登陆注册
5188000000185

第185章

Gerard took a modest lodging on the west bank of the Tiber, and every day went forth in search of work, taking a specimen round to every shop he could hear of that executed such commissions.

They received him coldly."We make our letter somewhat thinner than this," said one."How dark your ink is," said another.But the main cry was, "What avails this? Scant is the Latin writ here now.Can ye not write Greek?""Ay, but not nigh so well as Latin."

"Then you shall never make your bread at Rome."Gerard borrowed a beautiful Greek manuscript at a high price, and went home with a sad hole in his purse, but none in his courage.

In a fortnight he had made vast progress with the Greek character;so then, to lose no time, he used to work at it till noon, and hunt customers the rest of the day.

When he carried round a better Greek specimen than any they possessed, the traders informed him that Greek and Latin were alike unsaleable; the city was thronged with works from all Europe.He should have come last year.

Gerard bought a psaltery.His landlady, pleased with his looks and manners, used often to speak a kind word in passing.One day she made him dine with her, and somewhat to his surprise asked him what had dashed his spirits.He told her.She gave him her reading of the matter."Those sly traders," she would be bound, "had writers in their pay, for whose work they received a noble price, and paid a sorry one.So no wonder they blow cold on you.Methinks you write too well.How know I that? say you.Marry - marry, because you lock not your door, like the churl Pietro, and women will be curious.Ay, ay, you write too well for them."Gerard asked an explanation.

"Why," said she, "your good work might put out the eyes of that they are selling.

Gerard sighed."Alas! dame, you read folk on the ill side, and you so kind and frank yourself.""My dear little heart, these Romans are a subtle race.Me? I am a Siennese, thanks to the Virgin.""My mistake was leaving Augsburg," said Gerard.

"Augsburg?" said she haughtily: "is that a place to even to Rome?

I never heard of it, for my part."

She then assured him that he should make his fortune in spite of the booksellers."Seeing thee a stranger, they lie to thee without sense or discretion.Why, all the world knows that our great folk are bitten with the writing spider this many years, and pour out their money like water, and turn good land and houses into writ sheepskins, to keep in a chest or a cupboard.God help them, and send them safe through this fury, as He hath through a heap of others; and in sooth hath been somewhat less cutting and stabbing among rival factions, and vindictive eating of their opposites'

livers, minced and fried, since Scribbling came in.Why, I can tell you two.There is his eminence Cardinal Bassarion, and his holiness the Pope himself.There be a pair could keep a score such as thee a writing night and day.But I'll speak to Teresa; she hears the gossip of the court."The next day she told him she had seen Teresa, and had heard of five more signors who were bitten with the writing spider.Gerard took down their names, and bought parchment, and busied himself for some days in preparing specimens.He left one, with his name and address, at each of these signors' doors, and hopefully awaited the result.

There was none.

Day after day passed and left him heartsick.

And strange to say this was just the time when Margaret was fighting so hard against odds to feed her male dependents at Rotterdam, and arrested for curing without a licence instead of killing with one.

Gerard saw ruin staring him in the face.

He spent the afternoons picking up canzonets and mastering them.

He laid in playing cards to colour, and struck off a meal per day.

This last stroke of genius got him into fresh trouble.

In these "camere locande" the landlady dressed all the meals, though the lodgers bought the provisions.So Gerard's hostess speedily detected him, and asked him if he was not ashamed himself: by which brusque opening, having made him blush and look scared, she pacified herself all in a moment, and appealed to his good sense whether Adversity was a thing to be overcome on an empty stomach.

"Patienza, my lad! times will mend; meantime I will feed you for the love of heaven." (Italian for "gratis.")"Nay, hostess," said Gerard, "my purse is not yet quite void, and it would add to my trouble an if true folk should lose their due by me.""Why, you are as mad as your neighbour Pietro, with his one bad picture.""Why, how know you 'tis a bad picture?"

"Because nobody will buy it.There is one that hath no gift.He will have to don casque and glaive, and carry his panel for a shield."Gerard pricked up his ears at this: so she told him more.Pietro had come from Florence with money in his purse, and an unfinished picture; had taken her one unfurnished room, opposite Gerard's, and furnished it neatly.When his picture was finished, he received visitors and had offers for it: though in her opinion liberal ones, he had refused so disdainfully as to make enemies of his customers.Since then he had often taken it out with him to try and sell, but had always brought it back; and the last month, she had seen one movable after another go out of his room, and now he wore but one suit, and lay at night on a great chest.She had found this out only by peeping through the keyhole, for he locked the door most vigilantly whenever he went out."Is he afraid we shall steal his chest, or his picture, that no soul in all Rome is weak enough to buy?""Nay, sweet hostess; see you not 'tis his poverty he would screen from view?""And the more fool he! Are all our hearts as ill as his? A might give us a trial first, anyway.""How you speak of him.Why, his case is mine; and your countryman to boot.""Oh, we Siennese love strangers.His case yours? Nay, 'tis just the contrary.You are the comeliest youth ever lodged in this house; hair like gold: he is a dark, sour-visaged loon.Besides, you know how to take a woman on her better side; but not he.

同类推荐
  • 周易阐真

    周易阐真

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 隋天台智者大师别传终

    隋天台智者大师别传终

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典盟誓部

    明伦汇编交谊典盟誓部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Sign of the Four

    The Sign of the Four

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鹤林天树植禅师语录

    鹤林天树植禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 不良宠婚:老婆V5

    不良宠婚:老婆V5

    裴君卿这辈子觉得自己娶一个安静、乖巧的小女人就可以了,然某女只符合了小女人三个字,慕云歌打算嫁一个跟父亲一样正直、严肃、负责、不苟言笑的军人,然而某爷只符合军人两个字。“裴君卿,慕朝阳欺负我,你管不管?“慕云歌挑着眉问道。某爷“把慕朝阳拖过来,看老子不打断他一条腿,敢欺负我媳妇,不过在收拾你哥之前,媳妇能不能把解剖刀放下,很危险的。”对于战斗力十足的媳妇,裴君卿哭着也要宠到底,不然呢!脖子上用来解剖死人的手术刀哭死开玩笑的啊!看大灰狼与萌狐狸的日常生活,到底是谁要翻身奴隶把歌唱。还有就是星仔的公共群建成了,敲门砖本书任意角色名字,群号:522924385
  • 网游之枪舞

    网游之枪舞

    一道耀眼的白光过后,张重发现自己已经置身一个叫风铃渡的小山村中,周围人群迅速多了起来……最酷的《第二世界》绝不是一个简单的游戏!
  • 灵罗戒

    灵罗戒

    大毅力,走上强者之路!一步一步,踏上最强掌控者!
  • 解释世界秩序的工具:数学

    解释世界秩序的工具:数学

    数学是在人类长期的社会实践中产生的。其发展历史可谓是源远流长。因此,它也和我们生活中的人文景观、天文气象、自然之谜等知识结下了不解之缘。尤其是在现代生活和生产中,数学的应用和发展异常广泛且迅速。本书从数学的发展、数字的神秘、数学符号、几何图形等方面入手,用生动形象的话语让青少年去了解数学、喜欢数学,不仅能让青少年从中学到更多和数学有关的课外知识,也让青少年明白学习数学、热爱数学的好处,因为生活中的数学应用无处不在。通过本书,你将知道数学是一种方法,可以解决生活中的实际问题。
  • 公务员心理健康与科学调适

    公务员心理健康与科学调适

    本书《公务员心理健与调适》共十章,在本书的编写过程中,笔者按照注重针对性、实用性和操作性的要求,力求采用最新的心理学研究成果,从公务员心理健康现状出发,提出公务员心理健康的各种调适方法。
  • 打死也不取悦男人

    打死也不取悦男人

    为男人伤心一阵儿可以,牺牲所有快乐不值得。你们男人为什么比我们女人活得快乐潇洒?不就是因为处理问题快刀斩乱麻,果断冷酷,心狠手辣么?我打算向男人学习,多点理智,少点感情!
  • 天海经

    天海经

    物极必反·否极泰来世间百态·天海一瞬本书包罗万象,上说天道,下讲人文,诗句散文,人生哲学……
  • 天星魔童

    天星魔童

    宅男刘星意外穿越到自己正在玩的网络游戏世界中,而且还得到了亿中无一的“无垢之躯”,可以同时修炼多种技能。但他发现这个游戏世界跟他预想的大不一样,而他也不仅仅是一位单纯的穿越者.....
  • 清穿崩坏年代

    清穿崩坏年代

    一朝穿越,既生为博而济吉特氏之女,父亲是科尔沁汗王,祖母是大清公主,外曾祖母是鼎鼎大名的孝庄太皇太后,清穿而已,还好!可是,史上早夭的祖母竟然也是穿越的!死于顺治朝的睿亲王多尔衮竟然还在!这位康熙的亲亲表妹,竟是手持空间的穿越女!还冒出了重生的妹子要她的命,竟然说康熙会被她迷得神魂颠倒???妹的,本来是万千宠爱享福的日子,就被这么一句话给毁了,最大靠山太皇太后防她惧她,那位千古一帝更是为此盯上了她……新书《穿越弃女生存录》已开新坑,坑品有保证,终于解禁了不容易……
  • 中国年度优秀散文诗·2017卷

    中国年度优秀散文诗·2017卷

    本书是新华社关于十九大的新闻报道精选集,是一本客观、全面、权威的新闻报道集,所有文章均已公开发表,作者全部为新华社记者。全书共分为六篇,分别是“第一篇不忘初心牢记使命”“第二篇高举旗帜共铸辉煌”“第三篇凝聚力量共绘蓝图”“第四篇团结务实谱写新曲” “第五篇砥砺奋进成就辉煌”“第六篇盛世盛会全球聚焦”。全书体例完备,观点准确,内容权威,可以作为广大干部群众了解十九大的参考读物。