Might make old Homer's skull the Muses' hive; And from his brain that Helicon distil Whose racy liquor did his offspring fill. Nor old Anacreon, Hesiod, Theocrite, Must we forget, nor Pindar's lofty flight. 70 Old Homer's soul, at last from Greece retired, In Italy the Mantuan swain inspired. When great Augustus made war's tempest cease, His halcyon days brought forth the arts of peace; He still in his triumphant chariot shines, By Horace drawn, and Virgil's mighty lines. 'Twas certainly mysterious that the name [2] Of prophets and of poets is the same; What the tragedian[3]--wrote, the late success 79 Declares was inspiration, and not guess: As dark a truth that author did unfold, As oracles or prophets e'er foretold: 'At last the ocean shall unlock the bound Of things, and a new world by Tiphys found, Then ages far remote shall understand The Isle of Thule is not the farthest land.' Sure God, by these discov'ries, did design That his clear light through all the world should shine, But the obstruction from that discord springs The prince of darkness made 'twixt Christian kings; 90 That peaceful age with happiness to crown, From heaven the Prince of Peace himself came down, Then the true sun of knowledge first appear'd, And the old dark mysterious clouds were clear'd, The heavy cause of th'old accursèd flood Sunk in the sacred deluge of his blood. His passion man from his first fall redeem'd; Once more to paradise restored we seem'd; Satan himself was bound, till th'iron chain Our pride did break, and let him loose again. 100 Still the old sting remain'd, and man began To tempt the serpent, as he tempted man; Then Hell sends forth her furies, Av'rice, Pride, Fraud, Discord, Force, Hypocrisy their guide; Though the foundation on a rock were laid, The church was undermined, and then betray'd: Though the Apostles these events foretold, Yet even the shepherd did devour the fold: The fisher to convert the world began, The pride convincing of vain-glorious man; 110 But soon his followers grew a sovereign lord, And Peter's keys exchanged for Peter's sword, Which still maintains for his adopted son Vast patrimonies, though himself had none; Wresting the text to the old giant's sense, That heaven, once more, must suffer violence. Then subtle doctors Scriptures made their prize; Casuists, like cocks, struck out each others eyes; Then dark distinctions reason's light disguised, And into atoms truth anatomised. 120 Then Mah'met's crescent, by our feuds increased, Blasted the learn'd remainders of the East; That project, when from Greece to Rome it came, Made Mother Ignorance Devotion's dame; Then he whom Lucifer's own pride did swell, His faithful emissary, rose from hell To possess Peter's chair, that Hildebrand Whose foot on mitres, then on crowns, did stand; And before that exalted idol all