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

16+ The ADVENTURES of
the reft was not a whit lefs arrogant. In the mid*:
die of fupper, they worried me with verfe and
profe; each in his turn, repeating a fpecimen of
his own writings ; one regaled me with a fonnet;
another rphearfed a fcene of a tragedy; a third'
read a criticiim upon a comedy : and a fourth,!
endeavouring in his turn to give us an ode of
Anacreon, t ran dated into wretched Spanilh verfe,’
was interrupted by one of his brethren, who told:
him that he had ufed an improper term. The Au¬
thor of the tranflation denied his a flection ; and a
difpute arofe, in which all the wits efpoufed onej
fide or other ; the votes were equal, the difpu-;
tants grew hot, and proceeded to inveftives : The
debate ftill continued ; until becoming quite furi-j
ous, they got up and went by the ears togefher.;
Fabricio, Scipio, my coachman, lacqueys and my-
felf, had all iuliicient work in parting them; which
when we had accompliftied, they went away, as
if from a public houfe, without making the leaft;
apology for their impolite behaviour.
Nunnez, upon whofe promife I had formed ani
agreeable idea of this entertainment, remained verj}
ptuch out of countenance at this adventure^
“ Well,, friend, (faid I to him) will you extoi
your fellow guefts ? Upon my confcience, yoq
have brought hither a villainous fet. I will hence,
forth keep to my clerks; don’t talk to me of am,
thors.” “ 1 will bring no more fuch (anfwered
he) thou haft feen the beft of the whole tribe.”
CHAP. X.
OTr ir.orah of $il Bias an entirely corrupted a‘ court, :1
He is charged with a commijjion by the Count de L ernes,
and engages in an intrigue with that nobleman.
AS foon as 1 was known to be in favour wit!
the Duke of Lerma, I had a court of mj
ow.