The Emperor, Complete

while dismay and disappointment were clouding the souls of its inha

who had received it on its arrival and had unpacked it dish after dish, and set them out on the humblest possible table had then hastened to fetch his m

les," and he went to the sculptor's little tabernacle, where Papi

tius, whom all esteemed, and to himself; but also in the hope of giving proof of his powers to the Emperor and of showing him how things could be done in Alexandria. When the dishes had been removed and the replete feasters had washed and dried their hands, they filled their cups out of a jar of mixed wine, of which the dimensions answered worthily to the meal they had eaten. One of the painters then proposed that they should hold a regular drinking-bout, and elect Papias, who was as well known as a good table orator as he was as an artist, to be the leader of the feast. However, the master declared

rion the door-keeper of the palace, Euphorion the father of Pollux, ran hastily i

artists. "One of the prefect's lictors brought this letter, which, if my wishes be granted, bring

intended for the ears of great artists, were addressed to his wife's four-footed Graces who had followed h

friends with the old woman's pets, so, as

ve them anything that is fit for them, Euphorion, and whatever se

had collected a variety of good morsels for his wife's favorites on a plate, and finally carried t

sked his son, as he pointed

. "Take it to mother; she will

d he quitted the hall with his pasty and his dogs. Before he had fairly left the hall with his lon

n, our more t

gan so promisingly; this letter contains important news and our revels must be

er there was a moderate man-" Papias beg

ng. He may arrive at any moment; and not alone, but with my fellow-art

o was wont to trouble himself as little about

, closing the double tablets whi

anything?"

us," replied Pontius

I always feel as if some of his superabundance overflowed into me, and irresistibly I draw

rning voice. "It is not the man who stands on tiptoe, but he

sculptor's shoulder. "We all do; to-morrow by sunrise each must be at his post agai

ot escape the continuation of this evening's entertainment," cried

he will say about our Urania. Pollux has done his share of the work very well, and I have already devoted an hour's work to it, which has impr

aid that he caused the life of the great architect, Apollodorus-who carried out such noble works for Trajan-to be extinguished-and why? because

, but his incarceration had little enough to do with the Emperor's production

llux continued the conversation

every kind of miscellaneous learning, contrives, when he wants to practise one particular form of art, to recall all his five senses into the nest from which he has let them fly, here, there, and eve

g it has become the universal fashion here to practise these arts, and among the wealthier youth who come to my workroom, many have very good abilities; but not one of them brings anything t

n the schools of rhetoric or in hunting or fighting no one can study drawing. It is not till a pupil has learned to sit steady and worry him

hness. And after all, when one sees it, one cannot but feel that such superfluity is better than meagreness and feebleness. The larger fruits, especially under the exuberant sappy foliage, were so huge that they might have been grown in the garden of luxury itself, still the whole had a look of reality. I mitigated

r for its

cious of the painters, "for the visit

hould like to sell him my picture of Alexander sal

e price you will remember we are par

example strictly,"

e of the worth of his works. And if Hadrian is to order works from every master whose

or among painters, an astronomer among musicians, and a sophist among artists-that is to

ere the artists were standing round the winejar; he had hea

dy! I know him, and I know that he loves a really thorough master, and tries to encourage him with princely liberality. But his ears are everywhere, and he promptly becomes the implacable enemy of those who provoke his resentment. So bridle your restive Alexandrian tongues, and let me tell you that my colleague from Rome is in the closest intimacy with Hadrian. He is of the same age, resembles

ich his voice was peculiarly capable, and which was always c

iped the table, on which Pontius proceeded to lay out his sketches and plans. But he was not alone, for Poll

my cage to say som

el

, the very king of his trade, prepares these savory cylinders only once a week. A few hours ago he completed the making of the sausages, and to-morrow morning my mother will warm up for our breakfasts the noble mess, which she is preparing for us this evening-for,

an hour free, and I shall enjoy the excellent dish.

father-who, when he is not gate-keeping, sings and recites-a trou

ordinarily content. Not your face only, but your whole length-a good measure-from the

Pollux, stretching himself comfortably and lifting his arm

ecially pleasant

e work progresses, and-well, why should I deny it? There was som

old

n years; but when I first saw he

iend of the happy, or does happiness only follow in his train?" As the architect thoughtfu

? Do you not hear the bark of a big dog mi

the architect from Rome,"

now coming is superior to us all, and there is nothing more repellant to me than when a small man assumes a strutting air of importance because he fancies he has discovered in some great man a weak spot