# Of my flight from Segovia, with what happened to me by the way to Madrid explained — Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper

> Chapter companion for Pablo de Segovia, the Spanish Sharper by Francisco de Quevedo.

## What happens

Pablo flees Segovia after leaving a sarcastic letter for his uncle Alonso Ramplón, hires a donkey from a carrier, and sets out for Madrid. On the road he meets a threadbare gentleman, Don Toribio Rodriguez Vallejo Gomez de Ampuero y Jordan, whose fine outward appearance belies his extreme poverty—his breeches are held up by a single point and he has no shirt. Don Toribio explains that many nobles at Court live by their wits, and that a clever person can survive in Madrid through flattery and trickery. Pablo is intrigued and asks to learn more.

## Themes in this chapter

### Appearance vs. Reality

Don Toribio's fine starched band and cloak hide his tattered breeches and lack of shirt, illustrating the gap between outward show and inner poverty.

### Poverty and Desperation

Don Toribio's account of selling everything, even his burial plot, and his need to beg for a ride highlight the desperate straits of impoverished nobles.

### Survival and Trickery

Don Toribio describes how a clever wit at Court can turn everything to gold, and Pablo is eager to learn these survival skills.

## Character check-ins

### Pablo de Segovia

Flees Segovia, hires a donkey, meets Don Toribio on the road, and is eager to learn the tricks of survival at Court.

### Alonso Ramplón

Pablo's uncle, left a mocking letter; his rage is implied but not shown directly.

### Toribio Rodriguez Vallejo

A threadbare gentleman met on the road; his fine clothes hide extreme poverty, and he explains how poor nobles live by their wits in Madrid.

## Key lines

> All is not gold that glitters, sir Licentiate

Outward appearances can be deceiving.

_Don Toribio uses this proverb to explain that his fine clothes hide his true poverty._

> I am now convinced of the value of a good pedigree, for being ready to starve one day, they would not give a chop of mutton in the cook’s-shop for mine; for they said it was not flourished with gold letters; but the leaf gold on pills is more valuable, and few men of letters have any gold.

A noble lineage is worthless when you are starving; no one will trade food for a pedigree that isn't written in gold.

_Don Toribio laments that his noble ancestry cannot buy him a meal._

> a good wit at Court is like the philosopher’s stone, which converts all it touches into gold.

Cleverness at Court can turn any situation to profit.

_Don Toribio explains the key to survival in Madrid._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pablo_de_segovia_the_spanish_sharper_se/chapters/xii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pablo_de_segovia_the_spanish_sharper_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/pablo_de_segovia_the_spanish_sharper_se/chapters