Hâte toi, rends la vie à leur gloire éclipsée Pour prix de tes travaux, dans un nouveau Lycée Un jour je te promets la couronne des arts. Il dit et dans le fond de leurs tombeau épars, Des Platon, des Solon les ombres l’entendirent: Du jeune voyageur tous les sens tressaillirent: Aussitôt dans ces lieux, berceau des arts naissans, Accourent à sa voix les arts reconnaissans; Le Dessin le premier prend son crayon fidèle, Et, tel qu’un tendre fils, lorsque la mort cruelle D’une mère adorée a terminé le sort A ses restes sacrés s’attache avec transport, Demande à l’air, au temps d’épargner sa poussière Et se plaît à tracer une image si chère; Ainsi par l’amour même instruit dans ces beaux lieux Le Dessin, de la Grèce enfant ingénieux, Va chercher, va saisir, va tracer son image; Et belle encor, malgré les injures de l’âge Avec ses monumens, ses héros, et ses dieux, La Grèce reparaît tout entière à nos yeux. Shortly after this Choiseul-Gouffier was appointed ambassador of France to the Ottoman Porte, and, in selecting the companions of his mission, was not unmindful of Delille. The poet, therefore, accompanied him to Constantinople; and according to the testimony of both, many years after their return, nothing could exceed the delight of their residence in the East, and their visits to the spots celebrated in Grecian story. Choiseul-Gouffier would, from all accounts, appear to have been a man of enlarged views, friendly towards all nations, as well as towards every art, and anxious to promote the general interests of civilization. His agreeable manners enabled him quickly to acquire the confidence of Halil Pasha, the Turkish grand vizier, and of Prince Mauro Cordato, first dragoman of the Porte; and he succeeded in inspiring both with a desire to introduce among the Turks the arts and civilization of Europe. By his advice, engineer, artillery, and staff officers were invited from France to Constantinople, to instruct the Ottomans in the theory and practice of war. The impulse once given, the grand vizier, seconded by the dragoman, who would appear to have possessed unusual influence, repaired the fortifications in the various strong cities of the empire, improved the system of casting cannon, and considerably ameliorated the discipline of the Turkish army. Shortly the public saw with surprise a fine seventy-four, constructed by Leroy, after the most approved European method, launched from the docks of Constantinople; and the system thus introduced has ever since been followed in all the docks of the empire. To crown all these efforts, our traveller prevailed on the vizier to send thirty Turkish youths to receive their education in Paris; and had not this part of the scheme been defeated by religious fanaticism, there is no foreseeing to how great an extent this measure might have influenced the destinies of Turkey.