The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane (Classic Reprint)

HISTORY OF GIL BLAS OF SANTILLANE. BOOK THE FIRST. CHA'P'fER. I.-The birlk and educatio1t of Gil BIas. :My father, Bias of Santillane, after having borne nons for a long time in tile Spanish service, rebred"to his native place. There he married a chamber-maid who was not exactly in her teens, and I made my d(but on this stage ten months after marriage. They afterwards went to live at Oviedo, where my motl1er got into service, and my father obtained [l situation eqUally adapted to his capacities as a squire. As their wages were their fortune, I might have got my education ns I could, had it not been for an uncle of mine in the town, a canon, by name Gil Pe~ He was mymotber's eldest brother, and my godfather. Figure to yourse f a little fellow, three feet and a half high, as fat as you can conceive, with a head sunk deep between bis shoulders. and you have my uncle to the life. For the rest of his qualities, he was an ecclesiastic, and of course thought of nothiDg buTable of Contents CONTENTS; BOOK THE FIRST; tJ:IIAr I-The birth and education of Gil BIas Page I; t:UAP H-Gil BIas' alarm on his road to Pegnafior; his adventures on his arrival; in that town j and the character of the men with whom he supped 2; ZHAl' IIl-The muleteer's temptation on the road; its consequences, and the; situation of Gil Bias between Scylla and Charybdis 6; :HAl' IV-Description of the subterraneous dwelling and its contents 8; ~Ar V-The arrival of the banditti in the subterraneous retreat, with an ac·; count of their pleasant conversation 9; :HAP VI-The attempt of Gil BIas to escape, and its success 13; CHAP VII-Gil BIas, Dot being able to do what he likes,docswhat he can 15; ~HAP VIII-Gil BIas goes out with the gang, and performs an exploit on the; highway 16; ~HAl' IX-A more serious incident 17; CHAP X-The lady's treatmcnt from the