Page:A Picture-book without Pictures and Other Stories (1848).djvu/77

 “It will do him good to find fault and cut him up a little, else he will be getting too good an opinion of himself!”

“But that is unreasonable,” interrupted a fourth; “don’t let us dwell too much on trifling faults, but rejoice in the good—and there is much here—though he thrusts in good and bad altogether.”

“Unmistakeable talent!” wrote down the critic; “the usual examples of carelessness. That he also can write unlucky verse, may be seen at page five-and-twenty, where two hiatuses occur: the study of the ancients to be recommended, and so on.”

I went away, said the Moon,—and peeped through the window into the aunt’s house where sate our honored poet, the tame one, the worshipped of all the guests, and was happy.

“I sought out the other poet, the wild one, who also was in a great party of one of his patrons, where they talked about the other poet’s book. “I shall also read yours” said Mecænas, “but, honestly speaking, you know I never say to you what I do not mean; I do not expect great things from it. You are too wild for me! too fantastic—but I acknow-