Smit with the love of Sister-Arts we came And met congenial, mingling flame with flame; Like friendly colours found them both unite, And each from each contract new strength and light. How oft in pleasing tasks we wear the day, While summer suns roll unperceiv'd away? How oft our slowly-growing works impart, While images reflect from art to art? How oft review; each finding like a friend, Something to blame, and something to commend? What flatt'ring scenes our wand'ring fancy wrought, Rome's pompous glories rising to our thought! Together o'er the Alps methinks we fly, Fir'd with ideas of fair Italy. With thee, or Raffaelle's monument I mourn, Or wait inspiring dreams at Maro's urn: With thee repose, where Tully once was laid, Or seek some ruin's formidable shade; While Fancy brings the vanish'd pile to view, And builds imaginary Rome anew. Here thy well-study'd marbles fix our eye ; Carracci's strength, Correggio's softer line, Paulo's free stroke, and Titian's warmth divine. How finish'd with illustrious toil appears This small, well polish'd gem, the work of years *! Yet still how faint by precept is exprest An Angel's sweetness, or Bridgwater's eyes. Muse! at that name thy sacred sorrows shed, Those tears eternal that embalm the dead : Call round her tomb each object of desire, Each purer frame inform'd with purer fire: * Fresnoy employed above twenty years in finishing this Poem. Bid her be all that cheers or softens life, Yet still her charms in breathing paint engage; Her modest check shall warm a future age. Beauty, frail flower, that every season fears, Blooms in thy colours for a thousand years. Thus Churchill's race shall other hearts surprize, And other beauties envy Wortley's * eyes, Each pleasing Blount shall endless smiles bestow, And soft Belinda's blush for ever glow. Oh! lasting as those colours may they shine, Free as thy stroke, yet faultless as thy line! * In one of Dr. Warburton's Editions of Pope, by which copy this has been corrected, the name is changed to Worsley. If that reading be not an error of the press, I suppose the poet altered the name after he had quarrelled with lady M. W. Montague, and being offended at her wit, thus revenged himself on her beauty. M. New graces yearly, like thy works display: Soft without weakness, without glaring gay; Led by some rule, that guides, but not constrains; And finish'd more through happiness than pains! The kindred Arts shall in their praise conspire, |