_From the service of the Cook, Guzman returns to the Begging Trade, and
robs an Apothecary._
Wisdom is better than riches, since Fortune is but a fickle goddess, who
bereaves us one day of what she has bestowed on us the preceding. During
the course of our lives she makes us resemble comedians, who have every
day new parts to study, and must appear in different characters. Who
could have thought that, after having served the cook so faithfully, he
would have turned me out of doors for so trifling an offence? It is
true, that thus the world wags, and that persons of much greater
consequence than myself are constantly treated in the same manner by the
_great_ upon the most trivial occasion, after having rendered them a
thousand services.
Stop, Guzman, cry you, or you will lose yourself in moral reflections.
Whither will this learned discourse lead you? To my basket again, reply
I; yes, my friend, to my basket, which, having now become to me as
useful as eloquence was to Demosthenes, or stratagems to Ulysses,
consoled me under my present misfortune. Long may the basket-trade
flourish, which a man, having once tried, will never fail to resume. I
must candidly confess that when I returned to it I was much in the same
condition as when I was fool enough to leave it; for all the produce of
my former knaveries, during the time I had been scullion, had gone as
lightly as it came, and, with the exception of a finer suit of clothes,
I was no better off than before.
That my returning to my old employment, however, might not be attributed
to my indolent and discontented disposition, I determined, before I
purchased a new basket, to offer my services to some cooks of my
master’s acquaintance, who knew me. If they had received me, it was my
intention to have rendered myself thoroughly knowing in kitchen affairs,
in which I had already made so good a beginning, and for which I might
boast a most happy disposition; but they had heard of my inclination for
gaming, and that nothing was safe within my reach when I wanted money:
and thus, finding there was no chance of obtaining another situation of
this description, I was compelled to resume my former occupation. I
therefore took up my basket again; and though I did not fare so well
among my comrades as at the hotel from which I had been dismissed, yet
I was once more independent, and completely master of my own actions.
Being naturally sober, this sort of life was more adapted to my
inclinations than the other, so that I had but little reason to regret
leaving a house in which I was led into a thousand intemperances.
We basket-bearers had a small row of houses, or rather hovels, near the
market, which we had bought at our own expense. Here it was that we
usually regaled ourselves, and held our merry meetings. I always got up
with the sun, and was ready at every body’s call, by which means I never
failed to secure a profitable day’s work from such of the citizens as
kept no servants, who employed me to carry home the provisions they
purchased; and the faithful manner in which I performed their
commissions soon established my credit in the several markets.
About this time commissions were issued to the different regiments to
raise new levies. When any thing of this nature happens, the report soon
gets abroad, the people assemble in every direction to discuss the
subject, and a council of state is held in almost every house. In ours,
as you may imagine, we canvassed the designs of the Court as freely as
the best of them, and had some politicians among us whose conjectures
were not very far from the truth. Good sense is to be found in every
condition. When we were all assembled at night each reported what he had
heard or seen during the day in the principal families in the city, and
we formed our opinions accordingly; and I can assure you, that though
some among us reasoned absurdly, yet there were others, the solidity and
good sense of whose arguments were fully justified by the occurrence of
events which they predicted. I well remember that, among others, our
fraternity could boast of a certain beggar with wooden legs, who never
left his post on a bridge where he begged the whole of the day, whose
acquaintance with state affairs would have astonished a prime minister.
_We_ concluded then that these new levies that were making, the
destination of which was concealed, must be intended for Italy; and
this, you will see, proved to be true. The first time I heard these
troops mentioned they brought into my mind my intended journey to Genoa,
and made such an impression on my spirits that I did not sleep a wink
the whole night. I felt more anxious than ever to see my relations, from
whom I did not doubt I should obtain a brilliant fortune, every body
telling me that they were exceedingly rich, and many of them without
children; which latter, I considered, would be charmed to have an heir
of so great merit as myself. To these flattering expectations, however,
unpleasant ideas soon succeeded. “How,” thought I, “can I have the
insolence to appear before these noble Genoeses in this miserable dress?
and though I tell them I am their kinsman, are they likely to credit my
assertions? I hope they may be simple enough to believe me; but I fear
they cannot fail to treat me like a rogue and an impostor, if only to
support the honour of the family. Perhaps I may not escape even so well
as this; for my father, who was thoroughly acquainted with the
dispositions of his countrymen, has often said that a Genoese is not to
be trusted in any case where his interest or reputation is concerned.
Still,” thought I, “they may be honest like my father; and I am
persuaded that they will entertain too great a respect for the memory of
their deceased relative, to refuse to assist me in my present
distressing situation. They are too prudent to venture to treat me as an
impostor before they have interrogated me as to our family affairs; and
in this respect I shall be well able to answer, for I can tell them
such particulars as none but my father’s son could possibly be
acquainted with, and which, being not proper to be made public, they
will undoubtedly be obliged to do something for me that I may not
divulge them.”
Thus I wavered betwixt hope and fear. Sometimes I thought that I
flattered myself too much, and at other times that I desponded without
reason. I paused at the latter reflection, which was the more
consolatory of the two, and hoping to fulfil the proverb, which says,
“he that wishes to be Pope, need only fancy himself one,” I resolved to
avail myself of the favorable opportunity which now presented itself of
getting into Italy, by joining the levies that were raising. One day, as
I was sitting at my usual post, reflecting on the pleasures I should
enjoy at Genoa, my agreeable reverie was disturbed by some one who
called me two or three times. I turned round to see who it could be
that was so well acquainted with my name, and perceived that it was an
old Apothecary who had often employed me before. He beckoned me to come
to him, and I ran immediately; but two of my companions, who were nearer
to him, got before me, and proffered their services before I came up. He
however repulsed them sharply, saying, “no, no; get you gone, birds of
prey; this is not a morsel for you, but for my faithful Guzman.” He
little thought he spoke so truly. Then addressing himself to me, who had
just come up, “_open thy basket_,” added he, and he threw into it three
bags of money, which he had with him wrapped in the corner of his cloak.
“To what brazier must I carry all this copper?” quoth I with a smile.
“This copper!” answered the Apothecary, laughing outright; “here’s a
pretty rogue of a beggar, that takes silver for copper. Come, march on,”
continued he, “for I am in haste; I have engaged to pay a foreign
merchant this money to-day, who has sold me some drugs.”
This might have been his intention; but I had formed another to defeat
it the instant I heard those charming words, _open thy basket_. The news
of the birth of an only son causes less joy to a tender parent than I
felt at those sweet words, which engraved themselves on my heart, if I
may so express it, in letters of gold. I looked on these three bags as a
present sent me from Heaven, to enable me to support the part I had to
perform at Genoa, and concluded them already my own. As my man had not
the slightest suspicion of me, being already well convinced, as he
conceived, of my honesty, he walked before, and I followed him,
pretending now and then that I was obliged to rest myself a little, as
if my burthen were too great, although, in truth, I could have wished it
much heavier. I never was so anxious to meet a crowd of people as on
this occasion, or even a sly turning by which I could suddenly disappear
from my unsuspecting friend the Apothecary. We chanced, however, shortly
to pass a house with which I was well acquainted, the front and back
doors of which stood most invitingly open. I could not allow this
opportunity to escape me, but entered instantly, and passed through the
house without meeting with any interruption; and in less than two
minutes had got through two or three streets as though I had wings to my
feet. I then resumed my usual pace, to avoid suspicion, being far enough
from my Apothecary, and walked on as demurely as though nothing had
happened.
In this manner I soon arrived at the gate _de la Vega_, that is to say,
the open country, whence, with the same grave countenance I gained the
bank of the Mançanares; then crossing over to _Casa del Campo_, I
travelled a good league through woods and thickets, and, as night
approached, stopped among some poplars very near to the river, where I
began to consider how I should proceed. “It is not enough,” said I, “to
have begun so well, I must continue in the same manner. Of what use will
this prize be to me if I cannot take care of it now that I have got it?
If I should happen to be nabbed, I shall not only be obliged to refund,
but may lose both my ears to wit; let me, therefore, look out for some
place where I may deposit my money in safety.”
After having looked about for some time I made a hole about two feet
deep at the bottom of the river, and let down my basket and bags of
money into it. Then covering them with large stones, to prevent them
from floating, I set up a stake in the sand near the spot, that I might
be sure of recollecting where my darling treasure lay concealed. After
this grand operation I went to sleep at the foot of a tree hard by,
where I passed the night, not altogether free from anxiety, though
perfectly well satisfied with the reflection that I was now so well off.
When day-light appeared, I hid myself in a thicket until it was dark
again, when hunger, which drives the wolf from the wood, obliged me to
leave my haunts to go and purchase some provisions, not at either of the
villages in the environs, where, in all probability, the Apothecary
would have sent the alguazils after me, but at Madrid itself, where I
could be best concealed. Having a little money in my pocket, independent
of my hoard, I ventured into the town, whence I returned in about three
hours with a hamper containing provisions sufficient for eight days, and
spent the greater part of the night in cramming myself with this good
cheer.
When I awoke the next morning, I felt most curious to examine the
contents of the three bags. In vain did I reflect that it must be the
Devil that tempted me, and that I could not satisfy my curiosity without
running the risk of being observed. I could not help yielding to this
gratification, which was certainly the sincerest I had ever felt in my
life. I advanced to the side of the river, and after having looked on
all sides to see if any body was near, I drew my basket out of the
water, and carried it, dripping with wet as it was, into my place of
retreat. Here I opened my bags, and found about two thousand five
hundred reals in them, all in silver, with the exception of thirty
pistoles in gold, which I discovered carefully wrapped up in one of the
bags. I spent the whole of this day with the sincerest pleasure in
counting my pieces over and over again; and when night came on, I put
the whole into the basket again, and secured them in their former
hiding-place.
As it is not my intention, however, to pretend to entertain my reader
with a journal, I need only add, that, after having concealed myself in
this manner in the wood for a full fortnight, I considered that I had no
longer any thing to fear, and that all the hounds of Justice had by this
time so completely lost scent of me as to have given over their pursuit.
I fished up my treasure again, which I deposited at the bottom of my
hamper, under some fresh provisions which I had been again to Madrid to
procure. As to my basket, I left that in the water with the stones upon
it. I then cut me two good sticks, one to carry my burthen on my back,
and the other I made into a sort of pilgrim’s staff; after which, like a
new pilgrim, I took my route towards Toledo across the fields, thinking
it more prudent to avoid the high roads.