e Salamanque_, which he calls himself a translation from a Spanish
manuscript, of which he never produces the original. Did the matter rest
here, much suspicion would be thrown upon Le Sage's claims to the
authorship of _Gil Blas_; but we come now to the evidence arising, "ex
visceribus causae," from the work itself, and the manner of its
publication.

The chief points of resemblance between Gil Blas and the Bachelier de
Salamanque, are the following:--

1. The Bachelier de Salamanque is remarkable for his logical
subtilty--so is Gil Blas.

2. The doctor of Salamanque, by whom the bachelor is supported after his
father's death, is avaricious--so is Gil Blas's uncle, the canon of
Oviedo, Gil Perez.

3. The doctor recommends the bachelor of Salamanca to obtain a situation
as tutor--the canon gives similar advice to Gil Blas.

4. The bachelor is dissuaded from becoming a tutor--Fabricio dissuades
Gil Blas from taking the same situation.

5. A friar of Madrid makes it his business to find vacant places for
tutors--a friar of Cordova, in Gil Blas, does the same.

6. The bachelor is obliged to leave Madrid because he is the favoured
lover of Donna Lucia de Padilla--Gil Blas is obliged to leave the
Marquise de Chaves for the same reason.

7. Bartolome, the comedian, encourages his wife's intrigues--Melchier
Zapata does the same.

8. The lover of Donna Francisca, in Granada, is a foreign nobleman kept
there by important business--the situation of the Marquis de Marialva is
the same.

9. The comedian abandons an old and liberal lover, for Fonseca, who is
young and poor--Laura prefers Louis de Alaga to his rival, for the same
reason.

10. Bartolome, to deceive Francisca, assumes the name of Don Pompeio de
la Cueva--to deceive Laura, Gil Blas pretends to be Don Fernando de
Ribera.

11. _Le Bachelier_ contains repeated allusions to Dominican friars, and
particularly to Cirilo Carambola--similar allusions abound in _Gil
Blas_, where Louis de Aliaga, confessor of Philip III., is particularly
mentioned.

12. The character of Diego Cintillo, in the _Bachelier de Salamanque_,
is identical with that of Manuel Ordonez in _Gil Blas_.

13. An aunt of the Duke of Uzeda obtains for the bachelor the place of
secretary in the minister's office--Gil Blas obtains the same post by
means of an uncle of the Count of Olivarez.

14. The bachelor, whilst secretary at Uzeda, assists in bringing about
his patron's daughter's marriage