He Then
Said, That He Accepted My Readiness To Give Him What I So Valued As A
Great Kindness; But Would Only Shew It To His Ladies, And Cause His Own
Painter Make Five Copies, And If I Knew My Own I Should Have It Back.
I
answered, that I had freely given it, and would be glad of his majesty
accepting it:
But he said he would not keep it, and loved me better for
putting so much value on the image of my departed friend. He knew, he
added, that it would be doing me an injury to take it from me, and would
only have five copies taken, which his wives should wear, and would then
return me the original with his own hand. In this art of limning or
painting in water colours, his artists are wonderfully expert. But he
liked not the other picture, which was painted in oil.
He then told me that this was his birth-day, and all men made merry, and
asked me therefore if I would drink with them. I said I would willingly
do whatever he was pleased to command, as I sincerely wished him many
prosperous days, and that the ceremony of this day might be repeated for
an hundred years. He asked me what wine I would have, whether that of
the grape or made wine, and whether strong or weak. I said whatever he
was pleased to order, hoping he would neither command me to have it too
strong or in too large quantity.
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