"They began the usual round of the curiosities, during which the
Englishman continued calling King Ferdinand any thing but a gentleman, of
all which the invalid heard nothing, and the lazzarone took no notice.
They visited the Via dei Sepolchri, the houses of Diomedes and Cicero. At
last they came to Sallust's house, in one of the rooms of which was a
fresco that hit the Englishman's fancy exceedingly. He immediately sat
down, took a pencil and a blank book from his pocket, and began copying it.
He had scarcely made a stroke, however, when the soldier and the lazzarone
approached him. The former was going to speak, but the latter took the
words out of his mouth.
"'Eccellenza,' said he, 'it is forbidden to copy the fresco.'
"'Oh!' said the Englishman, 'I must make this copy. I will pay for it.'
"'It is not allowed, even if you pay.'
"'But I will pay ten times its value if necessary; I must copy it, it is
so funny.'
"'If you do, the invalid will put you in the guard-room.'
"'Pshaw! An Englishman has a right to draw any thing he likes.' And he
went on with his sketch. The invalid approached him with an inexorable
countenance.
"'Pardon me, Eccellenza,' said the lazzarone; 'but would you like to copy
not only this fresco, but as many more as you please?'
"'Certainly I should, and I will too.'
"'Then, let me give you a word of advice. Take a blind invalid.'
"'Ooh!' cried the Englishman, still more enchanted with this second hint
than with the first. 'By all means, a blind invalid. Here are two piasters
for the idea.'
"They left Sallust's house, the deaf man was paid and discharged, and the
lazzarone went to the guard-room, and brought back an invalid who was
stone-blind and led by a black poodle.
"The Englishman wished to return immediately to continue his drawing, but
the lazzarone persuaded him to delay it, in order to avoid exciting
suspicion. They continued their rambles, therefore, guided by the invalid,
or rather by his dog, who displayed a knowledge of Pompeii that might have
qualified him to become a member of the antiquarian society. After
visiting the blacksmith's shop, Fortunata's house, and the public oven,
they returned to the abode of Sallust, where the Englishman finished his
sketch, while the lazzarone chatted with the blind man, and kept him
amused. Continuing their lounge, he made a number of other drawings, and
in a couple of hours his book was half full.
"At last they arrived at a place where men were digging. There had been
discovered a number of small busts and statues, bronzes, and curiosities
of all kinds, which, as soon as they were dug up, were carried into a
neighbouring house, and had his attention speedily attracted by a little
statue of a satyr about six inches high. 'Oh!' cried he, 'I shall buy this
figure.'
"'The king of Naples does not wish to sell it,' replied the lazzarone.
"'I will give its weight in sovereigns--double its weight even.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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