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

G X L B L A S. 165
own. Every morning my anti-chamber was full
of people, and I gave audience at my leVes. Two
Kinds of company came thither; one, tO“ buy my
intereft with the minifter for favours ; and the
pther, to move me by fupplicatiohs, to obtain for
them what they wanted gratis. The firft were
'fure of being heard and aGifted; but with regard
-to the laft, I got rid of them immediately by evat
Jive excufcs, or amiifed them fo long, that their
jpatience forfook them. Before J belonged to court,
.1 was naturally compaflionate and charitable ; but
11 no longer felt that human weaknefs,i and became
as hard as flint. Of confequence, I cured tnyfelf
of my friendihips alfo, and ftript myfelf of all focial
.affeftion, as will appear by niy behaviour to Jdfeph
•Navarro, in an affair I am going to relate.
This Navarro, to whom I owed fo many eiblt.
.gations, and who, in one word, was the firft
caufe of my fortune, came one day to my hoqfe s
■and after having expreflfed a great deal of friend-
fhip for me, as he always did when we met, defi-
red me to ask of the duke of Lerma, a certain
.employment for one of his friends; telling me,
that the cavalier in whofe behalf he folliclted, was
a very amiable young gentleman, of great merit,
but that he wanted a poll for his fubfiftenee t
“ I don’t at all doubt, (added Jofeph) that, kind
and obliging as you are, you will be overjoyed
at an opportunity of ferving a man of honour in
dirtrefs; and I am fure that you will think your*
-felf beholden to me for giving you this occafion of
exerting your generofity.” This was' plainly
felling me, that he expeSed it for nothing; and
though I did not much relifh the propofal, I ap-
■peared very much difpofed to do what he deiired.
“ I am charmed, (anfweredT to Navarro) that I
have it in my power to fhew my lively gratitude
. Vol. III. Q. for