Silent Poetry, Speaking Painting

TO THE READER.

...you perform the same service: praise either a superior, or an inferior, or an equal. original Latin: "idem præstas : lauda vel superiorem , vel inferio- rem, vel parem." A superior, because unless he is worthy of praise, you cannot be praised yourself; an inferior or an equal, because it contributes to your own glory gloria: in this context, the word refers to an artist's or author's public reputation and lasting fame for the person you surpass or equal to seem as great as possible. Pliny’s argument is that by elevating the status of others in your field, you high-level the entire profession, making your own achievements more significant by association.

A decorative woodcut tailpiece featuring symmetrical foliage and scrollwork designs, arranged in a heart-shaped ornamental pattern.