May 19th. I have promised to pay for the painting of them twice over,& to have the Lyon gilded. pd. 9d for ale . The following short Poem I received to day, which for the extraordinary Genius & Sublime fancies of the Author deserves a place in this Diary I could not know who the Author is, haveing no name to it, it is writt [the wording from here to the end of this entry is copied – with the addition of some WB spelling mistakes – from The Gentleman's Magazine Volume VII, except for 'who that famous Painter is, doth not likewise appear. ' sw] to a Gentleman in Cambridge on two celebrated pieces of his Paintings Viz, a Battle of Alexander, and a Landskip . who that famous Painter is, doth not likewise appear. Forgive the Muse, proud to illude your time, And press the soft impertinence of Rhyme. Accept a Praise that scorns the Venal part, Nor prostitutes to yours the Sister Art. But with much Zeal ’tis fatal to commend; How hard to praise, & to preserve the Friend! Blest Youth! to whom the generous Arts are known; Who singly seem unconscious of your own: To whom renew'd exhausted ages roll, While all th’ Illustrious Dead enlarge your Soul: To whom Fair Italy unlocke’d her Store And spread the Treasures of the Classick shore: All that fam’d Raphael drew, or Maro taught; The wondrous Pencil, and the Poet's thought; The learn'd Inscription sanctified in Rust, The breathing Canvas, and Corinthian Bust; The Venerable Urn, the little Lar, Preserve'd thro' Time's wild Waste, and Gothick war; The Valu'd Manuscript, the Sainted bone, Instructive Medal, and Historick Stone; Great Appius' work thro' ages unimpair'd, And Obelisks to graduall wonder rear'd: Vast Catacombs conceal'd in Earth, to Vie With Amphitheatres that mate the sky; Soft Venus' form in smiling Marble shown, And Cæser's frown that awes the World, in Stone; The -----
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