The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Alain René le Sage [most read books .txt] 📗
- Author: Alain René le Sage
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thousand doubloons. On the road my fellow-traveller observed: If
we are not rich enough to purchase a splendid property, we can at
least secure ease and competency to ourselves. A cabin, answered
I, would be large enough for my most ambitious thoughts. Though
scarcely at the middle period of life, the world has lost its
charms for me; its hopes, its fears, its cares, its duties, are
all absorbed in the selfishness of philosophical retirement.
Independently of these principles, I can assure you I have
painted for myself a rural landscape, with a foreground of
innocent pleasures, and pastoral simplicity in the perspective.
Already does the enamel of the meadows glitter under my eyes;
already does the river’s murmur accord with the winged chorus of
the grove: hunting exasperates the manly virtues, and fishing
preaches patience. Only figure to yourself; my friend, what a
continual round of amusement solitude may furnish, and you will
pant to be admitted of her crew. Then for the economy of our
table, the simplest will be the cheapest, and of course the best.
Unadulterated Ceres shall be our official caterer: when hunger
shall have tamed our fastidious appetites into sobriety, a
mumbled crust will relish like an ortolan. The supreme delight of
eating is not in the thing ate, but in the palate of him who
eats; a proposition in culinary philosophy, proved by the
frequent loathing of my own stomach, through a long series of
ministerial dinners. Abstemiousness is a luxury of the most
exquisite refinement, and the best recipe in the materia medica.
With your good leave, Signor Gil Blas, interrupted my secretary,
I am not altogether of your mind respecting the luscious treat of
abstemiousness. Why should we mess like the bankrupt sages of
antiquity? Surely we may indulge the carnal man a little, without
any reasonable offence to the spiritual. Since we have, by the
blessing of Providence and my forecast, wherewithal to keep the
spit and the spigot in exercise, do not let us take up our abode
with famine and wretchedness. As soon as we get settled, we must
stock our cellar, and establish a respectable larder, like people
who know what is what, and do not separate themselves from the
vulgar crowd to renounce the good things of this life, but to
taste them with a more exquisite relish. As Hesiod says,
Enjoy thy riches with a liberal soul;Plenteous the feast, all
smiling be the bowl.
And again,To stint the wine a frugal husband shows,When from the
middle of the cask it flows.
What the devil, Master Scipio, interrupted I in my turn, you can
cap verses out of the Greek poets! And pray where did you get
acquainted with Hesiod? In very learned company, answered he. I
lived some time with a walking dictionary at Salamanca, a fellow
up to the elbows in quotation and commentary. He could put a
large volume together like a house of cards. His library
furnished him with a hodge-podge of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin
common places, which he translated into buckram Castilian. As I
was his transcriber, some tags of verses, stings of epigrams, and
sage truisms stuck by the way. With such an apparatus, replied I,
your memory must be most philosophically stocked. But, not to
lose sight of our future prospects, whereabouts in Spain had we
best fix our Socratic abode? My voice is for Arragon, resumed my
counsellor. We shall there enjoy all the beauties of nature, and
lead the life of Paradise. Well, then, for Arragon! said I. May
it teem with all the dear delights that youthful poets fancy when
they dream!
CH. X. — Their doings at Madrid. The rencounter of Gil Blas in
the street, and its consequences.
ON our arrival in Madrid, we alighted at a little public-house
where Scipio had been accustomed to put up, whence our first
visit was to my banker, Salero. He received us very cordially,
and expressed the highest satisfaction at my release. Indeed,
added he, your untoward fate touched me so nearly as to change my
views of a political alliance. The fortunes of courtiers are like
castles in the air: so I have married my daughter Gabriela to a
wealthy trader. You have acted very wisely, answered I; for
besides that a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush, when a
plodding citizen aspires to the honour of bringing a man of
fashion into his family, he very often has an impertinent puppy
for his son-in-law.
Then changing the topic, and coming to the point: Signor Gabriel,
pursued I, we came to talk a little about the two thousand
pistoles which… . Your money is all ready, said the
goldsmith, interrupting me. He then took us into his closet, and
delivered the two bags, carefully labelled with my name on them.
I thanked Salero for his exactness, and heaven in my sleeve for
my escape from his daughter. At our inn we counted over the
money, and found it right, deducting fifty doubloons for the
expenses of my enlargement. Our thoughts were now wholly bent
upon Arragon. My secretary undertook to buy a carriage and two
mules. It was my office to provide household and body linen.
During my peregrinations for that purpose, I met Baron Steinbach,
the officer in the German Guards with whom Don Alphonso had been
brought up.
I touched my hat to him; he knew me again, and returned my
greeting warmly. My joy is extreme, said I, at seeing your
lordship in such fine health, to say nothing of my wish to
inquire after Don Caesar and Don Alphonso de Leyva. They are both
in Madrid, answered he, and staying at my house. They came to
town about three months ago, to be presented on occasion of Don
Alphonso’s promotion. He has been appointed Governor of Valencia,
on the score of old family claims, without having in any shape
pushed his interest at court. Nothing could be more grateful to
his feelings, or prove more strongly our royal master’s goodness,
who delights to recognize the merits of ancestry in the persons
of their descendants.
Though I knew more of this matter than Steinbach, I kept my
knowledge in the background. Yet so lively was my impatience to
hail my old masters, that he would not damp my ardour by delay. I
had a mind to try Don Alphonso, whether he still retained his
regard for me. He was playing at chess with Baroness Steinbach,
On my entrance, he started up from his game, ran towards me, and
squeezing me tight in his embrace: Santillane, said he, with
demonstrations of the sincerest joy, at length, then, you are
restored to my heart. I am delighted at it! It was not my fault
that we ever parted. You may remember how strongly I urged you
not to withdraw from the Castle of Leyva. You were deaf to my
entreaties. But I must not chide your obstinacy, because its
motive was the peace of the family. Yet you ought to have let me
hear from you, and to have spared my fruitless inquiries at
Grenada, where my brother-in-law, Don Ferdinand, sent me word
that you were. And now tell me what you are doing at Madrid. Of
course you have some situation here. Be assured that I shall
always take a lively interest in your concerns. Sir, answered I,
it is but four months since I occupied a considerable post at
court. I had the honour of being the Duke of Lerma’s confidential
secretary. Can it be possible? exclaimed Don Alphonso, as if he
could scarcely believe his ears. What, were you so near the
person of the prime minister? I then related how I had gained and
lost his favour, and ended with avowing my determination to buy a
cottage and garden with the wreck of my shattered fortunes.
The son of Don Caesar heard me attentively, and made this answer:
My dear Gil Blas, you know how I have always loved you; nor shall
you longer be fortune’s puppet I will set you above her vagaries,
by securing you an independence. Since you declare for a country
life, a little estate of ours near Lirias, about four leagues
from Valencia, shall be settled on you. You are acquainted with
the spot. Such a present we can make, without putting ourselves
to the least inconvenience. I can answer for my father’s joining
in the act, and for Seraphina’s entire approbation.
I threw myself at Don Alphonso’s feet, who raised me immediately.
More penetrated by his affection than by his bounty, I pressed
his hand and said, Sir, your conduct charms me. Your noble gift
is the more welcome, as it precedes the knowledge of a service it
has been in my power to render you; and I had rather owe it to
your generosity, than to your gratitude. This governor of my
making did not know what to understand by the hint, and pressed
for an explanation. I gave it in full, to his utter astonishment.
Neither he nor Baron Steinbach could ever have the slightest
suspicion that the government of Valencia was owing to my
interest at court. Yet having no reason to doubt the fact, my
friend proposed to grant me an annuity of two thousand ducats, in
addition to the little farm at Lirias.
Hold your hand, Signor Don Alphonso! exclaimed I at this offer.
You must not set my avarice afloat again. I am myself a living
witness, that fortune may give superfluities to her favourites,
but has no competence to bestow. With pleasure will I accept of
the estate at Lirias, where my present property will be
sufficient for all my wants. Rather than increase my cares with
my possessions, I would build a hospital out of my existing
funds. Riches are a burden: and it must be a foolish animal that
would bear fardels in the manger or the field.
While we were talking after this fashion, Den Caesar came in. His
joy was not less than his son’s at the sight of me; and being
informed of the family obligations, he again pressed me to accept
of the annuity, which I again refused. When the writings were
drawn, the father and son made the assignment their joint act and
deed, transferring to me the fee simple, and putting me in
immediate possession. My secretary half stared the eyes out of
his head, when I told him we lad a landed estate of our own, and
how we came by it. What is the value of this little freehold?
said he. Five hundred ducats per annum, answered I, and the farm
in high cultivation, within a ring fence. I have often been there
during my stewardship. There is a small house on the banks of the
Guadalaviar, in a little hamlet, surrounded by a charming
country.
What pleases me better than all, cried Scipio, is that we shall
have plenty of sporting, rare living, and excellent wine. Come,
master, let us leave this crowded city, and hasten to our
hermitage. I long to be there as much as you can do, answered I;
but I must first go to the Asturias. My father and mother are not
in comfortable circumstances. They shall therefore end their days
with me at Lirias. Heaven, perhaps, has thrown this windfall in
my way to try my filial duty, and would punish me for the neglect
of it Scipio approved my purpose, and urged its speedy execution.
Yes, my friend, said I, we will set out as soon as possible. I
shall consider it as my dear delight to
share the gifts of fortune with the authors of my existence. We
shall soon be settled in our country retreat; and then will I
write these two
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