GIL BLAS. 33
tkeati'e, during the play. He found me behind the feenes, and began to reproach me for my ingratitude. I laughed in his face, at which he was enraged, and lent me a box on ihe ear, like a blunt German as he ■was : I (bricked aloud, interrupted the reprefentation, appeared upon the ftage, and addrefling myfelf to the Duke d’Offuna, who was prefent with the duchefs his lady, demanded juftice for the German behaviour of his genltcman. The duke ordered us to go on with the play, arid faid he would hear the parties, when wc had (inilhed the piece. As loon as it was over, I prefented myfelf, in a good deal of emotion, before the duke, and fignified my g-ricvance in a pathetic manner ; as for the German, he employed but two words in his defence ; he faid, “ that far from repenting of what he had done, he would do it again on the fame provocation.” Both parties being heard, the duke of OfTma faid to my adverfary, Btutan- doif, I difmifs you from my fervice; let me never fee yotir face again: not that I mind your having (hack an aftrels, but am offended at your want of rcfpeft to your mafter and miftrefs, by prefuming to difturb the entertainment in their prcfcncc.”
This fentcncc I could notdigeft; I was mortally piqued, becaufe the German had not been turned away on account of his infolcnce to me: I imagined that fuch an affront put upon an aftrefs, ought to have been as feveredy punifhed cs petty treafon, and I had laid my account with feeing the gentleman undergo lome terrible infhftion. This difagrecable event undeceived and convinced me, that the world always makes a diftinffcion between the players and the cha* rafters they reprefent. I was, for this reafon, dU- guffed with the (tage, which I refolved to abandon, and go to live at a great dillance from Madrid. I accordingly chofe the city of Valencia for my letrcat, and thither I repaired incognito, with the value of twenty thoufand ducats, in jewels and calb : a fortnqe, as I thought, iudiciem to maintain rac during the reft of