Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 4

4i THE ADVENTURES
three'military orders. “Here is (fakl I to Don
“ Alphonfo), a very numerous alTembly.” “ Von
“ mud not be furprifed at that, (anfwered lie) : the
“ tragedy to be represented is the compolkion of
“ Don Gabriel Triaquero, firnamed the modijb poet.
“ As foon as the play-bills advertifed a new- thing,
“ written by tliat author, the whole city of Valencia
“ was in a flutter : the men as well as the women
“ talk of nothing but this piece ; all the boxes axe
“ befpoke : and it being the firft day of its repre-
“ fentation, people are fqueeaed to death, endea-
“ vouring to enter ; although every place is double
“ filled, except the pit, which they dare not di£
“ oblige.” “ Such madnefs ! (laid I to the governor).
“ that eager curiofny of the public, that furious im-
“ patience to fee every new- produ&ion of Gabriel^
“ gives me an high idea of the poet’s genius.”
In this part of our conversation, the a dors ap¬
peared ; and we left olF Speaking immediately, in
order to. liflen with attention. The applaufes began
with the prologue ; every verfe was attended with a
* Muhaba.1 and at the end of each adt, there was
Such a clapping of hands that one would have thought
the houfe was falling. After the performance, they
fhewed me the author, who went from box to box,
jnodeftly presenting his head for the laurels with
which the gentlemen and ladies prepared to crown
him.
We returned to the governor’s palace, where three
or four knights arrived in a little time : thither alfo-
came two old authors efteemed in their way, with a
gentleman from Madrid of underflanding and taftc-
* A note of anplaufe.