VII The Copy
Manr. Now give us a copy, if it seems good to you.
Teacher. First the A B C, then syllables, then words joined together in this fashion. Learn, boy, those things by which you may become wiser, and thence happier. Sounds are the symbols of minds amongst people in one another’s presence; letters, the symbols between those who are absent from one another. Imitate these copies and come here after lunch, or even to-morrow, so that I may correct your writing.
Manr. We will do so. In the meantime we commend you to Christ.
Teacher. And I, you, the same.
Mend. Let us go apart from our friends, so that we may reflect without interruption on what we have heard from the teacher.
Manr. Agreed! Let us do so!
Mend. We have come to the place we want. Let us sit down on these stones.
Manr. Yes, as long as we are out of the sun.
Mend. Quick! a half-sheet of paper, which I will return to you to-morrow.
Manr. Will this small bit be sufficient?
Mend. Alas! it won’t take six lines, especially of such writing as mine.
Manr. Write on both sides and make the lines more crowded together. What need have you to leave such big spaces between the lines?
Mend. I? I make scarcely any space. For these letters of mine touch one another both above and beneath, especially those which have long heads or feet, such as b and p. But what are you doing? Have you already ploughed out two lines? and how elegant they are! except that they are crooked.
Manr. You write, yourself, and be quiet!
Mend. Certainly with this pen and ink I can by no means write.
Manr. How is that?
Mend. Don’t you see that the pen besprinkles the paper with ink outside the letters?
Manr. My ink is so thick that you would think it was lime. Look there, how it sticks on the top of the nib and won’t flow down so as to form the letters. But we will soon remedy both the inconveniences. Cut off from the top of the pen with your knife so much that it collects what is wanted for the letters; I will instil some drops of water into the ink so as to make it flow more easily. The best thing would be vinegar, if you had it at hand, for this immediately dilutes the thick ink.
Mend. True, but there is the danger lest its acidity enters into the paper.
Manr. You needn’t fear any such danger; this paper is best of all in preventing ink from flowing.
Mend. The extreme edges of this paper of yours are unequal, wrinkled, and rough.
Manr. Then apply the shears to the margin of the paper, for then it will seem more elegant, or write only outside the rough parts. The slightest obstacles seem to you to be a great hindrance to prevent you going on. Whatever you have under your hand, put it on one side.
Mend. Let us now go back to the teacher.
Manr. Does it seem to you to be time already?
Mend. I fear lest the time has already passed by, for he has lunch early.
Manr. Let us go. You enter first, for you have less timidity.
Mend. Nay, rather you, for you have less impudence.
Manr. See that no one goes out from his house and catches us here, joking and frolicking. Let us knock at the door with the knocker-ring, although the door is open, for this would be more courteous. (Tat-tat.)
Boy. Who is there? Come straight in, whoever you are!
Manr. It is we. Where is the teacher?
Boy. In his room.
Mend. May all things befall you propitiously, teacher!
Teacher. You have come seasonably.
Mend. We have imitated your copy five or six times on this paper and bring our work to you to have it corrected.