The medal, faithful to its charge of fame,

Through climes and ages bears each form and name:

In one short view subjected to our eye

Gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie.

With sharpen'd sight, pale antiquaries pore,

The inscription value, but the rust adore.

This the blue varnish, that the green endears,

The sacred rust of twice ten hundred years!

Alexander Pope (1688-1744); from Epistle V to Mr. Addison