The Complete Fairy Tales & Other Stories
By Hans Christian Andersen - online book

Oxford Complete Illustrated Edition all his stories written between 1835 and 1872.

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THE PSYCHE
841
a young artist. It was in the city of the Popes, in the world-city Rome. Much has been changed there in the course of time, but the changes have not come so quickly as the change from youth to old age. Then already the palace of the Caesars was a ruin, as it is now ; fig trees and laurels grew among the fallen marbje columns, and in the desolate bathing-halls, where the gilding still clings to the wall; the Coliseum was a ruin ; the church bells sounded, the incense sent up its fragrant cloud, and through the streets marched processions with flaming tapers and glowing canopies. Holy Church was there, and art was held as a high and holy thing. In Rome lived the greatest painter in the world, Raphael; there also dwelt the first of sculptors, Michael Angelo. Even the Pope paid homage to these two, and honoured them with a visit : art was recognized and honoured, and was rewarded also. But, for all that, everything great and splendid was not seen and known.
' In a narrow lane stood an old house. Once it had been a temple; a young sculptor now dwelt there. He was young and quite unknown. He certainly had friends, young artists, like himself, young in spirit, young in hopes and thoughts ; they told him he was rich in talent, and an artist, but that he was foolish for having no faith in his own power ; for he always broke what he had fashioned out of clay, and never completed anything; and a work must be completed if it is to be seen and to bring money.
1 " You are a dreamer," they went on to say to him, " and that's your misfortune. But the reason of this is, that you have never lived, you have never tasted life, you have never enjoyed it in great wholesome draughts, as it ought to be enjoyed. In youth one must mingle one's own personality with life, that they may become one. Look at the great master Raphael, whom the Pope honours and the world admires: he 's no despiser of wine and bread."
1 " And he even appreciates the baker's daughter, the pretty Fornarina," added Angelo, one of the merriest of the young friends.
' Yes, they said a good many things of the kind, according to their age and intelligence. They wanted to draw the young artist out with them into the merry wild life, the
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