Unrival'd Parts, the fcorn of honeft fame;
And Genius rise, a Monument of shame!
More happy France: immortal BOILEAU there Supported Genius with a Sage's care: Him with her love propitious SATIRE bleft, And breath'd her airs divine into his breast: Fancy and Senfe to form his line conspire, And faultlefs Judgment guides the purest Fire.
But fee, at length, the British Genius smile, And show'r her bounties o'er her favour'd Ifle: 450 Behold for POPE fhe twines the laurel crown,
And centers ev'ry Poet's pow'r in one:
Each Roman's force adorns his various page;
Gay fmiles, collected strength, and manly rage.
Defpairing Guilt and Dulness loath the fight, 455
As Spectres vanish at approaching light:
In this clear Mirror with delight we view
Each image juftly fine, and boldly true;
Here Vice, dragg'd forth by Truth's fupreme decree,
Beholds and hates her own deformity:
While felf-feen Virtue in the faithful line
With modest joy furveys her form divine.
But oh, what thoughts, what numbers fhall I find,
But faintly to express the Poet's mind!
Who yonder Star's effulgence can display,
Unless he dip his pencil in the ray?
Who paint a God, unless the God inspire?
What catch the Lightning, but the speed of fire?
So, mighty POPE, to make thy Genius known,
All pow'r is weak, all numbers but thy own. 470
Each Mufe for thee with kind contention ftrove,
For thee the Graces left th' IDALIAN grove;
With watchful fondnefs o'er thy cradle hung,
Attun'd thy voice, and form'd thy infant tongue.
Next, to her Bard majestic Wisdom came; 475
The Bard enraptur'd caught the heav'nly flame :
With Taste superior scorn'd the venal tribe,
Whom fear can fway, or guilty Greatness bribe;
At Fancy's call who rear the wanton fail,
Sport with the stream, and trifle in the gale: 480
Sublimer views thy daring Spirit bound;
Thy mighty Voyage was Creation's round;
Intent new Worlds of Wisdom to explore,
And blefs Mankind with Virtue's facred ftore;
A nobler joy than Wit can give, impart ;
And pour a moral transport o'er the heart.
Fantastic Wit shoots momentary fires,
And, like a Meteor, while we gaze, expires:
Wit kindled by the fulph'rous breath of Vice,
Like the blue lightning, while it fhines, deftroys:
But Genius, fir'd by Truth's eternal ray,
Burns clear and conftant, like the fource of day:
Like this, its beam prolifick and refin'd
Feeds, warms, infpirits, and exalts the mind;
Mildly difpels each wint'ry Paffion's gloom,
And opens all the Virtues into bloom,
This Praise, immortal POPE, to thee be giv❜n:'
Thy Genius was indeed a Gift from Heav'n.
Hail, Bard unequal'd, in whofe deathless line
Reason and Wit with strength collected fhine; 500
Where matchlefs Wit but wins the fecond praife,
Loft, nobly loft, in Truth's fuperior blaze.
Did FRIENDSHIP e'er mislead thy wand'ring Mufe?
That Friendship fure may plead the great excufe:
That facred Friendship which inspir'd thy Song, 505
Fair in defect, and amiably wrong.
Error like this ev'n Truth can scarce reprove;
'Tis almost Virtue when it flows from Love.
Ye deathlefs Names, ye Sons of endless praife, By Virtue crown'd with never-fading bays! Say, fhall an artlefs Mufe, if you infpire, Light her pale lamp at your immortal fire? Or if, O WARBURTON, inspir'd by You, The daring Mufe a nobler path purfue,
By You infpir'd, on trembling pinion foar,
The facred founts of social blifs explore,
In her bold numbers chain the Tyrant's rage,
And bid her Country's Glory fire her page:
If fuch her fate, do thou, fair Truth, defcend,
And watchful guard her in an honest end :
Kindly fevere, inftruct her equal line
To court no Friend, nor own a Foe but thine.
But if her giddy eye should vainly quit
Thy facred paths, to run the maze of wit;
If her apoftate heart should e'er incline
To offer incenfe at Corruption's fhrine;
Urge, urge thy pow'r, the black attempt confound,
And dash the smoaking Censer to the ground.
Thus aw'd to fear, inftructed Bards may see,
That Guilt is doom'd to fink in Infamy.
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