human
Our Deucalion, our more than Deucalion--
gpt
Pardon me, interrupted Pontius.
human
If I once more stop your discourse which began so promisingly; this letter contains important news and our revels must be over for the night. We must postpone our symposium and your drinking-speech.
gpt
It was not a drinking-speech, for if ever there was a moderate man--
human
Titianus writes me word that he proposes coming to Lochias this evening. He may arrive at any moment; and not alone, but with my fellow-artist, Claudius Venator from Rome, who is to assist me with his advice.
gpt
I never even heard his name,
human
I wonder at that,
gpt
Can he do anything?
human
More than any one of us, replied Pontius.
gpt
He is a mighty man.
human
That is splendid! exclaimed Pollux.
gpt
I like to see great men. When one looks me in the eye I always feel as if some of his superabundance overflowed into me, and irresistibly I draw myself up and think how fine it would be if one day I might reach as high as that man's chin.
human
Beware of morbid ambition, said Papias to his pupil in a warning voice.
gpt
It is not the man who stands on tiptoe, but he who does his duty diligently, that can attain anything great.
human
He honestly does his, said the architect rising, and he laid his hand on the young sculptor's shoulder.
gpt
We all do; to-morrow by sunrise each must be at his post again. For my colleague's sake it will be well that you should all be there in good time.
human
You will not escape the continuation of this evening's entertainment,
gpt
When we next meet I will show you what I understand by a drinking- speech. It will do perhaps for your Roman guest. I am curious to hear what 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 improved it. The more humble our material, the better I shall be pleased if the work satisfies Caesar; he himself has tried his hand at sculpture.
human
If only Hadrian could hear that! cried one of the painters.
gpt
He likes to think himself a great artist--one of the foremost of our time. It is said that he caused the life of the great architect, Apollodorus--who carried out such noble works for Trajan--to be extinguished--and why? because formerly that illustrious man had treated the imperial bungler as a mere dabbler, and would not accept his plan for the temple of Venus at Rome.
human
Mere talk! answered Pontius to this accusation.
gpt
Apollodorus died in prison, but his incarceration had little enough to do with the Emperor's productions--excuse me, gentlemen, I must once more look through the sketches and plans.
human
Only I cannot understand how a man who practises so many arts at once as Hadrian does, and at the same time looks after the state and its government, who is a passionate huntsman and who dabbles in 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 everywhere. The inside of his head must be like that salad-bowl--which we have reduced to emptiness--in which Papias discovered three sorts of fish, brown and white meat, oysters and five other substances.
gpt
And who can deny, added Papias,
human
True, said a painter.
gpt
Without the restraint and worry of apprenticeship no one can ever rise to happy and independent creativeness; and in 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 himself over his work for six hours on end that I begin to believe he will ever do any good work. Have you any of you seen the Emperor's work?
human
I have, answered a mosaic worker.
gpt
Many years ago Hadrian sent a picture to me that he had painted; I was to make a mosaic from it. It was a fruit piece. Melons, gourds, apples, and green leaves. The drawing was but so-so, and the color impossibly vivid, still the composition was pleasing from its solidity and richness. 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 the colors somewhat in my transcript; you may still see a copy of the picture at my house, it hangs in the studio where my men draw. Nealkes, the rich hanging-maker, has had a tapestry woven from it which Pontius proposes to use as a hanging for a wall of the work-room, but I have made a fine frame on purpose for it.
human
Say rather for its designer.
gpt
Or yet rather, added the most loquacious of the painters,
human
I only wish the Emperor may come to ours too! I should like to sell him my picture of Alexander saluted by the priests in the temple of Jupiter Ammon.
gpt
I hope that when you agree about the price you will remember we are partners,
human
I will follow your example strictly,
gpt
Then you will certainly not be a loser, cried Papias,
human
It is said, continued Eustorgius, laughing,