GIL BLAS TO THE READER
Reader! hark you, my friend! Do not begin the story of my life till I have told you a short tale.
Two students travelled together from Penafiel to Salamanca. Finding themselves tired and thirsty, they stopped by the side of a spring on the road. While they were resting there, after having quenched their thirst, by chance they espied on a stone near them, even with the ground, part of an inscription, in some degree effaced by time, and by the tread of flocks in the habit of watering at that spring. Having washed the stone, they were able to trace these words in the dialect of Castille: Aqui està encerrada el alma del licenciado Pedro Garcias. "Here lies interred the soul of the licentiate Peter Garcias."
Hey-day! roars out the younger, a lively, heedless fellow, who could not get on with his deciphering for laughter: This is a good joke indeed: "Here lies interred the soul." ... A soul interred! ... I should like to know the whimsical author of this ludicrous epitaph. With this sneer he got up to go away. His companion, who had more sense, said within himself: Underneath this stone lies some mystery; I will stay, and see the end of it. Accordingly, he let his comrade depart, and without loss of time began digging round about the stone with his knife till he got it up. Under it he found a purse of leather, containing a hundred ducats, with a card on which was written these words in Lathi: "Whoever thou art who hast wit enough to discover the meaning of the inscription, I appoint thee my heir, in the hope thou wilt make a better use of my fortune than I have done!" The student, out of his wits at the discovery, replaced the stone in its former position, and set out again on the Salamanca road with the soul of the licentiate in his pocket.
Now, my good friend and reader, no matter who you are, you must be like one or the other of these two students. If you cast your eye over my adventures without fixing it on the moral concealed under them, you will derive very little benefit from the perusal: but if you read with attention you will find that mixture of the useful with the agreeable, so successfully prescribed by Horace.
CONTENTS OF VOL. I.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL NOTICE OF LE SAGE, BY GEORGE SAINTSBURY
BOOK THE FIRST.
The Birth and Education of Gil Blas.
Gil Blas's Alarm on his Road to Pegnaflor; his Adventures on his Arrival in that Town; and the Character of the Men with whom he Supped.
The Muleteer's Temptation on the Road; its Consequences, and the Situation of Gil Blas between Scylla and Charybdis.
Description of the Subterranean Dwelling and its Contents.
The Arrival of the Banditti in the Subterraneous Retreat, with an Account of their Pleasant Conversation.
The Attempt of Gil Blas to Escape, and its Success.
Gil Blas, not being able to do what he likes, does what he can.
Gil Blas goes out with the Gang, and Performs an Exploit on the Highway.
A more Serious Incident.
The Lady's Treatment from the Robbers. The Event of the Great Design conceived by Gil Blas.
The History of Donna Mencia de Mosquera.
A disagreeable Interruption.
The lucky Means by which Gil Blas escaped from Prison, and his Travels afterwards.
Donna Mencia's Reception of him at Burgos.
Gil Blas dresses himself to more Advantage, and receives a second Present from the Lady. His Equipage on setting out from Burgos.
Showing that Prosperity will slip through a Man's Fingers.
The Measures Gil Blas took after the Adventure of the ready-furnished Lodging.
BOOK THE SECOND.
Fabricio introduces Gil Blas to the Licentiate Sedillo, and procures him a Reception. The Domestic Economy of that Clergyman. Picture of his Housekeeper.
The Canon's Illness; his Treatment; the Consequence; the Legacy to Gil Blas.
Gil Blas enters into Doctor Sangrado's Service, and becomes a famous Practitioner.
Gil Blas goes on practising Physic with equal Success and Ability. Adventure of the recovered Ring.
Sequel of the foregoing Adventure. Gil Blas retires from Practice, and from the Neighborhood of Valladolid.
His Route from Valladolid, with a Description of his Fellow-traveller.
The Journeyman Barber's Story.
The Meeting of Gil Blas and his Companion with a Man soaking Crusts of Bread at a Spring, and the Particulars of their Conversation.
The Meeting of Diego with his Family; their Circumstances in Life; great Rejoicing on the Occasion; the parting Scene between him and Gil Blas.
BOOK THE THIRD.
The Arrival of Gil Blas at Madrid. His first Place there.
The Astonishment of Gil Blas at meeting Captain Rolando in Madrid, and that Robber's curious Narrative.
Gil Blas is dismissed by Don Bernard de Castil Blazo, and enters into the Service of a Beau.
Gil Blas gets into Company with his Fellows; they show him a ready Road to the Reputation of Wit, and impose on him a singular Oath.
Gil Blas becomes the Darling of the Fair Sex, and makes an interesting Acquaintance.
The Prince's Company of Comedians.
History of Don Pompeyo de Castro.
An Accident, in Consequence of which Gil Blas was obliged to look out for another Place.
A new Service after the Death of Don Matthias de Silva.
Much such another as the Foregoing.
A theatrical Life, and an Author's Life.
Gil Blas acquires a Relish for the Theatre, and takes a full Swing of its Pleasures, but soon becomes disgusted.
BOOK THE FOURTH.
Gil Blas, not being able to reconcile himself to the Morals of the Actresses, quits Arsenia, and gets into a more reputable. Service.
Aurora's Reception of Gil Blas. Their Conversation.
A great Change at Don Vincent's. Aurora's strange Resolution.
"The Fatal Marriage"—a Novel.
The Behavior of Aurora de Guzman on her Arrival at Salamanca.
Aurora's Devices to secure Don Lewis Pacheco's Affections.