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

G I L B L A 3. 13s
flours all the contempt which the opinion of ap¬
proaching death had made me conceive ; and now
reftored, as it were, to myfelf, blefled my misfor.
tune. I thanked heaven for it, as for a particular
favour, and firmly refolved never to return to
court, even if the duke of Lerma (hould recal me,
I propofed, rather, if ever I fhould be releafed, to
.purchafe a cottage, and live in it like a philofopher.
My confident approved of my defign, and told
tne, that, in order to haften the execution of it,
he intended to go and folicit my enlargement at
Madrid. “ There is a thing come into my head,
(added he.) 1 know a perfon that can ferve you.
She is the favourite waiting-woman of the prince’s
nurfe, and a girl of underftanding. 1 will make
her apply to her miftrefs in your behalf; and will
■attempt every thing to get you out of this tower,
which is (till a prifon, notwithftanding the good
treatment you receive in it.” “ Thou art in the
tight, (anfwered I) go, my friend, and begin this
'negotiation without lofs of time. Would to hea¬
ven we were already in our retreat 1”
CHAP. IX.
Scipio returns to Madrid, and procures the enlargement
"f Gil Bias, on certain conditions. What course
they fleer togftbfr, nvben they leave the tower of Sego¬
via, and the converfation that pajfes between them.
SCIPIO fet out once more for Madrid ; and I,
in expefVation of his return* applied myfelf to
reading, being furnifhed with more books than I
-wanted, by Tofdefillas, who borrowed them from
an old eommander that could not read, though he
• bad afine library, to piaintain the appearance of
a literati. I loved, in particular, good works of