Page:The Dunciad - Alexander Pope (1743).djvu/196

The decent Knight^{[R 1]} retir'd with sober rage,
Withdrew his hand, and clos'd the pompous page.
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 When Dulness, smiling—"Thus revive the Wits!^{[R 2]}
120 But murder first, and mince them all to bits;
As erst Medea (cruel, so to save!)
A new Edition of old Æson^{[R 3]} gave,
Let standard-Authors, thus, like trophies born,
Appear more glorious as more hack'd and torn,
125 And you, my Critics! in the chequer'd shade,
Admire new light thro' holes yourselves have made.
Leave not a foot of verse, a foot of stone,
A Page, a Grave,^{[R 4][R 5]} that they can call their own;

Remarks

1. Ver. 113. The decent Knight.] An eminent person, who was about to publish a very pompous Edition of a great Author, at his own expence.
2. Ver. 119. "Thus revive, &c.] The Goddess applauds the practice of tacking the obscure names of Persons not eminent in any branch of learning, to those of the most distinguished writers; either by printing Editions of their works with impertinent alterations of their Text, as in the former instances, or by setting up Monuments disgraced with their own vile names and inscriptions, as the latter.
3. Ver. 122. old Æson] Of whom Ovid (very applicable to these restored authors)
     Æson miratur,
   Dissimilemque animum subiit———
   
   
4. Ver. 128. A Page, a Grave,) For what less than a Grave can be granted to a dead author? or what less than a Page can be allow'd a living one?
5. Ibid. A Page,] Pagina, not Pedissequus. A Page of a Book, not a Servant,