Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/386

 378 ARATUS. spot in which he made his abode, sometimes peeping out to seek his opportunity, sometimes keeping close. She was bound for Syria ; but going aboard, he agreed with the master to laud him in Caria. In which voyage he met with no less danger on the sea than before. From Caria being after much time arrived in Egypt, he imme- diately went to the king, who had a great kindness for him, and had received from him many presents of draw- ings and paintings out of Greece. Aratus had a very good judgment in them,, and always took care to collect and send him the most curious and finished works, especially those of Pamphilus and Melanthus. For the Sic^^onian pieces were still in the height of their reputation, as being the only ones whose colors were lasting ; so that Apelles himself, even after he had become well known and admired, went thither, and gave a talent to be admitted into the society of the painters there, not so much to partake of their skill, which he wanted not, but of their credit. And accordingly Aratus, when he freed the city, immediately took down the rej^resentations of the rest of the tyrants, but demurred a long time about that of Aristratus, who flourished in the time of Philip. For this Aristratus was painted by Melanthus and his scholars, standing by a chariot, in which a figure of Victory was carried, Apelles him- self having had a hand in it, as Polemon the geog- rapher reports. It was an extraordinary piece, and therefore Aratus was fain to spare it for the workman- ship, and yet, instigated by the hatred he bore the tyrants, commanded it to be taken down. But Nealces the painter, one of Aratus's friends, entreated him, it is said, with tears in his eyes, to spare it, and, finding he did not prevail with him, told him at last he should carry on his war with the tyrants, but with the tyrants alone : " Let therefore the chariot and the Victory stand,