The Pleasures of Imagination. Barbauld

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1818 edition. Excerpt: ... THE PLEASURES OF IMAGINATION. BOOK II. When shall the laurel and the vocal string Resume their honours? When shall we behold The tuneful tongue, the Promethean hand, Aspire to ancient praise? Alas! how faint, How slow, the dawn of beauty and of truth 5 Breaks the reluctant shades of Gothic night Which yet involve the nations! Long they groan'd Beneath the furies of rapacious force; Oft as the gloomy North, with iron-swarms Tempestuous pouring from her frozen caves, 10 Blasted the Indian shore, and swept the works Of liberty and wisdom down the gulph Of all devouring night. As long immur'd In noon-tide darkness by the glimmering lamp, Each muse and each fair science pin'd away 15> The sordid hours: while foul, barbarian hands Their mysteries profan'd, unstrung the lyre, And chain'd the soaring pinion down to earth. At last the Muses rose, and spurn'd their bonds, And, wildly warbling, scatter'd, as they flew, 20 Their blooming wreaths from fair Valclusa's bowers To Arno's myrtle border and the shore Of soft Parthenope. But still the rage Of dire ambition and gigantic power, From public aims, and from the busy walk 25 Of civil commerce, drove the bolder train Of penetrating science, to the cells, Where studious ease consumes the silent hour In shadowy searches and unfruitful care. Thus from their guardians torn, the tender arts 30 Of mimic fancy and harmonious joy, To priestly domination, and the lust Of lawless courts, their amiable toil For three inglorious ages have resign'd, In vain reluctant: and Torquato's tongue 35 Was tun'd for slavish paeans at the throne Of tinsel pomp: and Raphael's magic hand Effus'd its fair creation to enchant The fond adoring herd in Latian fanes To blind belief; while on their prostrate necks 40 The...