The sound of Mars, that now sweet peace awhile Suspends, has long unhappy silence placed On my affection. Thou I know content Livest in obscure delicious quietude, For ever with untiring zeal inspired To aid the public weal; of virtue e’er. And talent, the protector and the friend. These verses which I frame unpolish’d, free, Though not corrected with thy learned taste, In truth announce to thee my constant faith. And so may Heaven but soon to me return The hour again to see thee, and relate Familiarly discoursing, to my view Whatever of its varied scenes the world Presented. From my native shores to those Which bathes the Seine, blood-stain’d and turbulent; The daring Briton’s, master of the sea, To the bold Belgian’s; from the deep-flowing Rhine To the high tops of Apennine snow-crown’d, And that height further, which in burning smoke Covers and ashes over Naples wide, The different nations I have visited, Acquiring useful knowledge, never gain’d By learned reading in retired abodes. For there we cannot see the difference great Which climate, worship, arts, opinions, And laws occasion. That is found alone, If thou wouldst study man, in man himself. Now the rough Winter, which augments the waves Of Tiber, on his banks has me detain’d, Inhabitant of Rome. O! that with thee ’Twere granted me to rove through her, to scan The wonderful remains of glories past, Which Time, whose force can naught resist, has spared! Thou nursling of the Muses and the Arts, Faithful oracle of bright history, What learning thou wouldst give the affluent lip; What images sublime, by genius fired, In the great empire’s ruin thou wouldst find! Fell the great city, which had triumph’d o’er The nations the most warlike, and with her Ended the Latin valour and renown. And she who to the Betis from the Nile Her eagles proudly bore, the child of Mars, The Capitol with barbarous trophies deck’d, Conducting to her car of ivory bound Great kings subdued, amid the hoarse applause Of wide-throng’d forums, and the trumpet’s sounds, Who to the world gave laws, now horrible Night covers her. She perish’d, nor expect More tokens of her ancient worth to find.