Lucian Somnium sive vita Luciani 2

[2] The next topic for discussion was opened by raising the question, which of the trades was best, easiest to learn, suitable for a man of free birth, required an outfit that was easy to come by, and offered an income that was sufficient. Each praised a different trade, according to his own judgement or experience; but my father looked at my uncle (for among the company was my uncle on my mother’s side, who had the reputation of being an excellent. sculptor) and said: “It isn’t right that any other trade should have the preference while you are by. Come, take this lad in hand’—with a gesture toward me—“and teach him to be a good stone-cutter, mason, and sculptor, for he is capable of it, since, as you know, he has a natural gift for it.”’ He drew this inference from the way in which I had played with wax; for whenever my teachers dismissed me I would scrape the wax from my tablets and model cattle or horses or even men, and’ they were true to life, my father thought. I used to get thrashings from my teachers on account of them, but at that time they brought me praise for my cleverness, and good hopes were entertained of me, on the ground that I would soon learn the trade, to judge from that modelling.

[2] So the next step was to select the most satisfactory of the handicrafts; it must be one quite easy to acquire, respectable, inexpensive as regards plant, and fairly profitable. Various suggestions were made, according to the taste and knowledge of the councillors; but my father turned to my mother’s brother, supposed to be an excellent statuary, and said to him: ‘With you here, it would be a sin to prefer any other craft; take the lad, regard him as your charge, teach him to handle, match, and grave your marble; he will do well enough; you know he has the ability.’ This he had inferred from certain tricks I used to play with wax. When I got out of school, I used to scrape off the wax from my tablets and work it into cows, horses, or even men and women, and he thought I did it creditably; my masters used to cane me for it, but on this occasion it was taken as evidence of a natural faculty, and my modelling gave them good hopes of my picking up the art quickly.

[2] Accordingly, this question was made the theme of a second deliberation: What trade is the best and the easiest to learn, is becoming to a free citizen, and calls for least expense in tools while it furnishes a sufficient income? Each member of the council recommended a different trade, according to his theory or experience. But my father looked towards my uncle-for my mother's brother was there, reputed to be a master of the statuary's art—and said, “It would be unseemly if any other craft should carry the day when you are present. So take him" (pointing to me), “receive him in charge, and teach him to be a good stone-worker and mason and sculptor. He has ability to become even this last, and a natural skill in that direction, as you know." The ground of his opinion was my childish play at modelling in wax. Whenever the school-masters let me go, I would fall to scraping the wax from my writing-tablets and fashioning cows and horses, and, upon my word, even men, too, and with some truth to nature--at least my father thought so. The school-masters used to flog me for them; but now this very thing won me praise for my talents, and great hopes that I would speedily master my trade were based on my prowess in modelling.