Each genius that can past events recall
In living figures on the story'd wall:

But none have yet appear'd, whose wondrous art
Could future deeds by pencill'd forms impart:
Yet have we known some favour'd men adorn
A mystic painting ere the men were born.
But such effect exceeding human power,
Is only work'd by help of magic lore.

The hall I late describ'd had Merlin wrought
In one short night, by subtle demons brought

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admired and courted by all the princes and states in Europe, and particularly by our Henry VIII. who would have brought him over to England: he lived in the greatest splendor; but his passion for the fair sex destroyed him in the flower of his age; for being taken with a burning fever, and having concealed from his physicians the true cause of his distemper, he was improperly dealt with, and died in the year 1520, on the same day that he was born, in the thirty-seventh year of his age. Cardinal Bembo wrote his epitaph, in which are these lines, which Mr. Pope has translated, and with the most injudicious flattery applied to his friend Sir Godfrey Kneller.

Hic est ille Raphaël, timuit quo sospite vinci
Rerum magna parens, et moriente mori.

Living, great Nature fear'd he might outvie
Her works, and dying, fears herself may die.
Pope's Epitaph on Sir G. Kneller.

Ariosto was himself contemporary with all the modern artists here mentioned: he knew Titian well, who drew his picture. The author of the Essay on Pope, in an anecdote taken from Richardson, mentions, that Raphael with great modesty consulted his friend Ariosto, who was an excellent scholar, on the characters, lives, and countries of the persons whom he was to introduce in the picture of Theology. All that Raphael is ever known to have written, is four letters and a sonnet addressed to Ariosto.

Essay on Pope, vol. ii. p. 462.

From shades infernal, by his book compell'd,
His book all potent! whether sacred held
To black Avernus, or the shades that hide
Nursinia's caves, or drear Cocytus' tide.

But turn we now to where the noble band
To view the pictur'd tales impatient stand,
While torches, rear'd in many a hand, display
Their mingled rays and emulate the day.
Then thus the castle's lord---The wars that rise
In yonder forms to meet your wondering eyes,
Are yet unfought-the sage's two-fold art
Reveals the painter's and the prophet's part.
There, in Italian plains our troops are view'd,
By turns subduing and by turns subdu'd.
Whatever good or evil chance attend

The powers that France beyond the Alps shall send
In this apartment Merlin bids appear,

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Before th' events by many a hundred year.

Dispatch'd from Britain's king the prophet came
To Gallia's king, who held his regal claim
From Marcomir---then hear with what intent
This hall he fram'd, and why from Arthur sent.

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Ver. 31. the shades that hide

Nursinia's caves,---] The poet here alludes to those fabulous and imaginary caves or grottos said to be in the mountains of Norcia, and to have been inhabited by the Sybils, of which many fictions are related. Petrarch tells us, that in these mountains is an opening that leads to the grotto of the Cumaan Sybil, where she resided with many of her virgins, all whom every Friday assumed the form of serpents; that whoever entered the cave should not return till a year, a month, and a day were expired, and that if he should, through forgetfulness, not depart at the end of that time, he would remain there for ever.

Ver. 49. ---Marcomir---] The name of a king, said to have reigned in France before Pharamond.

King Pharamond, who with his numerous host
Has first from France maintain'd his daring post
Beside the Rhine, now meditates to check
Beneath his yoke Italia's haughty neck:
Nor arduous seem'd the task, when day by day
Beheld the Roman empire's power decay.
With British Arthur hence he wills to make
A solemn league the war in hand to take. -
Arthur who ne'er without the counsel sage
Of prophet Merlin would in arms engage,
(That Merlin, from a demon sprung, whose view
Could trace events, and all the future knew)
From him had learnt, and Pharamond he shows
To what he rashly must his troops expose,
Should he, ill-fated, on those lands descend
Which Alps, and seas, and Appennines defend.
Him Merlin tells that scarce in future days,
A king that o'er the Franks his sceptre sways,
But sees in Italy his martial train,

By raging pestilence and famine slain :

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Short is their time to joy, and long to mourn,

With little gain, with mighty loss they turn

From fruitful fields, where not a venturous hand
Shall plant the lily in forbidden land.

See! Pharamond on him so far depend,

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He seeks on other foes his arms to bend ;

When Merlin at his will (so goes the fame)
Employ'd his fiends this magic hall to frame,

Ver. 51. ---Pharamond---} Pharamond, king of France, reported to be the first who established the Salic law: he lived about the year 418; he has been always held up as a great prince, but his history is much involved in fable.

That every eye might pictur'd here behold
The future actions of the Franks foretold;
And each descendent of the nation know
That while their powers against a barbarous foe
With social aid defend th' Italian state,
Conquest and honour shall their arms await.
But should they ever seek with hostile sway
To make fair Italy their yoke obey,

Such rash design must seal their certain doom,
And build beyond those ills their fatal tomb.
So spoke the host; directing as he stood
Each dame's attention: Sigisbert he show'd,
Who, tempted by Mauritius' wealthy stores,
From Jove's steep mount his numerous army pours.
Behold on Sambro and Ticino's plain,

He spreads his troops, whose inroad to sustain

See Eutar comes, and with resistless force

And dreadful slaughter stops their daring course.
See mighty Clovis from the heights descend,
A hundred thousand on his march attend.

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Ver. 90.

Sigisbert he show'd,] Mauritius, emperor of Constantinople and successor to Tiberius, being desirous to drive the Lombards out of Italy, incited Sigisbert, with large offers, to undertake the expedition. Sigisbert, with a vast army, passed the mountains and entered Cisalpine Gaul; but Eutar, king of the Lombards, feigning a retreat, attacked him unawares, and cut all his army to pieces.

Eugenioo.

Ver. 92. ---Jove's steep mount --] A mountain of the Alps, one of the passes into Italy.

Ver. 97. Sce mighty Clovis-] Clovis V. king of France marched with a great army into Italy against the Lombards, and though, by taking advantage of the civil discords that had sprung up amongst

See Bonivento's gallant duke oppose,
With strength unequal, such a host of foes.
Behold he feigns a passage free to leave;
IIis well-laid snares the hostile train deceive;
Who, lur'd by wines of Lombardy, remain
Like insects caught, with fearful havoc slain.
See Childibert has sent a numerous band
Of Franks and captains to Italia's land:
But he, alike with Clovis, ne'er shall view
His arms the power of Lombardy subdue;
Nor spoils nor palms are his---th' avenging sword
Of Heaven descending has his battle gor❜d.
The dead are heap'd: his men the climate burns;
The flux destroys---nor one of ten returns.

Of Pepin now, and now of Charles he speaks,
And shows where each th' Italian border seeks,

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them, to obtain an easy conquest. Grimaoldo, duke of Bonivento, having few forces to oppose him, feigned at first an intention of attacking him, and then, retreating, left his camp full of provisions and wine. The Franks entering the camp, the soldiers gave themselves to excess till they grew intoxicated, and Grimaoldo coming upon them in the night, when they were asleep, killed every man. Porcacchi.

Ver. 105. See Childibert-] Childibert, uncle of Clovis, desirous of revenging the death of his nephew, sent three generals, with three great armies, into Lombardy, against Grimaoldo: one general dying, his army joined the other two: but a dreadful distemper breaking out amongst them, and they being disappointed of the succours which they expected from the emperor, the remainder returned home.

Porcacchi.

Ver. 113. Of Pepin now,--] Stephano the second, being raised to the papal chair, Astolpho, king of Lombardy, disturbed the trauquillity of the church: the pope, endeavouring to conciliate him with gifts, had recourse to Pepin king of France for assistance, who passed into Italy, and compeled Alphonso to sue for peace. Pepin,