Aerial, warn'd of rifing winter, ride 545 550 555 560 Of cities, nations, empires, and of worlds. 365 570 BRITAIN. LIBERTY PART IV. The Contents. DIFFERENCE betwixt the Ancients and Moderns flightly touched upon, to ver. 30. Description of the dark ages. The Goddess of Liberty, who during thefe is fuppofed to have left earth, returns, attended with Arts and Sciences, She first defcends on Italy. Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture, fix at Rome, to revive their feveral Arts by the great models of Antiquity there, which many barbarous invasions had not been able to deftroy. The revival of these Arts marked out. That fometimes Arts may flourish for a while under defpotic governments, though never the natural and genuine production of them, to ver. 254. Learning begins to dawn. The Mufe and Science attend Liberty, who, in her progress towards Great-Britain, raifes feveral free states and cities. These enumerated, to ver. 381. Author's exclamation of joy, upon feeing the British feas and coaft rife in the Vision, which painted whatever the Goddefs of Liberty faid. She refumes her narration. The Genius of the Deep appears, and, addreffing Liberty, affociates Great-Britain into his dominion, to ver. 451. Liberty received and congratu lated by Britannia and the native Genii or Virtues of the ifland. The fe defcribed. Animated by the prefence of Liberty, they begin their operations. Their beneficent influence contrafted with the works and delusions of oppo fing demons, to ver. 626. Concludes with an abstract of the English hiftory, marking the feveral advances of Liberty, down to her complete eftablishmen at the Revolution. STRUCK with the rifing scene, thus I, amaz'd— "Ah! Goddefs; what a change! Is earth the fame? "Of the fame kind the ruthlefs race fhe feeds? And does the fame fair fun and ether spread “Round this vile spot their all-enlivening foul? 10 To this the Power, who vital radiance calls From the brute mafs of man an ordered world. "Wait till the morning fhines, and from the depth "Of Gothic darkness fprings another day. "True, Genius droops; the tender ancient taste 15 "Of Beauty, then fresh-blooming in her prime, "But faintly trembles thro' the callous foul, "And Grandeur, or of morals or of life, "Sinks into fafe pursuits and creeping cares. "Even cautious Virtue feems to ftoop her flight, 20 "And aged Life to deem the generous deeds "Of youth romantic; yet in cooler thought "Well-reafon'd, in researches piercing deep "Thro' Nature's works, in profitable arts, "And all that calm Experience can disclose, "(Slow guide, but fure) behold the world anew "Exalted rife, with other honours crown'd; 25 And, where My spirit wakes the finer powers, "Athenian laurels ftill afrefh fhall bloom." Oblivious ages pafs'd, while Earth, forfook go By her beft Genii, lay to Demons foul, And unchain'd Furies, an abandon'd prey. 35 Contention led the van, first small of fize, That claim'd their place. Outrageous mix'd with thefe. Unknown before, whose cancrous fhackles feiz'd 50 Or if, perchance, agreed, inflam'd her rage, + Civil tyranny. For fcience, uttering jangling words obfcure, Whose reddening cheek no contradiction bears; While fhe beneath the blafphemous pretence 75 And poison reafon! grofs, fhe fwallows all, 80 Broad o'er the whole her univerfal night, To councils ftrolling, and embroiling creeds; 85 * Crufades. |