Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 1

GIL B L A S'. 175
sifully mady; and the palace, comp >fed
15 paper, feemed ail in a flame by an arti-
fal firework. This conflagration, accompa-
d with a thoufand doleful ihrieks, that feemed
■0 iffue from the mid it of the flames concluded
:e piece, itnd doled the fcene in a very divert-
fj* manner. The whole plain echoed with the
iiplaufe that was given to fuch a fine tragedy,
it lich jollified the good tafte of the poet, and
p ewed that he knew how to chufe his fubjecl.
ii'I thoiight there was no more to be feen, after
- ;e diverfions of Muley Bugentuf; but I was
i illaken: for we were advertifed of a new Ihew
y the found of drums and trumpets. ■ This was
Jldiltribution of prizes; Thomas de la Fuenta,
; p make the feafl; more folemn, having ordered
i 1 his fcholars (as well thofe who were boarded
ailith him as the reft) to compofe, and intending
: f; \ beftow on thofe who had fucceeded belt,
• ij poks bought at Segovia with his own coin. Im- |
jiediately, therefore, two fchool-forms weie
■ , wrought upon the ftage, with a prefs full of little
I? boks handfomely "bound ; then all the acftors re-
oirned upon the fcene, and ranged themfelves
pound Signor Thomas, who looked as big as the
•l ead matter of a college, and held a paper in his
v and, on which were written the names of thofe'
;irho were to obtain the prizes: this he gave to
i; he king of Morocco, who began to read it with
hloud voice ; and every fcholar who was called,
going in a refpedful manner, received a book
tom the pedant, who was afterwards crowned
fith bays, and ordered to fit down on one of the
Jienches, that he might be expofedto the admi-
i iation of the crowd. Neverthelefs, how deli-
31 pus foever the fchoolmafter was of fending
•iiome the fpe&ators fatisfied, he could by no
means ’