Where, in her rage, avenging Juno hurl'd 290 Ill-fated Vulcan from the ethereal world. There his eternal anvils first he rear'd; Then, forged by Cyclopean art, appear'd Thunders that shook the skies with dire alarms, And form'd, by skill divine, immortal arms; There, with this crippled wretch, the foul disgrace And living scandal of the empyreal race, In wedlock lived the beauteous queen of love; Can such sensations heavenly bosoms move? Eastward of this appears the Dardan shore, 300 That once the imperial towers of Ilium bore-- Illustrious Troy! renown'd in every clime Through the long records of succeeding time; Who saw protecting gods from heaven descend Full oft, thy royal bulwarks to defend: Though chiefs unnumber'd in her cause were slain, With fate the gods and heroes fought in vain! That refuge of perfidious Helen's shame At midnight was involved in Grecian flame; And now, by time's deep ploughshare harrow'd o'er, 310 The seat of sacred Troy is found no more: No trace of her proud fabrics now remains, But corn and vines enrich her cultured plains; Silver Scamander laves the verdant shore, Scamander, oft o'erflow'd with hostile gore. Not far removed from Ilion's famous land, In counter-view appears the Thracian strand, Where beauteous Hero, from the turret's height, Display'd her cresset each revolving night; Whose gleam directed loved Leander o'er 320 The rolling Hellespont from Asia's shore; Till, in a fated hour, on Thracia's coast, She saw her lover's lifeless body toss'd: Then felt her bosom agony severe, Her eyes, sad gazing, pour'd the incessant tear; O'erwhelm'd with anguish, frantic with despair, She beat her swelling breast, and tore her hair; On dear Leander's name in vain she cried, Then headlong plunged into the parting tide: The exulting tide received the lovely maid, 330 And proudly from the strand its freight convey'd. Far west of Thrace, beyond the Ægean main, Remote from ocean lies the Delphic plain: The sacred oracle of Phoebus there High o'er the mount arose, divinely fair! Achaian marble form'd the gorgeous pile, August the fabric! elegant in style! On brazen hinges turn'd the silver doors, And chequer'd marble paved the polish'd floors; The roof, where storied tablature appear'd, 340 On columns of Corinthian mould was rear'd; Of shining porphyry the shafts were framed, And round the hollow dome bright jewels flamed: Apollo's priests before the holy shrine Suppliant pour'd forth their orisons divine; To front the sun's declining ray 'twas placed,