Languages & literature > Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane > Volume 3

GIL B-L A S. ifj
t© get good intelligence, which they tranfmit to
nie in writing ; but as their memorials are often
■diffufe, and fluffed with provincial modes of ex-
preffion, they muff be rendered more concife, and
the didlion poliflied ; becaufe his majefty fome-
times orders thefe regifters to be read, to him. In
this work, which requires a perfpicuous ftyle, I
will employ thee this very moment.”
So faying* he took out of a porto folio, full of
papers, a memorial, which he put imp my hand;
and went out of my clpfet, leaving me at liberty
to perform my coup d'effai. I read, the piece,
which feemed not only fluffed with barbarous
terms, but even filled with' indecent paflion; tho’
it had been compofed by a monk in the town of
Solfona. He there tore to pieces, without mercy, q
good Catalonian family, and God knows if he fpoke
truth : it lopked fo much like a fcandaldus libel,
that I at firft made feme fcruple of working upon
it; being afraid of making myfelf an accomplice
in the calumny, Neverthelefs, novice as I was
at court, I went on, at the hazard of.his reverence’s
foul; and placing, all the iniquity, if there was
any in the cafe, to his account, began to diiho-
nour, in good Caflilian phrafes, two or three ge¬
nerations of honeft men, perhaps.
I had already finilhed four or five pages, when
the duke, impatient to knoy how I had performed,
returned and faid, “ Santillane, fhew me what
thou haft done ; for I long to fee itAt the fame
time, throwing his eyes upon my work, he read
the- beginning with.great attention; and feemed
fo well fatiffied, that I was furprized at his com*
mendation. “ Prepofleffed as I was in thy favour,
. '(faid heJH confefs thou haft furpaffed my expec¬
tation : thou writfft not only with all the clear-
nefs