tongue, the Promethean band
Afpire to antient praife? Alas! how faint,
How flow the dawn of beauty and of truth
Breaks the reluctant fhades of Gothic night
Which yet involve the nations, long they groan'd
Beneath the furies of rapacious force;
Oft as the gloomy north, with iron fwarms.
Tempestuous pouring from her frozen caves,
Blafted th' Italian fhore, and fwept the works
Of liberty and wisdom down the gulph

5

10

Of

Of all-devouring night, As long immur'd

In noontide darkness by the glimm❜ring lamp,
Each mufe and each fair fcience pin'd away
The fordid hours: while foul barbarian hands
Their mysteries profan'd, unftrung the lyre
And chain'd the foaring pinion down to earth.

At laft the mufes rofe, (a) and fpurn'd their bonds,
And wildly warbling scatter'd as they flew,

15

20

Their blooming wreaths from fair (b) Valclufa's.bow'rs
To (c) Arno's myrtle border and the shore
Of foft (d) Parthenope. But ftill the rage
(e) Of dire ambition and gigantic pow'r,
From publick aims and from the bufy walk
Of civil commerce, drove the bolder train
Of penetrating science to the cells,

Where ftudious cafe confumes the filent hour,
In fhadowy fearches, and unfruitful care.

25

(f) Thus from their guardians torn, the tender arts 30
Of mimic fancy and harmonious joy,
To priestly domination and the luft
Of lawless courts, their amiable toil
For three inglorious ages have refign'd,
In vain reluctant and Torquato's tongue
Was tun'd for flavish pæans at the throne
Of tinfel pomp ; and Raphael's magic hand
Effus'd its fair creation to inchant

The fond adoring herd in Latian fanes

To blind belief; while on their proftrate necks
The fable tyrant plants his heel fecure.
But now behold! the radiant æra dawns

35

40

When

When freedom's ample fabric, fix'd at length
For endlefs years on Albion's happy fhore
In full proportion, once more shall extend
To all the kindred pow'rs of focial bliss,
A common ransom, a parental roof.

There shall the virtues, there fhall wisdom's train
Their long-loft friends rejoining, as of old,

Embrace the smiling family of arts,

The mufes and the graces. Then no more
Shall vice diftracting their delicious gifts
To aims abhorr'd, with high diftafte and fcorn
Turn from their charms the philofophic eye,
The patriot-bofom: then no more the paths
Of publick care, or intellectual toil

45

50

55

Alone by footsteps haughty and fevere

In gloomy ftate be trod: th' harmonious mufe
And her perfuafive fifters then fshall plant

Their fhelt'ring laurels o'er the bleak afcent,

60

And fhed their flow'rs along their rugged way.
Arm'd with the lyre, already have we dar'd
To pierce divine philofophy's retreats,
And teach the mufe her lore; already ftrove
Their long divided honours to unite,
While temp'ring this deep argument we fang
Of truth and beauty. Now the fame fair task
Impends; now urging our ambitious toil,
We haften to recount the various fprings
Of adventitious pleasure, which adjoin
Their grateful influence to the prime effect
Of objects grand or beauteous, and inlarge