Hands, that the rod of empire might have swayed,
Or waked to ecstasy[658] the living lyre.[659]
13. But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time, did ne’er unroll;
Chill Penury[660] repressed their noble rage,
And froze the genial current of the soul.
14. Full many a gem, of purest ray serene,
The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air.