THE KING stretched forth his own hands and raised me very graciously.
Then he told me that I ought to continue in his service, and that all
that I had done was right and pleasing to him. Turning to the lords in
his company, he spoke these words precisely: “I verily believe that a
finer door could not be made for Paradise itself.” When he had ceased
speaking, although his speech had been entirely in my favour, I again
thanked him respectfully, repeating, however, my request for leave to
travel; for the heat of my indignation had not yet cooled down. His
Majesty, feeling that I set too little store upon his unwonted and
extraordinary condescension, commanded me with a great and terrible
voice to hold my tongue, unless I wanted to incur his wrath; afterwards
he added that he would drown me in gold, and that he gave me the leave I
asked; and over and above the works he had commissioned, [1] he was very
well satisfied with what I had done on my account in the interval; I
should never henceforth have any quarrels with him, because he knew my
character; and for my part, I too ought to study the temper of his
Majesty, as my duty required. I answered that I thanked God and his
Majesty for everything; then I asked him to come and see how far I had
advanced the Great Colossus. So he came to my house, and I had the
statue uncovered; he admired it extremely, and gave orders to his
secretary to pay me all the money I had spent upon it, be the sum what
it might, provided I wrote the bill out in my own hand. Then he departed
saying: “Adieu, mon ami,” which is a phrase not often used by kings.
Note 1. The MSS. in this phrase vary, and the meaning is not quite
clear. According to one reading, the sense would be: “Though the works
he had commissioned were not yet begun.” But this involves an awkward
use of the word 'dipoi.'