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

i5i The ADVENTURES of
enough to diforder my domeftic affairs. Take)
your meafures accordingly.’’
My matter, by this dilcourfe, banifliing all fear
of being importunate, or rather encouraging me to|
return frequently to the charge, I became more'
greedy of riches than ever, and would have will-i;
Ingly advertifed, that allthofe who wanted favours:
at court, (hould apply to me. I went upon one,
courfe, Scipio upon another, in queft of people'
whom we might ferve for money. My knight of
Galatrava had his government of Vera, for hi*
thoufand piftoles; and I foon obtained another ati
the fame price, for a knight of St. lago *. I
was not contented with making governors only,)
I conferred orders of knighthood, and converted:
lomegood plebeians into bad gentlemen, by virtue:
of excellent letters patent. I was alfo willing that
the clergy (hould feel my benevolence : I bellowed
fmall benefices, canonlhips, and fome ecclefiaftical;
dignities. As for the bilhoprics and archbiftiop-i
rics, they were all in the gift of Don Rodrigo dej
Calderona, who likewife appointed magiftrates,
commanders and viceroys. A plain proof that;
the great places were no better filled than the;
fmall ones ; for the people we chofe to occupy the:
■ports, of which we made fuch an honourable trafa
fic, were not always the beft qualified, or Oaortj
regular. We knew very well, that the wits of
Madrid made themfelves merry at our expence jj
* St. lago, or St. James. This is the higheft order
of knighthood in Spain, influuted m the twelfth cen¬
tury. They take an- oath to defend the pilgrims tha^
vifit the tomb of St. James, at Compoftelh) from rhes
infults of the Moors, They bear for arms a fword;
goles, the handle in form of a crofs, powdered wilt*
flowers de luce j and their ®Otto is. Sanguine Arab'iu *
f but.