The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Volume 2 (of 3)Le Sage, Alain René
General
The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, Volume 2 (of 3)
Le Sage, Alain René
Adventure and adventurers -- Fiction; Blas, Gil (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
These first people in Grenada, said I, have gone the wrong way to
work. It would have been much better if no interest at all had been
made for the reverend licentiate. People have only done him a
mischief by endeavoring to serve him. I know my lord archbishop
thoroughly: entreaties and importunate recommendations do but
aggravate the ill condition of a clergyman who lies under his
displeasure: it is but a very short time ago since I heard him mutter
the following sentiment to himself. The more persons a priest, who
has been guilty of any misconduct, engages to speak to me in his
behalf, the more widely is the scandal of the church disseminated,
and the more severe is my treatment of the offender. That is very
unlucky, replied the steward; and my friend would be put to his last
shifts if he did not write a good hand. But, happily, he has the pen
of a ready scribe, and keeps his head above water by the exercise of
that talent. I was curious to see whether this boasted handwriting
was so much better than my own. The licentiate, who had a specimen
in his pocket, showed me a sheet which I admired very much: it had
all the regularity of a writing-master's copy. In looking over this
model of penmanship, an idea occurred to me. I begged Garcias to
leave this paper in my hands, saying that I might be able to do
something with it which should turn out to his advantage; that I
could not explain myself at that moment, but would tell him more the
next day. The licentiate, to whom the steward had evidently talked
big about my capacity to serve him, withdrew in as good spirits as if
he had already been restored to his functions.
I was in earnest in my endeavor that he should be so, and lost no
time in setting to work. Happening to be alone with the archbishop,
I produced the specimen. My patron was delighted with it. Seizing
on this favorable opportunity, May it please your grace, said I,
since you are determined not to put your homilies to the press, I
should very much like them at least to be transcribed in this
masterly manner.
I am very well satisfied with your performance, answered the prelate;
but yet I own that it would be a pleasant thing enough to have a copy
of my works in that hand. Your grace, replied I, has only to signify
your wishes. The man who copies so well is a licentiate of my
acquaintance. It will give him so much the more pleasure to gratify
you, as it may be the means of interesting your goodness to extricate
him from the melancholy situation to which he has the misfortune at
present to be reduced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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