The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane - Alain René le Sage (best fiction books of all time .txt) 📗

deposit out of Signor Gabriel’s hands, amounting to a

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