The Works of Alexander Pope Part 35

Here in a shrine that cast a dazzling light, Sat fixed in thought the mighty Stagirite; His sacred head a radiant zodiac crowned,[89]

And various animals his sides surround;[90] 235 His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view Superior worlds,[91] and look all nature through.

With equal rays immortal Tully shone, The Roman rostra decked the consul's throne: Gath'ring his flowing robe, he seemed to stand 240 In act to speak, and graceful stretched his hand.[92]

Behind, Rome's genius waits with civic crowns, And the great father of his country owns.

These ma.s.sy columns in a circle rise, O'er which a pompous dome invades the skies:[93] 245 Scarce to the top I stretched my aching sight, So large it spread, and swelled to such a height.

Full in the midst proud Fame's imperial seat[94]

With jewels blazed, magnificently great; The vivid em'ralds there revive the eye, 250 The flaming rubies show their sanguine dye, Bright azure rays from lively sapphires stream, And lucid amber casts a golden gleam.

With various-coloured light the pavement shone, And all on fire appeared the glowing throne; 255 The dome's high arch reflects the mingled blaze, And forms a rainbow of alternate rays.

When on the G.o.ddess first I cast my sight, Scarce seemed her stature of a cubit's height;[95]

But swelled to larger size, the more I gazed, 260 Till to the roof her tow'ring front she raised.

With her, the temple ev'ry moment grew, And ampler vistas opened to my view: Upward the columns shoot, the roofs ascend, And arches widen, and long aisles extend.[96] 265 Such was her form, as ancient bards have told, Wings raise her arms, and wings her feet infold; A thousand busy tongues the G.o.ddess bears, And thousand open eyes, and thousand list'ning ears.[97]

Beneath, in order ranged, the tuneful Nine 270 (Her virgin handmaids) still attend the shrine.[98]

With eyes on Fame for ever fixed, they sing; For Fame they raise the voice, and tune the string; With time's first birth began the heav'nly lays, And last, eternal, through the length of days. 275 Around these wonders as I cast a look, The trumpet sounded, and the temple shook, And all the nations, summoned at the call, From diff'rent quarters fill the crowded hall: Of various tongues the mingled sounds were heard; 280 In various garbs promiscuous throngs appeared;[99]

Thick as the bees that with the spring renew Their flow'ry toils, and sip the fragrant dew, When the winged colonies first tempt the sky, O'er dusky fields and shaded waters fly, 285 Or settling, seize the sweets the blossoms yield, And a low murmur runs along the field.[100]

Millions of suppliant crowds the shrine attend, And all degrees before the G.o.ddess bend;[101]

The poor, the rich, the valiant, and the sage, 290 And boasting youth, and narrative old age.[102]

Their pleas were diff'rent, their request the same: For good and bad alike are fond of fame.

Some she disgraced, and some with honours crowned;[103]

Unlike successes equal merits found.[104] 295 Thus her blind sister, fickle Fortune, reigns, And, undiscerning, scatters crowns and chains.

First at the shrine the learned world appear, And to the G.o.ddess thus prefer their prayer.

Long have we sought t' instruct and please mankind, 300 With studies pale, with midnight vigils blind; But thanked by few, rewarded yet by none, We here appeal to thy superior throne: On wit and learning the just prize bestow, For fame is all we must expect below. 305 The G.o.ddess heard, and bade the muses raise The golden trumpet of eternal praise:[105]

From pole to pole the winds diffuse the sound, That fills the circuit of the world around; Not all at once, as thunder breaks the cloud; 310 The notes at first were rather sweet than loud: By just degrees they ev'ry moment rise, Fill the wide earth, and gain upon the skies, At ev'ry breath were balmy odours shed, Which still grew sweeter as they wider spread;[106] 315 Less fragrant scents th' unfolding rose exhales, Or spices breathing in Arabian gales.

Next these the good and just, an awful train, Thus on their knees address the sacred fane.

Since living virtue is with envy cursed, 320 And the best men are treated like the worst, Do thou, just G.o.ddess, call our merits forth, And give each deed th' exact intrinsic worth.[107]

Not with bare justice shall your act be crowned, (Said Fame,) but high above desert renowned:[108] 325 Let fuller notes th' applauding world amaze, And the loud clarion labour in your praise.

This band dismissed, behold another crowd Preferred the same request, and lowly bowed; The constant tenour of whose well spent days 330 No less deserved a just return of praise.

But straight the direful trump of slander sounds; Through the big dome the doubling thunder bounds; Loud as the burst of cannon rends the skies, The dire report through ev'ry region flies, 335 In ev'ry ear incessant rumours rung, And gath'ring scandals grew on ev'ry tongue.

From the black trumpet's rusty concave broke Sulphureous flames, and clouds of rolling smoke:[109]

The pois'nous vapour blots the purple skies, 340 And withers all before it as it flies.

A troop came next, who crowns and armour wore, And proud defiance in their looks they bore: For thee, (they cried,) amidst alarms and strife, We sailed in tempests down the stream of life; 345 For thee whole nations filled with flames and blood, And swam to empire through the purple flood.

Those ills we dared, thy inspiration own, What virtue seemed, was done for thee alone.

Ambitious fools! (the queen replied, and frowned) 350 Be all your acts in dark oblivion drowned; There sleep forgot, with mighty tyrants gone, Your statues mouldered, and your names unknown![110]

A sudden cloud straight s.n.a.t.c.hed them from my sight, And each majestic phantom sunk in night. 355 Then came the smallest tribe I yet had seen; Plain was their dress, and modest was their mien.

Great idol of mankind! we neither claim The praise of merit, nor aspire to fame!

But safe in deserts from th' applause of men, 360 Would die unheard of, as we lived unseen; 'Tis all we beg thee, to conceal from sight Those acts of goodness, which themselves requite.

O let us still the secret joy partake, To follow virtue ev'n for virtue's sake.[111] 365 And live there men, who slight immortal fame?

Who then with incense shall adore our name?

But, mortals! know, 'tis still our greatest pride To blaze those virtues, which the good would hide.

Rise! muses, rise! add all your tuneful breath, 370 These must not sleep in darkness and in death.

She said: in air the trembling music floats, And on the winds triumphant swell the notes:[112]

So soft, though high, so loud, and yet so clear,[113]

Ev'n list'ning angels leaned from heav'n to hear: 375 To farthest sh.o.r.es th' ambrosial spirit flies, Sweet to the world, and grateful to the skies.

Next these, a youthful train their vows expressed,[114]

With feathers crowned, with gay embroid'ry dress'd, Hither, they cried, direct your eyes, and see 380 The men of pleasure, dress, and gallantry; Ours is the place at banquets, b.a.l.l.s, and plays, Sprightly our nights, polite are all our days; Courts we frequent, where 'tis our pleasing care To pay due visits, and address the fair: 385 In fact, 'tis true, no nymph we could persuade, But still in fancy vanquished ev'ry maid; Of unknown d.u.c.h.esses lewd tales we tell, Yet, would the world believe us, all were well.

The joy let others have, and we the name, 390 And what we want in pleasure, grant in fame.[115]

The queen a.s.sents, the trumpet rends the skies, And at each blast a lady's honour dies.[116]

Pleased with the strange success, vast numbers pressed Around the shrine, and made the same request: 395 What! you (she cried) unlearn'd in arts to please, Slaves to yourselves, and ev'n fatigued with ease,[117]

Who lose a length of undeserving days, Would you usurp the lover's dear-bought praise?

To just contempt, ye vain pretenders, fall, 400 The people's fable, and the scorn of all.

Straight the black clarion sends a horrid sound, Loud laughs burst out, and bitter scoffs fly round, Whispers are heard, with taunts reviling loud, And scornful hisses run through all the crowd. 405 Last, those who boast of mighty mischiefs done, Enslave their country, or usurp a throne;[118]

Or who their glory's dire foundation laid On sov'reigns ruined, or on friends betrayed;[119]

Calm, thinking villains, whom no faith could fix, 410 Of crooked counsels and dark politics; Of these a gloomy tribe surround the throne, And beg to make th' immortal treasons known.

The trumpet roars, long flaky flames expire, With sparks, that seemed to set the world on fire. 415 At the dread sound, pale mortals stood aghast, And startled nature trembled with the blast.

This having heard and seen, some pow'r unknown Straight changed the scene, and s.n.a.t.c.hed me from the throne.[120]

Before my view appeared a structure fair, 420 Its site uncertain, if in earth or air; With rapid motion turned the mansion round; With ceaseless noise the ringing walls resound; Not less in number were the s.p.a.cious doors, Than leaves on trees, or sands upon the sh.o.r.es; 425 Which still unfolded stand, by night, by day, Pervious to winds, and open ev'ry way.

As flames by nature to the skies ascend,[121]

As weighty bodies to the centre tend, As to the sea returning rivers roll, 430 And the touched needle trembles to the pole; Hither, as to their proper place, arise All various sounds from earth, and seas, and skies, Or spoke aloud, or whispered in the ear; Nor ever silence, rest, or peace is here. 435 As on the smooth expanse of crystal lakes The sinking stone at first a circle makes; The trembling surface, by the motion stirred, Spreads in a second circle, then a third; Wide, and more wide, the floating rings advance, 440 Fill all the wat'ry plain, and to the margin dance: Thus ev'ry voice and sound, when first they break, On neighb'ring air a soft impression make; Another ambient circle then they move; That, in its turn, impels the next above;[122] 445 Through undulating[123] air the sounds are sent, And spread o'er all the fluid element.

There, various news I heard of love and strife, Of peace and war, health, sickness, death, and life, Of loss and gain, of famine, and of store, 450 Of storms at sea, and travels on the sh.o.r.e, Of prodigies, and portents seen in air, Of fires and plagues, and stars with blazing hair, Of turns of fortune, changes in the state, The falls of fav'rites, projects of the great, 455 Of old mismanagements, taxations new:[124]

All neither wholly false, nor wholly true.

Above, below, without, within, around, Confused, unnumbered, mult.i.tudes are found, Who pa.s.s, repa.s.s, advance, and glide away; 460 Hosts raised by fear, and phantoms of a day: Astrologers, that future fates foreshew, Projectors, quacks, and lawyers not a few; And priests, and party-zealots, num'rous bands With home-born lies, or tales from foreign lands; 465 Each talked aloud, or in some secret place, And wild impatience stared in ev'ry face.[125]

The flying rumours gathered as they rolled, Scarce any tale was sooner heard than told; And all who told it added something new, } 470 And all who heard it, made enlargements too; } In ev'ry ear it spread, on ev'ry tongue it grew. } Thus flying east and west, and north and south, News travelled with increase from mouth to mouth.

So from a spark, that kindled first by chance, 475 With gath'ring force the quick'ning flames advance;[126]

Till to the clouds their curling heads aspire, And tow'rs and temples sink in floods of fire.

When thus ripe lies are to perfection sprung, Full grown, and fit to grace a mortal tongue, 480 Through thousand vents, impatient, forth they flow, And rush in millions on the world below.

Fame sits aloft,[127] and points them out their course, Their date determines, and prescribes their force; Some to remain, and some to perish soon; 485 Or wane and wax, alternate, like the moon.

Around, a thousand winged wonders fly, Borne by the trumpet's blast, and scattered through the sky.

There, at one pa.s.sage, oft you might survey, A lie and truth contending for the way; 490 And long 'twas doubtful, both so closely pent, Which first should issue through the narrow vent: At last agreed, together out they fly, Inseparable now, the truth and lie;[128]

The strict companions are for ever joined, 495 And this or that unmixed, no mortal e'er shall find.

While thus I stood, intent to see and hear, One came, methought, and whisper'd in my ear:[129]

What could thus high thy rash ambition raise?

Art thou, fond youth, a candidate for praise? 500 'Tis true, said I, not void of hopes I came, For who so fond as youthful bards of fame?

But few, alas! the casual blessing boast, So hard to gain, so easy to be lost.[130]

How vain that second life in others' breath, 505 Th' estate which wits inherit after death![131]

Ease, health, and life, for this they must resign; Unsure the tenure, but how vast the fine!

The great man's curse, without the gains, endure, Be envied, wretched, and be flattered, poor; 510 All luckless wits their enemies professed, And all successful, jealous friends at best.

Nor fame I slight, nor for her favours call; She comes unlooked for, if she comes at all.

But if the purchase cost so dear a price, 515 As soothing folly, or exalting vice; Oh! if the muse must flatter lawless sway, And follow still where fortune leads the way;[132]

Or if no basis bear my rising name, But the fall'n ruins of another's fame; 520 Then teach me, heav'n! to scorn the guilty bays; Drive from my breast that wretched l.u.s.t of praise; Unblemished let me live, or die unknown; Oh! grant an honest fame, or grant me none!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: This poem is introduced in the manner of the Provencal poets, whose works were for the most part visions, or pieces of imagination, and constantly descriptive. From these, Petrarch and Chaucer frequently borrow the idea of their poems. See the Trionfi of the former, and the Dream, Flower and the Leaf, &c. of the latter. The author of this therefore chose the same sort of exordium.--POPE.]

[Footnote 2: Dryden, Virg. Geor. ii. 456:

And boldly trust their buds in open air.

In this soft season.--WAKEFIELD.

Dryden's Flower and Leaf:

Where Venus from her orb descends in show'rs To glad the ground, and paint the fields with flow'rs.]

[Footnote 3: Dryden, Geor. iii. 500:

But when the western winds with vital pow'r Call forth the tender gra.s.s, and budding flow'r.--WAKEFIELD.]

[Footnote 4: Dryden's Flower and Leaf:

Salute the welcome sun and entertain the day.]