HISTOIRE DE GIL BLAS: de Santillane édition augmentée de Notes historiques et littéraires par François De Neufchateau Déclaration de l'Auteur - Gil Blas au Lecteur

L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane pis a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably as The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, by Tobias Smollett in 1748.

Gil Blas is born in misery to a stable hand and a chambermaid of Santillana in Cantabria, and is educated by his uncle. He leaves Oviedo at the age of seventeen to attend the University of Salamanca. His bright future is suddenly interrupted when he is forced to help robbers along the route and is faced with jail. He becomes a valet and, over the course of several years, is able to observe many different classes of society, both lay and clerical. Because of his occupation, he meets many disreputable people and is able to adjust to many situations, thanks to his adaptability and quick wit. He finally finds himself at the royal court as a favorite of the king and secretary to the prime minister. Working his way up through hard work and intelligence, Gil is able to retire to a castle to enjoy a fortune and a hard-earned honest life.

View of Windsor castle in all its glory from the 1800s as viewed from the North side of the river Thames. Showing the iconic round tower (The Keep) and St Georges Chapel. A wonderful scene that has hardly changed even today