changed into fits of laughter. ་ How, Gil Blas!' faid the apoftate thief to me, thou haft not been here fix hours, • and want'ft to take thy leave of us already! Sure thou must have a great averfion to a retired life, hah? What • would't thou do, if thou wert a Car • thufian friar? Go to bed; thou art quit for once, on account of the tripes Domingo has bestow'd on thee; but if ever thou should'st make ⚫ another effort to efcape, by St. Bartholomew ! we will flay thee alive!' This faid, he withdrew; the other thieves retired into their apartments; the old negro, proud of his exploit, returned into his ftable; and I sneaked back to my Golgotha, where I fpent the remaining part of the night in fighs and tears. CHAP. VII. bode in this place, I find myself quite another fort of a perfon than heretofore. You have divefted me of the prejudices of education, and I infenfibly imbibe your difpofition: I have a tafte for your profeffion, and a longing defire of being honoured with the name of your companion, and of fharing the dangers of your • expeditions. All the company ap proved of my discourse, and commend. ed my forwardness; fo that it was unanimously resolved, to let me serve a little longer, in order to approve myfelf worthy, then carry me out in their excurfions; after which, I should obtain the honourable place I demanded. Well, then, I was obliged to perfift in my diffimulation, and exercife the poft of cup-bearer ftill, a circumftance that mortified me extremely: for my defign in afpiring to the honour of becoming a thief, was only to have the OF THE BEHAVIOUR OF GIL BLAS, liberty of taking the air with the reft, WHEN HE COULD DO NO BETTER. D URING the first days of my captivity, I was like to fink un der the forrow that oppreffed me, and might have been faid to die by inches; but at last, my good genius infpired me with the refolution to diffemble: I affected to appear lefs fad than ufual; 1 began to laugh and fing, though, God knows, with an aching heart. In a word, I counterfeited fo well, that Leonarda and Domingo were deceived, and believed that the bird was at laft reconciled to his cage. The robbers were of the fame opinion; for I affumed a gay air when I filled wine for them, and mingled in their converfation, whenever I found an opportunity of acting the buffoon. This freedom, far from difpleafing, afforded them diverfion. Gil Blas,' faid the captain to me one evening, while I entertained them in this manner, ⚫ thou hast done well, my lad, to banish thy melancholy; I am charmed with thy wit and humour: I find people are not known all at once; for I did not think thou hadst been fo fprightly and good-natured.' The relt joined alfo in my praise, and appeared fo well fatisfied with me, that, taking the advantage of this good difpofition, Gentlemen,' faid I, al⚫low me to tell my mind: fince my a in hopes that one day I fhould be able to escape from them, in the course of their expeditions. This hope alone fupported my life; but nevertheless appeared fo diftant, that I tried more than once to baffle the vigilance of Domingo; though it was never in my power, he being always fo much upon his guard, that I would have defied an hundred Orpheus's to charm fuch a Cerberus. It is true, indeed, I did not do all that I could have done to beguile him, left I should have wakened his fufpicion; for he had a hawk's eye over me, and I was obliged to act with the utmost circumspection, that I might not betray myself. I therefore refigned myfelf to my fate, until the time fhould be expired that was prefcribed by the robbers for receiving me into their gang; and this event I expected as impatiently as if I had been to be inrolled in a list of commiffioners. Heaven be praised! in fix months that time arrived; when Signior Rolando, addreffing himself to his company, faid, Gentlemen, we muft keep our word with Gil Blas: I have no bad opinion of that young fellow, and I hope we thall make fomething of him: it is therefore my opinion, that we carry him along with us to-morrow to gather laurels on the highway, and usher him into the I to commit. I would gladly have made my efcape that moment; but the great eft part of the thieves were better mounted than I; and, had they per◄ ceived me running away, would have been at my heels in an inftant, and entrapt me again in a very fhort time, or, perhaps, difcharged their carbines at me; in which cafe, I should have nothing to brag of. Not daring, therefore, to hazard fuch a delicate step, I came up with the priest, and clap ping a piftol to his breast, demanded his purfe. He stopped fhort to furvey me; and without feeming much afraid, Child,' faid he, 'you are very young: 'you have got a bad trade by the hand betimes. Bad as it is, father,' E replied, I wish I had begun it foon er. Ah! fon, fen,' faid the good friar, (who did not comprehend the true meaning of my words) what blindnefs! allow me to represent to you the miferable condition-` O father,' faid I, interrupting him haftily, a truce with your morals, if you please! my business on the highway is not to hear fermons : I want money. Money!' cried he, with an air of aftonishment; you are little acquainted with the charity of the T was in the month of September, when, towards the close of the night, I came out of the cavern, in company with the robbers; armed like them, with a carbine, two pistols, sword and bayonet, and mounted on a pretty good horfe, which they had taken from the fame gentleman whofe drefs I wore. I had lived fo long in darkness, that when day broke, I was dazzled with the light; which, however, foon be-Spaniards, if you think people of came familiar to my eyes. Having paffed hard by Ponferrada, we lay in ambush in a small wood which bordered on the road to Leon. my cloth have occafion for money, while they travel in this kingdom. Undeceive yourself; we are every where chearfully received, having There we waited, expecting that For-lodging and victuals; and nothing tune would throw fome good luck in our way; when we perceived a Domi is afked in return, but our prayers: in fhort, we never carry money about nican (contrary to the custom of thefeus on the road; but confide alto good fathers) riding upon a forry mule: *God be praifed, cried the captain, laughing, there's the coup d'ellai of 'Gil Blas-Let him go and unload ⚫ that monk, while we obferve his behaviour. All the reft were of opision, that this was a very proper commiffion for me; and exhorted me to gether in Providence.' That won't go down with me,' I replied: your dependance is not altogether fo vifionary; for, you have always fʊme good piftoles in referve, to make more fure of Providence. But, my good father," added I, let us have done; my comrades, who are in that wood, acquit myfelf handsomely in it. Gen-begin to be impatient; therefore throw tleman,' faid I, you shall be fatis'fied: I will make that prieft as bare as my hand, and bring hither his mule in a twinkling. No, no,' replied Rolando, he is not worth the trouble: bring us only the purfe of his reverence; that is all we expect of thee. For this purpofe, I fallied from the wood, and made towards the clergyman; begging Heaven, all the way, to pardon the action I was about your purfe upon the ground inftant ly, or I fhall certainly put you to death.' At these words, which I uttered with a menacing look, the friar, feeming afraid of his life, faid, Hold! I will fatisfy you then, fince there is a neceffity for it: I fee tropes and figures have no effect on people of your pro⚫feflion.' So faying, he pulled from underneath his gown a large purse of D hamoy fhamoy leather, which he dropped upon the ground. Then I told him, he might continue his journey; a permiffion he did not give me the least trouble of repeating; but clapped his heels to the fides of his mule; which belying the opinion I had conceived of her, (for I imagined he was not much better than my uncle's) all of a fudden went off at a pretty round pace. As foon as he was at a distance, I alighted, ing checked by the ralliers, who effjoyed themfelves at my expence. Every one having fhot his bolt, the captain faid to me, In faith, Gil Blas, I ad• vife thee, as a friend, to joke no more with monks; who are, generally Speaking, too arch and cunning for fuch as thee.' CHA P. IX. FOLLOWED THIS ADVENTURE. and taking up the purfe, which feemed OF THE SERIOUS AFFAIR THAT would they give me time to difmount, After they had loaded me with fo much undeferved praife, they were defirous of examining the booty I had made. Come,' said they, 'let us fee what there is in the clergyman's purfe. It ought to be well furnished,' continued one among them for thofe good fathers don't travel like pilgrims. The captain untied the purfe, and, opening it, pulled out two or three handfuls of copper medals, mixed with bits of hallowed wax, and fome fcapularies *. At the fight of fuch an uncommon prey, all the robbers burst out into an immoderate fit of laughter. Upon my soul,' cried the lieutenant, we are very much obliged to Gil Blas, for having, in his coup d'efai, performed a theft fo falutary to the company.' This piece of wit brought on more. Thofe mif creants, and he in particular who had apostatized, began to be very merry upon the matter: a thoufand fallies efcaped them, that too well denoted their immorality. I was the only perfon who did not laugh; my mirth be E remained in the wood the W out perceiving any traveller that could make amends for the priest. At last we left it, in order to return to our cavern, confining our exploits to that ludicrous event, which ftill constituted the fubject of our difcourfe, when we difcovered, at a distance, a coach drawn by four mules, advancing at a brisk trot, and efcorted by three men on horfeback, who feemed well armed. Upon this, Rolando ordered his troop to halt, and held a council; the refult of which was, that they should attack the coach. We were immediately arranged according to his difpofition, and marched up to it in order of battle. In fpite of the applause I had acquired in the wood, I felt myself feized with an univerfal tremor, and immediately a cold sweat broke out all over my body, which I looked upon as no very favourable omen. To crown my good luck, I was in the front of the line, between the captain and lieutenant, who had ftationed me there, that I might accuftom myself to stand fire all at once. Rolando obferving how much nature fuffered within me, looked at me afkance, faying with a fierce countenance, Hark'e, Gil Blas, remember to do thy duty; for if thou hang'st an arfe, I'll blow thy brains out. I was too well perfuaded that he would keep his word, to neglect this caution; for which reafon I thought of nothing now but of recommending my foul to God. In the mean time the coach and horfemen approached, who knowing what fort of people we were, and gues fing our defign by our appearance, stopped within mufket-fhot, and prepared Scapularies are pieces of confecrated Auff, worn by priests and nuns. to to receive us; while a gentleman of a good mien, and richly dreffed, came out of the coach, and mounting a horfe that was led by one of his attendants, put himself at their head, without any other arms than a fword and a pair of piftols. Though they were but four against nine, (the coachman remaining on the feat) they advanced towards us with a boldness that redoubled my fear: I did not fail, however, though I trembled in every joint, to make rea not as yet recovered her fenfes, was, by order of the captain, taken out, and placed on horseback before one of the robbers that was beft mounted; after which, quitting the high road, the coach, and the dead, whom we had tripped, we carried off the lady, the mules, and the horses. CHAP. X. dy to fire; but, to tell the truth, I shut IN WHAT MANNER THE ROBBERS my eyes, and turned away my head, when I difcharged my carbine; and, confidering the manner in which it went off, my confcience ought to be acquitted on that score. I will not attempt to defcribe the action; for although I was prefent, I faw nothing; and my fear, in confounding my imagination, concealed from me the horror of the fpectacle that occafioned it. All I know of the matter is, that after a great noise of firing, I heard my companions fhout, and cry, 'Victory! victory! At that exclamation, the terror which had taken poffeffion of my fenfes, diffipated, and I faw the four horfemen ftretched lifelefs on the field of battle. On our fide we had but one man killed, and he was no other than the apoftate, who had met with his deferts for his apoftacy and profane jests upon the scapularies. The lieutenant received a wound in the arm; but it was a very flight one, the fhot having only ruffled the skin. Signior Rolando ran immediately to the door of the coach, in which there was a lady of about four or five and twenty years of age, who appeared very handfome, notwithstanding the melancholy condition in which the was; for fhe had fwooned during the engagement, and was not yet recovered. While he was bufied in looking after her, we took care of the booty, beginning with fecuring the horfes of the killed, which, frighted at the noife of the firing, had run away, after having loft their riders. As for the mules, they had not stirred, altho' the coachman, during the action, had quitted his place, in order to make his escape. We alighted; and, unyoking, loaded them with fome trunks we found faftened to the coach, before and behind. This being done, the lady, who had BEHAVED TO THE LADY. OF T was within an hour of day-break when we arrived at our habitation; and the first thing we did was, to lead our beafts into the ftable, where we were obliged to tie them to the rack, and take care of them with our own hands, the old negre having been three days before feized with a violent fit of the gout and rheumatism, that kept him a-bed, deprived of the use of his limbs: the only member at liberty was his tongue, which he employed in teftifying his impatience, by the moft horrible execrations. Leaving this miferable wretch to fwear and blafpheme, we went to the kitchen, where our whole attention was engroffed by the lady, and we fucceeded fo well as to bring her out of her fit; but when she had recovered the ufe of her fentes, and saw herself in the hands of feveral men whom he did not know, fhe perceived her misfortune, and was feized with horror! The moft lively forrow and direful defpair appeared in her eyes, which the lifted up to heaven, as if to reproach it with the indignities that threatened her; then giving way of a fudden to thefe difmal apprehenfions, the relapfed into a fwoon, her eyelids clofed, and the robbers imagined that death would deprive them of their prey. The captain, thinking it more proper to leave her to herself than to torment her with their assistance, ordered her to be carried to Leonarda's bed, where he was left alone, at the hazard of what might happen. We repaired to the hall, where one. of the thieves, who had been bred a furgeon, dreffed the lieutenant's wound : after which, being defirous of seeing D 2 what what was in the trunks, we found fome of them filled with lace and linen, others with cloaths; and the last we opened, contained fome bags full of piftoles, at fight of which, the gentlemen concerned were infinitely rejoiced. This enquiry being made, the cookmaid furnished the fide-board, laid the cloth, and ferved up fupper. Our converfation at first turned upon the great victory we had obtained; and Rolando addrefling himself to me, Confefs, Gil Blas,' faid he, confefs that thou waft horribly afraid.' I ingenuously owned, that what he faid was very true; but that when I fhould have made two or three campaigns, I would fight like a knight-errant : whereupon the whole company took my part, obferving that my fear was excufable; that the action had been very hot; and that, confidering I was a young fellow who had never imelled gunpowder, I had acquitted myfelf pretty well. The difcourfe afterwards turning upon the mules and horfes we had brought into our retreat, it was agreed that to-morrow before day we fhould all fet out together, in order to fell them at Manfilla; which place, in all probability, the report of our expedition had not yet reached. This refolution being taken, we finifhed our meal, and returned into the kitchen to visit the lady, whom we found ftill in the fame fituation. Nevertheless, tho' it was with difficulty we could perceive any figns of life in her, fome of the villains did not fcruple to regard her with a prophane eye, and even to difcover a brutal defire; which they would have fatisfied immediately, had not Rolando prevented it, by reprefenting to them, that they ought at leaft to wait until the lady fhould get the better of - that oppreffion of forrow which de-prived her of reflection. The refpect they had for their captain reftrained their incontinence; otherwife, nothing could have faved the lady, whofe honour death itself, perhaps, would not have been able to fecure. We left this unfortunate gentlewo man in the fame condition in which we found her; Rolando contenting himself with laying injunctions on Leonarda to take care of her, while every one retired into his own apart. ment. For my own part, as foon as I got to bed, instead of refigning myfelf to fleep, I did nothing but think of that lady's misfortune: I never doubted that he was a perfon of quality, and looked upon her fituation as the more deplorable for that reafon. I could not, without fhuddering, reprefent to myself the horrors to which the was deftined, and felt myself as deeply concerned for her, as if I had been attached by blood or friendship. At laft, after having bewailed her hard fate, I began to revolve the means of refcuing her honour from the danger in which it was, and of delivering my felf at the fame time from the fubterranean abode. I recollected that the old negro was not in a condition to move; and that, fince his being taken ill, the cook-wench kept the key of the grate. This reflection warmed my imagination, and made me conceive a fcheine, which I digetted fo well, that I proceeded to put it in practice immediately in the following manner. Pretending to be racked with the cholick, I began with complaints and groans; then raising my voice, uttered dreadful cries, that wakened the robbers, and brought them inftantly to my bed-fide. When they asked what made me roar so hideously, I answered that I was tortured with an horrible cholick; and, the better to perfuade them of the truth of what I said, grinded my teeth, made frightful grimaces and contorfions, and writhed myself in a ftrange manner: then I became quiet all of a fudden, as if my pains had given me fome refpite. In a moment after, I began again to bounce upon the bed, and twist about my limbs: in a word, I played my part fo well, that the thieves, cunning as they were, allowed themselves to be deceived, and believed, in good earneft, that I was violently griped. In a moment, all of them were bufied in endeavours to eafe me: one brought a bottle of ufquebagh, and made me swallow one half of it; another, in fpite of my teeth, injected a clyfter of oil of fweet almonds; a third warmed a napkin, and applied it broiling hot to my belly. I roared for mercy in vain they imputed my cries to the cholick; and continued to make me fuffer real pains, in attempting to free me |