Lothario for he it was that with all sollicitude and care regarded the honour of his friend and therefore endeavoured to clip and diminish the number of the dayes promised lest he should give occasion to the idle vulgar or to the eyes of vagabonds and malicious men to judge any sinister thing viewing so rich comely noble and qualified a young man as he was to have so free accesse into the house of a woman so beautifull as Camila For though his virtues and modest carriage were sufficiently able to set a bridle to any malignant tongue yet notwithstanding he would not have his credit nor that of his friends called into any question and therefore would spend most of the dayes that he had agreed to visit his friend in other places and exercises yet feigning excuses so plausible as his friend admitted them for very reasonable And thus the time passed on in challenges of unkindnesse of the one side and lawfull excuses of the other It so fell out that as both the friends walked on a day together in a field without the Citie Anselmo said to Lothario these words ensuing I know very well friend Lothario that among all the favours which God of his bountie hath bestowed upon me by making me the Sonne of such Parents and giving to me with so liberall a hand both the goods of Nature and Fortune yet as I cannot answer him with sufficient gratitude for the benefits already received so doe I finde my self most highly bound unto him above all others for having given me such a friend as thou art and so beautifull a wife as Camila being both of you such pawns as if I esteem you not in the degree which I ought yet doe I hold you as deer as I may And yet possessing all those things which are wont to be the all and sum that are wont and may make a man happie I live notwithstanding the most sullen and discontented life of the World being troubled I know not since when and inwardly wrested with so strange a desire and extravagant from the common use of others as I marvell at my self and doe condemn and rebuke my self when I am alone and doe labour to conceale and cover mine own desires all which hath served me to as little effect as if I had proclaimed mine own errours purposely to the World And seeing that it must finally break out my will is that it be only communicated to the treasury of thy secret hoping by it and mine own industry which as my true friend thou wilt use to help me I shall bee quickly freed from the anguish it causeth and by thy means my joy and contentment shall arive to the passe that my discontents have brought me through mine own folly Lothario stood suspended at Anselmo's Speech as one that could not imagine to what so prolixe a prevention and preamble tended And although he revolved and imagined sundry things in his minde which he deemed might afflict his friend yet did hee ever shoot wide from the mark which in truth it was and that he might quickly escape that agonie wherein the suspention held him he said That his friend did notable injurie to their amity in searching out wreathings and ambages in the discovery of his most hidden thoughts to him seeing bee might assure himself certainly either to receive counsells of him how to entertain or else remedy and means how to accomplish them It is very true answered Anselmo and with that confidence I let thee to understand friend Lothario That the desire which vexeth me is a longing to know whether my wife Camila be as good and perfect as I doe account her and I cannot wholy rest satisfied of this truth but by making tryall of her in such sort as it may give manifest argument of the degree of her goodnesse as the fire doth shew the value of gold For I am of opinion O friend that a woman is of no more worth or virtue then that which is in her after shee hath been solicited Casta est quam nemo rogavit and that she alone is strong who cannot be bowed by the Promises Gifts Tears and continuall importunities of importunate Lovers For what thanks is it quoth he for a woman to be good if no body say or teach her ill What wonder that she be retired and timorous if no occasion be ministred to her of dissolution and chiefly she that knows she hath a husband ready to kill her for the least argument of lightnesse So that she which is only good for fear or want of occasion will I never hold in that estimation that I would the other sollicited and pursued who notwithstanding comes away crowned with the victory And therefore being moved as well by these reasons as by many other which I could tell you which accredit and fortifie mine opinion I desire that my wife Camila doe also passe thorow the pikes of those proofs and difficulties and purifie and refine her self in the fire of being requested sollicited and pursued and that by one whose worths and valour may deserve acceptance in her opinion and if she bear away the Palme of the victory as I believe shee will I shall account my fortune matchlesse and may brag that my desires are in their height and will say that a strong woman hath faln to my lot of whom the Wise man faith who shall finde her And when it shall succeed contrary to mine expection I shall with the pleasure that I will conceive to see how rightly it jumps with mine opinion bear very indifferent the grief which in all reason this so costly a tryall must stir in me And presupposing that nothing which thou shalt say to me shall be available to hinder my designe or disswade me from putting my purpose in execution I would have thy selfe deer friend Lothario to provide thee to be the instrument that shall labour this worke of my liking and I will give thee oportunitie enough to performe the same without omitting any thing that may further thee in the sollicitation of an Honest Noble Warie Retired and Passionlesse woman And I am chiefly moved to commit this so hard an enterprize to thy trust because I know that if Camila be vanquished by thee yet shall not the victory arive to the last push and upshot but only to that of accounting a thing to bee done which shall not bee done for many good respects So shall I remain nothing offended and mine injury concealed in the virtue of thy silence for I know thy care to be such in matters concerning me as it shall bee eternall like that of death And therefore if thou desirest that I may lead a life deserving that name thou must forthwith provide thy selfe to enter into this amorous conflict and that not languishing or slothfully but with that courage and diligence which my desire expecteth and the confidence I have in our amitie assureth mee These were the reasons used by Anselmo to Lothario to
the Sheepheards alarme would cause all the Countrey to rise up and that the horsemen that kept the coast would presently come to see what it was wee all agreed that the Runnagate should put off his Turkish attyre and put on a captives cassocke which one of the company gave unto him forthwith although the giver remained after in his shirt and thus committing the affaire unto almighty God wee followed on by the same way which wee saw the sheepheard had taken alwaies expecting when the horsemen of the coast would fall upon us and wee were not deceived in our expectation for within two houres after having issued out of those woods into a plane wee discovered about some fifty horsemen which came running towards us as swiftly as their horses could drive and having perceived them wee stood still and stayed untill they came to us and saw in stead of the Moors they sought for so many poore Christians and remained somwhat ashamed thereat and one of them demanded whether wee were the occasion that a Sheapheard had given the alarme Yes quoth I and as I was about to informe what I was and of all our Adventure and from whence wee came one of the Christians that came with us did take notice of the horseman who had spoken unto us and so interrupting my speech hee said Sirs let God bee praysed which hath brought us to so good a place as this is for if I bee not deceived the earth which wee tread is of Veley Malaga and if the yeeres of my captivity have not confounded my memorie you likewise Sir that demand what wee bee are Peter of Bustamonte mine Uncle As soone as ever the Christian captive had spoken those words the horseman leaping off his horse ran and embraced him saying O Nephew as deere to mee as my soule and life now I doe know thee very well and many a day since have I wept for thee thinking thou wast dead and so hath my sister thy Mother and all the rest of thy friends which doe live yet and God hath beene pleased to preserve their Lives that they may enjoy the pleasure to behold thee once againe Wee knew very well that thou wert in Argieres and by the signes and tokens of thy clothes and that of all the rest here of thy Companions I surmise that your escape hath beene miraculous Indeede it was so replyed the Captive and wee shall have time I hope to recount unto you the manner As soone as the horsemen had understood that wee were Christian Captives they alighted off their horses and every one of them invited us to mount upon his owne to carry us to the City of Veley Malaga which was yet a league and a halfe from that place and some of â—hem went to the place where wee had left the Boate to bring it to the Citie whom we informed first of the place where it lay others did mount us up on horseback behind themselves and Zoraida rode behinde the captives uncle all the people issued to receive us being premonished of our arivall by some one that had ridden before They did not wonder to see captives freed nor Moors captived there being an ordinary thing in those parts but that whereat they wondred was the surpassing beauty of Zoraida which at that season and instant was in her prime as well through the warmth she had gotten by her travell as also through the joy shee conceived to see her selfe in Christian lands secure from all feare of being surprised or lost and these things called out to her face such colours as if it be not that affection might then have deceived me I durst aver that a more beautifull then she was the world could not afford at least amoâ—g those which I had ever beheld Wee went directly to the Church to give thanks unto Almighty God for the benefit received And as soon as Zoraida entred into it shee said there were faces in it that resembled very much that of Lela Marien Wee told her that they were her images And the Runnagate as well as the brevitie of the time permitted instructed her what they signified to the end shee should doe them reverence as if every one of them were truely that same Lela Marien which had spoken unto her Shee who had a very good understanding and an easie and cleer conceit comprehended presently all that was told unto her concerning Images From thence they carried us and divided us among different houses of the Citie But the Christian that came with us carried the Runnagate Zoraida and me to the house of his Parents which were indifferently accommodated and stored with the goods of Fortune and did entertain me with as great love and kindenesse as if I were their own sonne We remained six dayes in Veley in which time the Runnagate having made an information of all that which might concern him hee went to the City of Granado to bee reconciled by the holy Inquisitions means to the bosome of our holy Mother the Church The rest of the freed Captives took every one the way that hee pleased and Zoraida and I remained behinde with those Ducats only which the Frenchmans courtesie was pleased to bestow on Zoraida and with part of that summe I bought her this beast whereon shee rides I my selfe serving her hitherto as her Father and her Squire and not as her Spouse wee travail with intention to see if my Father bee yet living or any of my Brothers have had more prosperous hap then my self although seeing Heaven hath made me Zoraida's Consort me thinks no other good Fortune could arrive were it never so great that I would hold in so high estimation The patience wherewithall shee bears the incommodities usually annext unto Povertie and the desires shee shews to become a Christian is such and so great as it strikes me into an admiration and doth move me to serve her all the dayes of my life although that the delight which I take to see my self hers and shee mine is oft times interrupted and almost dissolved by the fear which I have that I shall not finde in mine own Countrey some little Corner wherein I may entertain her and that Time and Death have wrought such alteration in the Goods and Lives of my Father and Brothers as I shall scarce finde any one at home that knows me I have no more good Sirs to tell you of my lives Historie then which whether it bee pleasing and rare or no your cleer conceits are to judge As for my self I dare say that if it had been possible I would have told it with more brevity fearing it might bee tedious unto you I purposely omitted many delightfull circumstances thereof CHAP. XV. Which speaks of that which after befell in the Inne and of sundry other things worthy to bee known THe Captive having said this held his peace and Don Fernando replyed to him thus Truely Captain the manner wherewithall you have recounted this marvellous successe hath
being crooked with yeeres and that you are a Knight when you are none for though Gentlemen may be Knights yet the poore cannot You say well Neece in that quoth Don-Quixote and I could tell thee things concerning linages that should admire thee but because I will not mingle Divinity with Humanity I say nothing Marke yee hoe to foure sorrs of linages hearken to mee may all in the world be reduc'd and they are these Some that from base beginningâ— have arived at the greatest honours Others that had great beginnings and so conserve them till the end Others that though they had great beginnings yet they end pointed like a Pyramis having lessened and annihilated their beginning till it ends in nothing Others there are and these the most that neither had good beginning nor reasonable middle and so they passe way without mention as the linage of the common and ordinary sort of people Let the House of the Othomans bee an example to thee of the first who had an obscure beginning but rose to the greatnesse they now preserve that from a base and poore Sheep-heard that gave them their first beginning have come to this height in which now wee see them Many Princes may bee an instance of the second linage that began in greatnesse and was so preserved without augmentation or diminution only kept their inheritance contayning themselves within the limits of their owne Kingdomes peacefully Thousands of examples there bee of such as beganne in greatnesse and lessened towards their end For all your Pharaohs your Pâ—olomies of Aegypt your Caesars of Rome with all the hurrie if I may so terme them of your infinite Princes Monarchs Lords Medes Assyrians Persians Grecians and Barbarians all these linages all these Lordships ended pointed and came to nought as well they as those that gave them beginning for it is not possible to finde any of their successors and if it were he must be in mean and base estate with the common sort I have nothing to doe since they only live and serve to increase the number of men without deserving more fame or elogie of their greatnesse Thus much Fools you may infer from all that hath been said that the confusion of Linages is very great and that those are the most great and glorious that shew it in the Virtue Wealth and Liberalitie of their owners Virtue Wealth and Liberality I say for that great man that is Vicious will bee the more so by his greatness And the rich man not liberall is but a covetious begger for hee that possesseth riches is not happie in them but in the spending them not only in spending but in well spending them The poor Knight hath no way to shew hee is a Knight but that hee is Virtuous Affable well-Fashioned Courteous and well-behaved and Officious Not Proud not Arrogant not Back-biting and above all Charitable For in a pennie that hee gives cheerfully to the poor hee shews himself as liberall as hee that for ostentation gives an Almes before a multitude And there is no man that sees him adorned with these Virtues but although hee know him not hee will judge of him and think hee is well descended for if hee were not 't were miraculous and the reward of Virtue hath been alwaies Praise and the Virtuous must needs bee praised There bee two courses for men to come to bee wealthy and noble by the one is Arts t'other Armes I have more Armes then Learning and was borne according to my inclination that way under the influence of the Planet Mars so that I must of force follow his steps which I mean to doe in spight of all the world and it is vain for you to strive to perswade me that I should nill what the Heavens will me Fortune ordains and Reason requires and above all my affection desires Well in knowing as I know the innumerable troubles that are annexed to Knight Errantrie so I know the infinite goods that are obtained with it And I know that the path of Virtue is very narrow and the way of Vice large and spacious And I know that their ends and resting places are different for that of Vice large and spacious ends in death and that of Virtue narrow-and cumbersome ends in life and not in a life that hath ending but that is endlesse And I know what our great Boscan Castilian Poet said To the high Seat of immortalitie Through crabbed paths wee must our Iourney take Whence hee that falls can never climbe so high Woe is me said the Neece my Master too is a Poet hee knows every thing I hold a wager if hee would bee a Mason hee would build a house as easily as a cage I promise thee Neece said Don-Quixote if these Knightly cogitations did not wrap my Senses there is nothing I could not doe nor no curiosity should escape me especially Cages and Tooth-pickers By this one knockt at the dore and asking who was there Sancho answered 'T is I. The old Woman as soon as she heard him ran to hide her self because shee would not see him The Neece let him in and his Master Don-Quixote went to receive him with open armes and they both locked themselves is where they had another Dialogue as good as the former CHAP. VII What passed betwixt Don-Quixote and his Squire with other most famous Accidents THe old woman as soone as she saw her Master and Sancho locked together began to smell their drift and imagining that his third sally would result from that consultation and taking her mantle full of sorrow and trouble she went to seeke the Bachelour Samson Carrasco supposing that as he was well spoken and a late acquaintance of Don-Quixotes he might perswade him to leave his doting purpose she found him walking in the Court of his house and seeing him she fell down in a cold sweat all troubled at his feet When Carrasco saw her so sorrowfull and affrighted he asked her What 's the matter what accident is this Me thinks thy heart is at thy mouth Nothing said she Master Samson but my Master is run out doubtlesse he is run out And where runs he said he hath he broken a hole in any part of his body He runnes not out answered she but out of the dore of his madnesse I meane sweete Sir Batchelour hee meanes to bee a gadding againe and this is his third time hee hath gone a hunting after those you call Adventures I know not why they give um this name The first time they brought him us athwart upon an Asse beaten to peeces The second time hee came clapt up in an Oxe-waine and locked in a Cage and hee made us beleeve hee was enchanted and the poore Soule was so changed that his mother that brought him forth would not have known him so leane so wan his eyes so sunke in his head that I spent above six hundred egges to recover him as God â—is my witnesse and all the World and my Henns
that will not let mee lie That I well beleeve quoth the Batchelor for they are so good and so fat and so well nurâ—ured that they will not say one thing for another if they should burst for it well is there ought else hath there any other ill luck hapned more then this you feare that your Master will abroad No Sir said shee Take no care quoth he but get you home on Gods nameâ— and get me some warme thing to breakfast and by the way as you goe pray me the Orison of St. Apolonia if you know it and I le goe thither presently and you shall see wonders Wretch that I am quoth she the Orison of St. Apolonia quoth you that were if my Master had the Toothache but his paine is in his head I know what I say quoth hee and doe not you dispute with me since you know I have proceeded Batchelor at Salamancha doe you thinke there is no more then to take the Degree said he With that away she goes and he went presently to seek the Vicar and communicate with him what shall be said hereafter At the time that Don-Quixote and Sancho were locked together there passed a discourse between them which the history tels with much punctuality and a true relation Sancho said to his Master I have now reluc't my wife to let me goe with you whither soever you please reduct you would say Sancho quoth Don-Quixote I have bid you more then once if I have not forgotten said Sancho that you doe not correct my words if so be you understand my meaning and when you doe not understand them cry Sancho or Devill I understand thee not and if I doe not expresse my self then you may correct me for I am so focible I understand thee not Sancho quoth Don-Quixote for I know not the meaning of your focible So focible is said Sancho I am so so Lesse and lesse doe I understand said Don-Quixote Why if you do not understand said Sancho I cannot do withall I know no more and God be with me Thou meanest docible I beleeve and that thou art so pliant and so taking that thou wilt apprehend what I shall tell thee and learn what I shall instruct thee in I 'le lay a wager said Sancho you searched and understood me at first but that you would put me out and hear me blunder out a hundred or two of follies It may bee so quoth Don-Quixote but what saies Teresa Teresa bids me make sure work with you and that wee may have lesse saying and more doing for great sayers are small doers A Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush And I say a womans advice is but slender yet hee that refuseth it is a mad-man I say so too quoth Don-Quixote But say friend Sancho proceed for to day thou speakest preciously The businesse is quoth Sancho that as you better know then I we are all mortall here to day and gone to morrow as soon goes the young Lambe to the roast as the old Sheep and no man can promise himself more dayes then God hath given him for death is deaf and when shee knocks at lifes doors shee is in haste neither thrats nor entreaties nor Scepters nor Miters can stay her as the common voyce goes and as they tell us in Pulpits All this is true said Don-Quixote but I know not where thou meanest to stop My stop is quoth Sancho that your Worship allow me some certain Wages by the moneth for the time that I shall serve you The custome of Spain is to pay their Servants Wages by the moneth and that the said Wages bee paid me out of your substance for I 'le trust no longer to good turnes which come either slowly or meanly or never God give me joy of mine own In a word I must know what I may gain little or much for the Hen layes as well upon one eg as many and many littles make a mickle and whilest something is gotten nothing is lost Indeed if it should so happen which I neither beleeve nor hope for that your Worship should give me the Island you promised me I am not so ungratefull nor would carrie things with such extremitie as not to have the rent of that Island prized and so to discount for the Wages I received cantitie for cantitie Is not quantitie as much worth as cantitie friend Sancho answered Don-Quixote I understand you now said Sancho and dare lay any thing that I should have said quantitie and not cantitie but that 's no matter seeing you have understood me I understand you very well answered Don-Quixote and have penetrated the utmost of your thoughts and know very well what marke you ayme at with the innumerable arrows of your Proverbs Look yee Sancho I could willingly afford you Wages if I had found in any Histories of Knights Errant any example that might give me light through the least chink of any Wages given monethly or yeerly but I have read all or the most part of their Histories and doe not remember that ever I have read that any Knight Errant hath allowed any set Wages to his Squire Only I know that all lived upon countenance and when they least dreamt of it if their Masters had good luck they were rewarded either with an Island or some such thing equivalent and at least they remained with Honour and Title If you Sancho upon these hopes and additaments have a minde to return to my service a Gods name but to think that I will pluck the old use of Knight Errantry out of his bounds and off the hinges is a meet impossibilitie So that Sancho you may goe home and tell your Teresa mine intentention and if that shee and you will relie upon my favour bene quidem and if not let 's part friends for if my Pigeon-house have Comyns it will want no Doves And take this by the way A good expectation is better then a bad possession and a good demand better then an ill pay I speake thus Sancho that you may plainly see I know as well as you to sprinkle Proverbs like rainshowres Lastly let me tell you if you will not trust to my reward and runne the same Fortune with me God keep you and make you a Saint for I shall not want more obedient Squires and more carefull and not so irksome nor so talkative as you When Sancho heard his Masters firm resolution hee waxed clowdie and the wings of his heart began to stoop for hee thought verily his Master would not goe without him for all the treasure in the World Thus being doubtfull and pensative Samson Carrasco entred and the Neece desirous to heare how he perswaded her Master that hee should not returne to his Adventures In came Samson a notable Crack-rope and embracing him as at first began in his loud key O flowre of Chivalrie bright light of Armes honor and mirror of our Spanish nation may it please Almighty God of his infinite goodnesse
no body lies in wait to hear us besides the by-standers I will answer you without fear of fright all that you have asked and all that you will ask mee And first of all I say That I hold my Master Don-Quixote for an incurable Mad-man though sometimes hee speaks things that in my opinion and so in all theirs that heare him are so discreet and carried in so even a track that the Devill himself cannot speak better but truly and without scruple I take him to bee a very Frantick for so I have it in my mazard I dare make him beleeve that that hath neither head nor foot as was the answer of that Letter and another thing that hapned some eight dayes agoe which is not yet in print to wit the Enchantment of my Ladie Dulcinea for I made him beleeve she is Enchanted it being as true as the Moon is made of green Cheese The Duchesse desired him to tell her that Enchantment and conceit which hee did just as it passed at which the hearers were not a little delighted And prosecuting her discourse the Duchesse said I have one scruple leaps in my minde touching what Sancho hath told mee and a certain buz comming to mine eares that tells me If Don-Quixote de la Mancha bee such a shallow Mad-man and Widgin and Sancho Panca his Squire know it yet why for all that hee serves and follows him and relies on his vain promises doubtlesse hee is as very a Mad-man and Block-head as his Master which being so as it is it will be very unfitting for my Lord the Duke to give Sancho an Island to Govern for hee that cannot govern himself will ill govern others By 'r Lady quoth Sancho that scruple comes in pudding-time but bid your Buzze speake plaine or how he will for I know he sayes true and if I had been wise I might long since have left my Master but 't was my lucke and this vilde Errantry I cannot doe withall I must follow him wee are both of one place I have eaten his bread I love him well hee is thankfull hee gave mee the Asse-colts and above all I am faithfull and it is impossible any chance should part us but death and if your Altitude will not bestow the Government on mee with lesse was I borne and perhaps the missing it might bee better for my conscience for though I bee a foole yet I understand the Proverbe that sayes The Ant had wings to doe her hurt and it may bee Sancho the Squire may sooner goe to Heaven then Sancho the Governour Here is as good bread made as in France and in the night Ione is as good as my Lady and unhappy is that man that is to breake his fast at two of the clocke in the after-noone and there 's no heart a handfull bigger then another and the stomacke is filled with the coursest victuals and the little Fowles in the aire have God for their Provider and Cater and foure yards of course Cuenca cloth keepe a man as warme as foure of fine Lemster wooll of Segovia Their Lemster breed came first out of England when wee once leave this world and are put into the earth the Prince goes in as narrow a path as the Journey-man and the Popes body takes up no more roome then a Sextons though the one bee higher then the other for when wee come to the pit all are even or made so in spite of their teethes and and good-night Let mee say againe If your Lady-ship will not give mee the Island as I am a foole I 'le refuse it for being a wise man for I have heard say The neerer the Church the further from God and All is not gold that glistreth and that from the Oxen plough and yokes the Husband-man Bamba was chosen for King of Spaine and that Radrigo from his tissues sports and riches was cast out to bee eaten by Snakes if wee may beleeve the rimes of the old Romants that lye not Why no more they doe not said Donna Rodriguez the Wayting-woman that was one of the Auditours for you have one Romant that sayes that Don Rodrigo was put alive into a Tombe full of Toades Snakes and Lizards and some two dayes after from within the Tombe hee cryed with a low and pittifull voyce Now they eat now they eat mee in the place where I sinned most and according to this this man hath reason to say hee had rather bee a Labourer then a King to bee eaten to death with vermine The Duchesse could not forbeare laughing to see the simplicity of her woman nor to admire to heare Sancho's proverbiall reasons to whom shee said Honest Sancho knows that when a Gentleman once makes a promise he will perform it though it cost him his life My Lord and Husband the Duke though hee bee no Errant yet hee is a Knight and so hee will accomplish his promise of the Island in spight of envy or the worlds malice Bee of good cheere Sancho for when thou least dreamest of it thou shalt bee seated in the Chayre of thy Island and of Estate and shalt claspe thy Government in thy robes of Tissue All that I charge thee is that you looke to the governing your Vassalls for you must know they are all well-borne and loyall For governing quoth Sancho there 's no charging mee for I am naturally charitable and compassionate to the poor and of him that does well they will not speake ill and by my Holidam they shall play mee no false play I am an old dog and understand all their Hist hist and I can snuffe my selfe when I see time and I will let no cobwebs fall in my eyes for I know where my shoo wrings mee this I say because honest men shall have hand heart but wicked men neyther foot nor fellowship And meethinkes for matter of Government there is no more but to begin and in fifteen daies Governour I could manage the place and know as well to governe as to labour in which I was bredd You have reason Sancho quoth the Duchesse for no man is born wise and Bishops are made of men and not of stones But turning to our discourse that wee had touching the Lady Dulcinea's Enchantment I am more then assured that that imagination that Sancho had to put a tricke upon his Master and to make him thinke the Country wench was Dulcinea that if his Master knew her not all was invented by some of those Enchanters that persecute Signior Don-Quixote for I know partly that that Country wench that leapt upon the Asse-colt was and is Dulcinea and Sancho thinking to be the deceiver is himselfe deceived and there is no more to be doubted in this then in things that wee never saw and know Sancho that here wee have our Enchanters too that love and tell us plainly and truely what passed in the world without trickes or devices and beleeve mee Sancho that leaping wench was and is Dulcinea who is inchanted
some half an hour the apparitions vanished Donna Rodrignez tucked up her Coats and bewailing her mishap got her out of the door not speaking a word to Don-Quixote who heavy and all to bee pinched sad and pensative remained alone where wee will leave him desirous to know who was the perverse Enchanter that had so drest him But that shall be told in due time for Sancho Panca calls us and the Decorum of this Historie CHAP. XLIX What hapned to Sancho in walking the Round in his Island WEe left the famous Governour moody angry with the knavish Husbandman-painter who instructed by the Steward and the Steward by the Duke all made sport with Sancho but hee held them all tack though a Fool a Dullard and a Block and said to those about him and to Doctor Pedro Rezio for as soon as hee had ended the secret of the Dukes Letter hee came into the Hall again Certainly said hee I think now Judges and Governours had need bee made of Brasse that they may have no feeling of the importunities of suitors that would that at all hours and all times they should give them audience and dispatch them intending only their businesse let them have never so much of their own and if the poor Judge hear them not or dispatch them not either because hee cannot or because they come not in a fit time to have audience straight they back-bite and curse him gnaw his bones and unbury his Ancestors Oh foolish Suiter and idle make not such haste stay for a fit season and conjuncture to negotiate in come not at dinner time or bed time for Judges are flesh and blood and must satisfie nature except it bee I that give my self nothing to eat thanks to Master Doctor Pedro Rezio Tirte a fuera here present that would have me die for hunger and yet stands in it that this death is life such a life God grant him and all his profession I mean such ill Physicians for the good deserve Lawrell and Palme All that knew Sancho admired him when they heard him speak so elegantly and knew not to what they should attribute it except it were that Offices and great charges doe eythet season the understanding or altogether dull it Finally the Doctor Pedro Rezio Agnero de Tirte a fuera promised him hee should sup that night though hee exceeded all Hypocrates his Aphorismes With this the Governour was well pleased and very greedily expected the comming of the night and supper time and though time as hee thought stood still not moving a jot from his place yet at length it came so longed for by him and hee had to supper a cold mince-meat of Beef and Onions with a Calves foot somewhat stale and fell to as contentedly as if they had given him a God-wit of Milan or a Pheasant of Rome or Veale of Sorrentum or Partridges of Moron or Geese of Lanaxos and in the midest of his Supper hee turned to the Doctor and said Look yee Master Doctor hence-forward never care to give me dainties or exquisite meats to eat for you will pluck my stomack quite off the hinges which is used only to Goat Beef and Bacon Pork and Turneps and Onions and if you come to me with your Court dishes they make my stomack squeamish and many times I loath um Carver let it bee your care to provide me a good Olla podrida and the more podrida it is the better and more favorie and in your Olla's you may boil and ballast in what you will so it bee victuals and I will bee mindefull of you and make you amends one day and let no man play the fool with mee for either wee are or wee are not Let 's bee merry and wife when the Sunne shines hee shines upon all I le Govern this Island without looking my due or taking Bribes and therefore let all the world bee watchfull and look to their bolt for I give um to understand there 's Rods in Pisse for them and if they put me to it they shall see wonders I I cover your selves with Honey and you shall see the Flies will eat you Truly Sir Governour quoth the Carver you have reason in all you speak and let me promise you in the behalf of all the Islanders of this Island that they will serve you with all diligence love and good will for the sweet and milde kinde of Governing that hitherto in the beginning you have used makes them neither doe nor speak ought that may redound to your contempt I beleeve it quoth Sancho and they were very Asses if they did or thought otherwise and therefore let me say again Let there bee a care had for the maintenance of my Person and Dapples which is very important and to the matter And so when 't is time to walk the Round let us goe for my purpose is to cleanse this Island from all kinde of filth Vagamunds lazie and masterlesse persons for know friends that slothfull and idle people in a Common-wealth are the same that Drones in Hives that eate the Honey which the labouring Bees make I purpose to cherish the Husbandman and to grant the Gentlemen their preeminencies to reward the Virtuous and above all to have Religion in reverence and to honour Religious persons What think yee of this friends Say I ought or doe I talk idlely So well Sir said the Steward that I wonder to see that a man so without learning as you for I think you cannot skill of a letter should speak such sentences and instructions so contrary to what was expected from your wit by all that sent you and by all us that came with you Every day wee see novelties in the world jests turn'd to earnest and those that mock are mocked at Well it was night and the Governour supped with Master Doctor Rezio's licence They made ready to walk the Round the Steward the Secretary and Carver went with him and the Chroniclist that was carefull to keep a Register of his actions together with Constables and Notaries so many that they might well make a reasonable Squadron Sancho went in the midest of them with his Rod of Justice which was the only chief fight and when they had walkâ— some few streets of the Town they heard a noyse of flashing thither they made and found that they were two men only that were together by the eares who seeing the Justice comming stood still and the one of them said Here for God and the King shall I bee suffered to bee robbed in the midest of a Town and that the midest of the streets bee made the high-way Softly honest friend quoth Sancho and tell me what 's the reason of this fray for I am the Governour The other his contrary said Sir Governour I le tell you briefly the matter You shall understand Sir that this Gentleman even now at a Gaming-house here over the way got a thousand Ryâ—lls God knows by what tricks and I being present
breath Don-Quixote ate nothing for pure griefe neither durst Sancho touch any meate before him for pure mannerlinesse and expected his Master should first bee his Taster but seeing him carried on with his imaginations not remembring to put a bit in his mouth he never asked him and over-running all kinde of manners he began to barrell up all the Bread and Cheese that was before him in his stomack Eate friend Sancho quoth Don-Quixote hold life together for thou hast more need then I and leave mee to dye by the hands of my sorrowes and the force of my mis-fortunes I was borne Sancho to live dying and thou to dye eating and that thou maist see I tell thee true consider mee printed in Histories famous in Armes well nurtured in mine Actions respected by Princes courted by Damzells now at the end of all when I hoped for Bayes Triumphs and Crownes layd up and merited by my famous exploits this morning I have seene my selfe trampled on and kicked and bruised with the feet of base un-cleane Beasts the consideration of this duls my teeth makes slow my grinders and benummes my hands and altogether beâ—eaves mee of my appetite so that I thinke I shall dye with hunger the cruellest of all deaths So that quoth Sancho not leaving his fast chewing you will not allow of that Proverbe that sayes Let Martha dye so she dye not empty at least I will not because of my death I meane rather to doe as the Shoo-maker doth that streacheth the Leather with his teeth till hee makes it reach as hee list I le draw out my life by eating till it come to the end that Heaven hath allotted it and know Sir there is no greater madnesse in the world then to despaire as you doe and beleeve mee and after you have eaten rest your selfe a little upon the Downe-beds of this green Grasse and you shall see that when you wake you shall finde your selfe somewhat lightned Don-Quixote tooke his councell taking his reasons to bee rather Philosophicall then senselesse and said If thou O Sancho wouldest doe what I shall now tell thee for mee my lightsomnesse would bee certaine and my sorrowes not so great which is that whil'st I obeying thy counsell sleepe thou goe out of the way a little and with Rozinantes reines turning thy flesh to the ayre give thy selfe three or foure hundred lashes upon account of the three thousand and so many that thou art to give for the dis-enchanting Dulcinea which is no small pitty that that poor Lady should bee enchanted by thy carelesnesse and negligence There is much to bee said in this businesse quoth Sancho let 's both sleepe now and God will provide afterward Know Sir that this whipping in cold blood is a cruell thing especially if it light upon a weake body and worse fed let my Lady Dulcinea have patience for when shee least thinkes of it shee shall see mee a very sieve with lashes and till death all is life I meane I live with a desire to fulfill my promise Don-Quixote giving him thankes eate somthing and Sancho a great deale leaving the two continuall friends and companions Rozinante and Dapple to their Liberum Arbitrium disorderly feeding upon the Pasture that was plentifull in that Meddow They awaked somewhat late and up they got againe and went on their way making haste to come to an Inne which seemed to bee about a league off I say an Inn for Don-Quixote called it so contrary to his ordinarie custome of calling all Innes Castles Well to it they come they asked mine Host if there were any Lodging Hee answered Yes with all the commodiousnesse and provision that they might have in the Towne of Saragosa They alighted and Sancho retyred with his Sumptry into a Chamber of which the Host gave him the Key the Beasts hee carried to the Stable and gave them their stint and so went to see what Don-Quixote who sate by upon a Bench would command him giving God particular thankes that that Inne had not appeared to him a Castle Supper time came on So to their resting place they got Sancho asked mine Host what hee had for supper To which quoth hee Your mouth shall have measure aske what you will a good character of a lying beggerly vain-glorious Spanish-Host in generall For from the Byrds of the ayre to the Poultry of the earth and the fishes of the sea that Inne was provided Not so much quoth Sancho for so wee may have a couple of roasted Chickens 't will bee enough For my Master is weake somack'd and eates little and I am no very greedy-gut Mine Host answered him hee had no Chickens for the Kytes had devoured them Why then let 's have a tender Pullet roasted quoth hee A Pullet My Father as soon trust mee trust me I sent above fifty yesterday to the City to sell saving Pullets ask what you will Why then quoth Sancho you waâ—t no Veale or Kidde Wee have none in the House now said mine Host for it is all spent but by next weeke wee shall have to spare The matter is mended quoth Sancho I hold a wager all these wants are supplied with Egs and Bacon Assuredly quoth mine Hoast here 's fine doings with my guest I have told him we have neyther Pullet nor Hens and yet he would have Egs. Run if you will to other dainties and leave these gluttonies Resolve us Body of mee quoth Sancho and tell mee what wee shall have and leave you your running mine Host. The Host said The very truth is I have two Neates-feete like Calves-feet or two Calves-feet like Neates-feet they are sod with their Pease Bacon and Onyons and just at this instant cry Come eat me Come eat me For mine I mark them hence forward quoth Sancho and let no man touch them for I le pay more for them then any body else and there could have beene no better meat for mee in the world No man shall touch them said mine Host for other Guests I have out of pure Gentilitie bring their Cook Cater and Butler with them If it goe by Gentle quoth Sancho none more gentle then my Master but his Calling permits no Landers or Butteries wee clap us down in the midest of a field and fill our selves with Acorns and Medlars This discourse passed between Sancho and the Host without Sancho's answering him who asked what Calling his Master was of Supper was ready Don-Quixote went to his Chamber mine Host brought the pot of meat just as it was and sate him fair and well down to supper it seemed that in another Chamber next Don-Quixotes divided only by a thin Lath wall hee might heare one say By your life Signior Don Ieronimo whilest supper is to come in let us read another Chapter in the second part of Don-Quixote Don-Quixote scarce heard himself named when up hee stood and watchfully gave care to their discourse concerning him and hee heard that the aforesaid Don Ieronimo answered Signior
his work which if I can finde among these and that he speaks not his own native tongue I 'le use him with no respect but if he talk in his own language I will put him for honours sake on my head If that be so quoth the Barber I have him at home in the Italian but cannot understand him Neither were it good you should understand him replyed the Curate and here we would willingly have excused the good Captain that translated it into Spanish from that labour or bringing it into Spain if it had pleased himself For he hath deprived it of much naturall worth in the translation a fault incident to all those that presume to translate Verses out of one language into another for though they imploy all their industry and wit therein they can never arive to the height of that Primitive conceit which they bring with them in their first byrth I say therefore that this booke and all the others that may bee found in this Library to treate of French affaires bee cast and deposited in some drie Vault untill wee may determine with more deliberation what wee should doe with them alwaies excepting Bernardo del Carpio which must bee there amongst the rest and another called Roncesualles for these two coming to my hands shall bee rendred up to those of the old guardian and from hers into the fires without any remission All which was confirmed by the Barbar who did ratifie his Sentence holding it for good and discreete because hee knew the Curate to bee so vertuous a man and so great a friend of the truth as he would say nothing contrary to it for all the goods of the world And then opening another booke he saw it was Palmerin de Oliva neere unto which stood another intituled Palmerin of England which the â—icenciat perceiving said let Oliva be presently rent in pieces and burned in such sort that even the very ashes thereof may not be found and let Palmerin of England be preserved as a thing rarely delectable and let such another box as that which Alexander found among Darius spoyls and depured to keep Homers works be made for it for gossip this booke hath sufficient authority for two reasons the first because of it self it is very good and excellently contrived the other for as much as the report runnes that a certain discreet King of Portugal was the author thereof All the Adventures of the Castle of Miraguarda are excellent and artificiall The discourses very cleere and courtly observing evermore a decorum in him that speaks with great propriety and conceit therefore I say Master Nicholas if you think good this and Amadis de Gaule may bee preserved from the fire and let all the rest without farther search or regard perish In the devills name doe not so gentle gossip replyed the Barbar for this which I hold now in my hand is the famous Don Belianis What hee quoth the Curate the second third and fourth part thereof have great neede of some Ruybarbe to purge his excessive choller and wee must moreover take out of him all that of the Castell of Fame and other impertinencies of more consequence Therefore wee give them a terminus Vltramarinus and as they shall bee corrected so will wee use Mercy or justice towards them and in the meane space Gossip you may keepe them at your house but permit no man to read them I am pleased quoth the Barbar and being unwilling to tyre himself any more by reading of Titles hee bad the old woman to take all the great volumes and throw them into the yard the words were not spoken to a Mome or deaf person but to one that had more desire to burn them then to weave a peace of Linnen were it never so great and fine and therefore taking eight of them together shee threw them all out of the window and returning the second time thinking to carry away a great many at once one of them fell at the Barbers feet who desirous to know the Title saw that it was the Historie of the famous Knight Tirante the white Good God quoth the Curate with a loud voice is Tirante the white here Give mee it Gossip for I make account to find in it a Treasure of delight and a copious Mine of pastime Here is Don Quireleison of Montalban a valiant Knight and his brother Thomas of Montalban and the Knight Fonseca and the combat which the valiant Detriante fought with Alano and the witty conceits of the damzell Plazerdeminida with the love and guiles of the widow Reposada and of the Empresse enamoured on her Squire Ipolite I say unto you gossip that this booke is for the stile one of the best of the world in it Knights doe eate and drinke and sleepe and die in their beds naturally and make their testaments before their death with many other things which all other bookes of this subject doe want yet notwithstanding if I might bee Judge the Author thereof deserved because hee purposely penned and writ so many follies to bee sent to the Gallies for all the dayes of his life Carie it home and read it and you shall see all that I have said thereof to bee true I beleeve it very well quoth the Barber But what shall wee doe with these little bookes that remaine These as I take said the Curate are not bookes of Knighthood but of Poetry and opening one hee perceived it was The Diana of Montemayor and beleeving that all the rest were of that stampe hee said these deserve not to bee burned with the rest for they have not nor can doe so much hurt as bookes of Knighthood being all of them works full of understanding and conceits and doe not prejudice any other O good Sir quoth Don-Quixote his Niese your reverence shall likewise doe well to have them also burned lest that mine Uncle after hâ—â— bee cured of his Knightly disease may fall by reading of these in an humor of becomming a Sheepheard and so wander through the woods and fields singing of Rounde layes and playing on a Crowd and what is more dangerous then to become a Poet which is as some say an incurable and infectious disease This maiden saies true quoth the Curate and it will not bee amisse to remove this stumbling block and occasion out of our friends way and since wee begin with the Diana of Montemayor I am of opinion that it bee not burned but only that all that which treates of the wise Felicia and of the inchanted water bee taken away and also all the longer verses and let him remaine with his Proses and the honour of being the best of that kinde This that followes quoth the Barber is the Diana called the second written by him of Salamanca and this other is of the same name whose Author is Gil Polo Let that of Salamanca answered Master Parson augment the number of the condemned in the yard and that of Gil Polo bee kept as charity
body all covered with flowres and apparelled like a Sheepheard of some thirty yeeres old and his dead countenance shewed that he was very beautifull and an able bodied man He had placed round about him in the Beer certain Books and many Papers some open and some shut and altogether as well those that beheld this as they which made the grave and all the others that were present kept a marvellous silence untill one of them which carried the dead man said to another See well Ambrosio whether this be the place that Crisostome meant seeing that thou wouldest have all so punctually observed which he commanded in his Testament This is it answered Ambrosio for many times my unfortunate friend recounted to me in it the History of his mishaps even there he told me that he had seen that cruel enemy of mankinde first and there it was where he first broak his affection to as honest as they were amorous and there was the last time wherein Marcela did end to resolve and began to disdain him in such sort that shee set end to the Tragedie of his miserable life And here in memory of so many misfortunes he commanded himself to be committed to the bowels of eternall oblivion and turning himself to Don-Quixote and to the other Travellers he said This body Sirs which you doe now behold with pittifull eyes was the depository of a soul wherein heaven had hourded up an infinite part of his Treasures This is the body of Crisostome who was peerlesse in wit without fellow for courtesie rare for comlinesse a Phoenix for friendship magnificent without measure grave without presumption pleasant without offence and finally the first in all that which is good and second to none in all unfortunate mischances He loved well and was hated he adored and was disdained hee prayed to one no lesse savage then a Beast he importuned a heart as hard a Marble he pursued the Winde he cryed to Desarts he served Ingratitude and he obteyned for reward the spoyles of death in the mid'st of the carier of his life to which a Sheepheardesse hath given end whom he laboured to eternize to the end she might ever live in the memories of men as those papers which you see there might very well prove had he not commanded me to sacrifice them to the fire as soon as his body was rendred to the earth If you did so quoth Vivaldo you would use greater rigour and cruelty towards them then their very Lord nor is it discreet or justly done that his will be accomplished who commands any thing repugnant to reason Nor should Augustus Caesar himself have gained the reputation of wisedome if he had permited that to be put in execution which the divine Mantuan had by his will ordeined So that Seignior Ambrosio now that you commit your friends body to the earth doe not therefore commit his labour to oblivion for though he ordeined it as one injured yet are not you to accomplish it as one void of discretion but rather cause by giving life to these papers that the cruelty of Marcela may live eternally that it may serve as a document to those that shall breath in insuing ages how they may avoid and shun the like downfalls For both my self and all those that come here in my companie doe already know the Historie of your enamoured and despairing friend the occasion of his death and what hee commanded e're he deceased out of which lamentable relation may be collected how great hath been the Crnelty of Marcela the Love of Crisostome the Faith of your Affection and the Conclusion which those make which doe rashly run through that way which indiscreet Love doth present to their view We understood yester night of Crisostomes death and that he should be enterred in this place and therefore we omitted our intended journies both for curiosity and pittie and resolved to come and behold with our eyes that the relation whereof did so much grieve us in the hearing And therefore wee desire thee discreet Ambrosio both in reward of this our compassion and also of the desire which springs in our breasts to remedie this disaster if it were possible but chiefly I for my part request thee that omitting to burn these Papers thou wilt license me to take away some of them And saying so without expecting the Sheepheards answer he stretched out his hand and took some of them that were next to him Which Ambrosio perceiving said I will consent Sir for courtesies sake that you remain Lord of those which you have seized upon but to imagine that I would omit to burn these that rest were a very vain thought Vivaldo who did long to see what the Papers contained which he had gotten did unfold presently one of them which had this title A Dittie of despair Ambrosio overheard him and said That is the last paper which this unfortunate Sheepheard wrote and because Sir that you may see the terms to which his mishaps conducted him I pray you to read it but in such manner as you may be heard for you shall have leisure enough to doe it whil'st the grave is a diging I will doe it with all my heart replyed Vivaldo and all those that were present having the like desire they gathered about him and he reading it with a cleer voyce pronounced it thus CHAP. VI. Wherein are rehearsed the dispayring Verses of the dead Sheepheard with other unexpected accidents The Canzone of Chrisostome 1 SInce cruell thou I publish dost desire From tongue to tongue and th' one to th' other Pole The efficacy of thy rigor sharp I' le Hell constrain t' assist my soules desire And in my brest infuse a tun of dole Whereon my voice as it is wont may Harp And labour as I wish at once to carp And tell my sorrowes and thy Murdring deeds The dreadfull voyce and accents shall agree And with them meet for greater torture bee Lumps of my wreched bowels which still bleeds Then listen and lend once attentive eare Not well consorted tunes but howling t' heare That from my bitter bosoms dopth takes flight And by constrained raving born away Issues forth for mine ease and thy despight 2 The Lion's roaring and the dreadfull howles Of ravening Wolfe and hissing terrible Of squamy Serpent and the fearfull bleate Of some sad Monster of fore-telling-foules The Pies crackling and rumor horrible Of the contending Wind as it doth beat The Sea and implacable bellowes yet Of vanquish't Bull and of the Turtle sole The feeling mourning and the dolefull song Of th' envious-Owle with the dyre plaints among Of all th' infernall Squadron full of dole Sallie with my lamenting Soule a round All mixed with so strange unusuall sound As all the Senses may confounded be For my fierce torment a new way exact Wherein I may recount my Miserie 3 The dolefull Ecchoes of so great confusion Shall not resound o're father Tagus sands Nor touch the Olive-watring Betis eares Of
my dire pangs I' le only make effusion Mongst those steep Rocks aud hollow bottom lands With mortified tongue but living teares Sometimes in hidden Dales where nought appeares Or in unhaunted plaines free from accesse Or where the Sun could ne're intrude a Beam Amidst the venemous crue of Beasts unclean Whose wants with bounty the free plains redresse For though among those vast and Desart downes The hollow Eccho indistinctly sounds Thy matchlesse rigour and my cruell paine Yet by the priviledge of my niggard Fates It will their force throughout the world proclaim 4 A disdain kils and patience runs a ground By a suspicion either false or true But Iealousie with greater rigour slayes A prolix absence doth our life confound Against fear of oblivion to ensue Firm hope of best successe gives little ease Inevitable death lurks in all these But I O unseen Miracle doe still live Iealous absent disdain'd and certain too Of the suspicions that my life undoe Drownd in Oblivion which my fire revives And amongst all those paines I never scope Got to behold the shadow once of hope Nor thus despaired would I it allow But cause I may more aggravate my moanes To live ever without it here I vow 5 Can hope and fear at once in one consist Or is it reason that it should bee so Seeing the cause more certain is of feare If before mee dyre Iealousie exist Shall I deflect mine eyes since it will shew It self by a thousand wounds in my soule there Or who will not the gates unto Despair Wide open set after that hee hath spy'd Murdring disdain and noted each suspicion To seeming truth transform'd O sowre conversion Whil'st Verity by Falshood is beli'd O Tyrant of Loves state fierce Iealousie With cruell chaines these hands together tie With stubborn cords couple them rough Disdain But woe is mee with bloody victory Your memory is by my sufferance slain 6 I die in fine and cause I 'le not expect In death or life for the least good successe I obstinate will rest in Fantasie And say hee doth well that doth affect And eke the Soule most liberty possesse That is most thrall to Loves old Tyrannie And will affirm mine ever enemie In her fair shrine a fairer soule containes And her oblivion from my fault to spring And to excuse her wrongs will witnesse bring That Love by her in peace his state maintains And with a hard knot and this strange opinion I will accelerate the wretched summon To which guided I am by her scornes rife And offer to the ayre Body and Soule Without hope or reward of future life 7 Thou that by multiplying wrongs dost shew The reason forcing mee t' use violence Vnto this loathsom life grown to mee hatefull Since now by signes notorious thou maist know From my hearts deepest wound how willingly sense Doth sacrifice mee to thy scorns ingratefull If my deserts have seemd to thee so bootefull As thy fayr eyes cleer heav'n should bee ore-cast And clouded at my death yet doe not so For I 'le no recompence take for the woe By which of my Soules spoyles possest thou wast But rather laughing at my funerals sad Shew how mine end begins to make thee glad But 't is a folly to advise thee this For I know in my deaths acceleration Consists thy glory and thy chiefest blisse 8 Let Tantalus from the profoundest deeps Come for it is high time now with his thirst And Sisifus with his oppressing stone Let Ticius bring his Raven that ne're sleeps And Ixion make no stay with wheele accurst Nor the three Sisters ever lab'ring on And let them all at once their mortall moane Translate into my breast and lovely sound If it may bee a debt due to despaire And chant sad obsequies with dolefull ayre Over a Corse unworthy of the ground And the three-fac'd-infernall Porter Grimme With thousand Monsters and Chymaeraes dimme Relish the dolorous descant out amain For greater Pomp then this I think not fit That any dying Lover should obtain 9 Despayring Canzone doe not thou complain When thou my sad soci'ty shalt refrain But rather since the cause whence thou didst spring By my misfortune growes more fortunate Ev'n in the Grave thou must shun sorrowing Chrisostomes Canzone liked wonderfully all the hearers although the reader thereof affirmed that it was not conformable to the relation that he had received ef Marcelaes virtue and care of her self For in it Crisostome did complain of jealousies suspicions and absence being all of them things that did prejudice Marcelaes good fame To this objection Ambrosio answered as one that knew very well the most hidden secrets of his friend you must understand Sir to the end you may better satisfie your own doubt That when the unfortunate Sheepheard wrote that Canzone he was absent from Marcela from whose presence he had wittingly withdrawn himself to see if he could deface some part of his excessive passions procured by absence And as every thing doth vex an absent Lover and every fear afflict him so was Crisostome likewise tormented by imagined jealousies and feared suspicions as much as if they were reall and true And with this remains the truth in her perfection and poynt of Marcelaes virtue who excepting that she is cruel and somewhat arrogant and very disdainfull very envy it self neither ought nor can attaint her of the least defect You have reason quoth Vivaldo and so desiring to read another paper he was interrupted by a marvellous vision for such it seemed that unexpectedly offered it self to their view Which was That on the top of the Rock wherein they made the grave appeared the Sheepheardesse Marcela so fair that her beauty surpassed far the fame that was spread thereof such as had not beheld her before did look on her then with admiration and silence and those which were wont to view her remained no lesse suspended then the others which never had seen her But scarce had Ambrosio eyed her when with an irefull disdaining minde he spake these words Com'st thou by chance O fierce Basilisk of these Mountains to see whether the wounds of this wretch will yet bleed at thy presence Or doest thou come to insult and vaunt in the Tragicall feats of thy stern nature Or to behold from that height like another mercilesse Nero the Fire of inflamed Rome Or arrogantly to trample this infortunate Carkasse as the ingratefull daughter did her father Tarquin's Tell us quickly why thou commest or what thou doest most desire For seeing I know that Crisostomes thoughts never disobeyed thee in life I will likewise cause that all those his friends shall serve and reverence thee I come not here good Ambrosio to any of those ends thou sayest quoth Marcela but only to turn for mine honour and give the world to understand how little reason have all those which make me the Authour eyther of their own pains or of Crisostom's death and therefore I desire all you that be
famous women Greek Barbarous or Latine of foregoing ages And let every one say what hee pleaseth For though I should be reprehended for this by the ignorant yet shall I not therefore be chastised by the more observant and rigorous sort of men I avouch quoth Sancho that you have great reason in all that you say and that I am my self a very Asse But alas why doe I name an Asse with my mouth seeing one should not mention a Rope in ones house that was hanged but give me the Letter and farewell for I will change With that Don-Quixote drew out his Tablets and going aside began to indite his Letter with great gravity which ended he called Sancho to read it to him to the end he might bear it away in memory left by chance hee did lose the Tablets on the way for such were his crosse fortunes as made him fear every event To which Sancho answered saying Write it there twice or thrice in the book and give me it after for I will carry it safely by Gods grace For to think that I will be able ever to take it by rote is a great folly for my memory is so short as I doe many times forget mine own name But yet for all that read it to me good Sir for I would bee glad to hear it as a thing which I suppose to be as excellent as if it were cast in a mould Hear it then said Don-Quixote for thus it sayes The Letter of DON-QUIXOTE to DULCINEA of Toboso Soveraign Ladie THE wounded by the poynt of absence and the hurt by the Darts of thy heart sweetest Dulcinea of Toboso doth send thee that health which hee wanteth himself If thy beauty disdain me if thy valour turn not to my benefit if thy disdains convert themselves to my harm maugre all my patience I shall bee ill able to sustein this care which besides that it is violent is also too durable My good Squire Sancho will give thee certain relation O beautifull ingrate and my deerest beloved enemy of the State wherein I remain for thy sake If thou please to favour me I am thine and if not doe what thou likest For by ending of my life I shall both satisfie thy Cruelty and my Desires Thine untill death The Knight of the Illfavored face By my fathers life quoth Sancho when he heard the Letter it is the highest thing that ever I heard Good God â— how well doe you say every thing in it and how excellently have you applyed the subscription of The Knight of the Ill-favoured face I say again in good earnest that you are the Divell himself and there 's nothing but you know it All is necessary answered Don-Quixote for the Office that I professe Put then quoth Sancho in the other side of that leafe the Warrant of the three Colts and firm it with a legible Letter that they may know it at the first sight I am pleased said Don-Quixote and so writing it he read it after to Sancho and it said thus YOV shall please good Neece for this first of Colts to deliver unto my Squire Sancho Pança three of the five that I left at home and are in your charge the which three Colts I command to bee delivered to him for as many others counted and received here for with this and his acquittance they shall bee justly delivered Given in the bowels of Sierra Morena the two and twentieth of August of this present yeer It goes very well quoth Sancho subsign it therefore I pray you It needs no seal quoth Don-Quixote but only my Rubrick which is as valible as if it were subscribed not only for three Asses but also for three hundred My trust is in you answered Sancho permit me for I will goe saddle Rozinante and prepare your self to give me your blessing for I purpose presently to depart before I see any madd prank of yours for I will say that I saw you play so many as no more can bee desired I will have thee stay Sancho and that because it is requisite at least to see me stark naked playing a dozen or two of raving tricks for I will dispatch them in lesse then half an hour because that thou having viewed them with thine own eyes mayest safely swear all the rest that thou pleasest to add and I assure thee that thou canst not tell so many as I mean to perform Let me intreat you good Sir that I may not see you naked for it will turn my stomack and I shall not bee able to keep my self from weeping and my head is yet so sore since yester night through my lamentations for the losse of the gray beast as I am not strong enough yet to indure new plaints but if your pleasure bee such as I must necessarily see some follies doe them in Ioves name in your clothes briefly and such as are most necessary chiefly seeing none of these things are requisite for me And as I have said wee might excuse time that shall now bee lavished in these trifles to return speedily with the news you desire and deserve so much And if not let the â—ady Dulcinea provide her self well for if shee answer not according to reason I make a solemn vow to him that I may that I 'le make her disgorge out of her stomack a good answer with very kicks and fists For how can it bee suffered that so famous a Knight Errant as your self should thus runn out of his wits without nor for what for one Let not the Gentlewomen constrain me to say the rest for I will out with it and venter all upon twelve although it never were sold. In good faith Sancho quoth Don-Quixote I think thou art grown as mad as my self I am not so mad replyed Sancho but I am more cholerick But setting that aside say What will you eat untill my return Doe you mean to doe as Cardenio and take by the high-wayes side perforce from the Sheepheards Care thou not for that replyed Don-Quixote for although I had it yet would I not eat any other thing then the Hearbs and Fruits that this Field and Trees doe yield for the perfection of mine affair consists in fasting and the exercise of other castigations To this Sancho replyed Doe you know what I fear that I shall not finde the way to you again here where I leave you it is so difficult and obscure Take well the marks and I will endevour to keep here-about quoth Don-Quixote untill thou come back again and will moreover about the time of thy return mount to the tops of these high Rocks to see whether thou appearest but thou shouldest doe best of all to the end thou mayest not stay and misse me to cut down here and there certain boughs and strew them on the way as thou goest untill thou beest out in the Plains and those may after serve thee as bounds and marks by which thou mayest again finde me when thou returnest in
Brother if thou beest a Christian as thou appearest to bee one I pray thee for Gods sake that thou doe forthwith addresse this Letter to the place and person that the superscription assigneth for they bee well known and therein thou shalt doe our Lord great service And because thou mayest not want means to doe it take what thou shalt finde wraped in that handcerchif And saying so shee threw out of the window a handcerchif wherein were laped up a hundred Rialls this Ring of gold which I carry here and that Letter which I delivered unto you and presently without expecting mine answer shee departed but first saw me take up the handkerchif and Letter and then I made her signes that I would accomplish herein her command and after perceiving the pains I might take in bringing you it so well considered and seeing by the indorsement that you were the man to whom it was addrest for Sir I know you very well and also oblieged to doe it by the tears of that beautifull Lady I determined not to trust any other with it but to come and bring it you my self in person and in sixteen hours since it was given unto me I have travelled the journey you know which is at least eighteen leagues long Whilest the thankfull new Messenger spake thus unto me I remained in a manner hanging on his words and my thighs did tremble in such manner as I could very hardly sustein my self on foot yet taking courage at last I opened the Letter whereof these were the Contents THe word that Don Ferdinando hath past unto you to speak to your father that hee might speak to mine hee hath accomplished more to his own pleasure then to your profit For Sir you shall understand that hee hath demanded me for his wife and my father borne away by the advantage of worths which hee supposes to bee in Don Ferdinando more then in you hath agreed to his demand in so good earnest as the espousals shall bee celebrated within these two dayes and that so secretly and alone as only the Heavens and some folk of the house shall bee witnesses How I remain imagine and whether it bee convenient you should return you may consider And the successe of this affair shall let you to perceive whether I love you well or no. I beseech Almightie God that this may arrive unto your hands before mine shall be in danger to joyn it self with his which keepeth his promised faith so ill These were in summe the contents of the Letter and the motives that perswaded me presently to depart without attending any other answer or other monies for then I conceived cleerly that it was not the buy-all of the horses but that of his delights which had moved Don Ferdinando to send me to his brother The rage which I conceived against him joyned with the fear to lose the Jewell which I had gained by so many yeers service and desires did set wings on me for I arrived as I had flyen next day at mine owne City in the houre and moment fit to goe speake to Luscinda I entred secretly and left my Mule whereon I rode in the honest mans House that had brought mee the Letter and my fortune purposing then to bee favourable to mee disposed so mine affaires that I found Luscinda siting at that yron-grate which was the sole witnesse of our Loves Luscinda knew mee streight and I her but not as wee ought to know one another But who is hee in the world that can truely vaunt that hee hath penetrated and throughly exhausted the confused thoughts and mutable nature of women Truly none I say then to proceed with my tale that as soon as Luscinda perceived me shee said Cardenio I am attyred with my wedding Garments and in the Hall doth wait for me the Traitor Don Ferdinando and my covetous father with other witnesses which shall rather bee such of my death then of mine espousals bee not troubled deer friend but procure to bee present at this sacrifice the which if I cannot hinder by my perswasions and reasons I carry hidden about me a Ponyard secretly which may hinder more resolute forces by giving end to my life and a beginning to thee to know certain the affection which I have ever borne and doe bear unto thee I answered her troubled and hastily fearing I should not have the leisure to reply unto her saying Sweet Ladie let thy works verifie thy words for if thou carriest a Ponyard to defend thy credit I doe here likewise bear a Sword wherewithall I will defend thee or kill my self if fortune proove adverse and contrary I believe that she could not hear all my words by reason shee was called hastily away as I perceived for that the Bridegroom expected her comming By this the night of my forrows did throughly fall and the Sunne of my gladnesse was set and I remained without light in mine eyes or discourse in my understanding I could not finde the way into her house nor could I moove my self to any part yet considering at last how important my presence was for that which might befall in that adventure I animated my self the best I could and entred into the house and as one that knew very well all the entries and passages thereof and specially by reason of the trouble and businesse that was then in hand I went in unperceived of any And thus without beeing seen I had the oportunity to place my self in the hollow room of a window of the same Hall which was covered by the ends of two encountring pieces of Tapestry from whence I could see all that was done in the Hall remaining my self unviewed of any Who could now describe the assaults and surprizals of my heart while I there abode the thoughts which incountred my minde the considerations which I had which were so many and such as they can neither bee said nor is it reason they should Let it suffice you to know that the Bridegroom entred into the Hall without any ornament wearing the ordinary array hee was wont and was accompanied by a Cousin Germane of Luscinda's and in all the Hall there was no stranger present nor any other then the houshold Servants Within a while after Luscinda came out of the Parlour accompanied by her mother and two waiting maids of her own as richly attired and deckt as her calling and beauty deserved and the perfection of Courtly pomp and bravery could afford my distraction and trouble of minde lent me no time to note particularly the apparrell shee wore and therefore did only marke the colours which were Carnation and White and the splendour which the precious Stones and Jewels of her Tires and all the rest of her Garments yeelded yet did the singular beauty of her fair and golden tresses surpasse them so much as being in competencie with the precious Stones and flame of four Links that lighted in the Hall yet did the splendour thereof seem farr more bright
and glorious to mine eyes O memory the mortall enemie of mine case to what end serves it now to represent unto me the uncomparable beauty of that my adored enemie Were it not better cruell memory to remember and represent that which shee did then that being moved by so manifest a wrong I may at least indevour to lose my life since I cannot procure a revenge Tire not good Sirs to hear the digressions I make for my grief is not of that kinde that may bee rehearsed succinctly and speedily seeing that in mine opinion every passage of it is worthy of a large discourse To this the Curate answered that not only they were not tyred or wearied hearing of him but rather they received marvellous delight to hear him recount each minuity and circumstance because they were such as deserved not to bee past over in silence but rather merited as much attention as the principall parts of the History You shall then wit quoth Cardenio that as they thus stood in the Hall the Curate of the Parish entred and taking them both by the hand to doe that which in such an act is required at the saying of Will you Lady Luscinda take the Lord Don Ferdinando who is here present for your lawfull Spouse according as our holy mother the Church commands I thrust out all my head and neck out of the Tapestry and with most attentive ears and a troubled minde setled my self to hear what Luscinda answered expecting by it the sentence of my death or the confirmation of my life O! if one had dared to sally out at that time and cried with a loud voyce O Luscinda Luscinda see well what thou doest consider withall what thou owest me Behold how thou art mine and that thou canst not bee any others note that thy saying of yea and the end of my life shall bee both in one instant O Traytor Don Ferdinando Robber of my Glory Death of my Life what is this thou pretendest what wilt thou doe Consider that thou canst not Christian-like atchieve thine intention seeing Luscinda is my Spouse and I am her husband O foolish man now that I am absent and farre from the danger I say what I should have done and not what I did Now after that I have permitted my deer Jâ—well to bee robbed I exclaim on the Theese on whom I might have revenged my self had I had as much heart to doe it as I have to complain In fine since I was then a coward and a fool it is no matter though I now dye ashamed sorry and franticâ— The Curate stood expecting Luscindaes answer a good while 〈◊〉 shee gave it and in the end when I hoped that shee would take out the Ponyard to stab her self or would unloose her tongue to say some truth or use some reason or perswasion that might redound to my benefit I heard her in stead thereof answer with a dismaied and languishing voyce the word I will And then Don Fernando said the same and giving her the Ring they remained tyed with an indissoluble knot Then the Bridegroom comming to kisse his Spouse shee set her hand upon her heart and fell in a trance between her Mothers armes Now only remains untold the case wherein I was seeing in that yeâ— which I had heard my hopes deluded Luscindaes words and promises Falsisied and my self wholly disabled to recover in any time the good which I lost in that instant I rested void of counsell abandoned in mine opinion by heaven proclaimed an enemie to the earth which up-held me the aire denying breath enough for my sighs and the water humour sufficient to mine eyes only the fire increased in such manner as I burned throughly with rage and jealousie All the house was in a tumult for this suddain amazement of Luscinda and as her Mother unclasped her bosome to give her the aire there appeared in it a paper folded up which Don Fernando presently seized on and went aside to read it by the light of a torch and after hee had read it her sate down in a chair laying his hands on his cheek with manifest signes of Melancholy discontent without bethinking himself of the remedies that were applyed to his Spouse to bring her again to her self I seeing all the folk of the house thus in an uproar did adventure my self to issue not weighing much whether I were seen or no bearing withall a resolution if I were perceived to play such a rash part as all the World should understand the just indignation of my brest by the revenge I would take on false Don Fernando and the mutable and dismayed Traytresse But my destiny which hath reserved me for greater evills if possibly there bee any greater then mine owne ordained that instant my wit should abound whereof ever since I have so great want and therefore without will to take revenge of my greatest enemies of whom I might have taken it with all facilitie by reason they suspected so little my being there I determined to take it on my self and execute in my self the pain which they deserved and that perhaps with more rigour then I would have used toward them if I had slain them at that time seeing that the suddain death finisheth presently the pain but that which doth lingringly torment kills alwaies without ending the life To bee short I went out of the house and came to the other where I had left my Mule which I caused to bee sadled and without biding mine Host adieu I mounted on her and rode out of the City without daring like another Lot to turne back and behold it and then seeing my selfe alone in the Fields and that the darknesse of the night did cover mee and the silence thereof invite mee to complaine without respect or feare to bee heard or known I did let slip my voice and untyed my tongue with so many curses of Luscinda and Don Ferdinando as if thereby I might satisfie the wrong they had done mee I gave her the title of Cruell Ingratefull False and Scornefull but specially of Covetous seeing the riches of mine Enemy had shut up the Eyes of her affection to deprive mee thereof and render it to him with whom fortune had dealt more frankly and liberally and in the midst of this tune of maledictions and scornes I did excuse her saying That it was no marvell that a Mayden kept close in her parents house made and accustomed alwaies to obey them should at last condiscend to their Will specially seeing they bestowed upon her for husband so noble so rich and proper a Gentleman as to refuse him would bee reputed in her to proceede eyther from want of judgement or from having bestowed her affections else-where which things must of force greatly prejudice her good opinion and renowne Presently would I turne againe to say that though shee had told them that I was her spouse they might easily perceive that in choosing mee shee had not made so ill an election
an AEgyptian whose language and many others hee could speake as well as if they were his mother tongue Sancho saw him and knew him and scarce had hee seene and taken notice of him when hee cryed out aloud Ah theese Ginesillo leave my goods behinde thee set my life loose and doe not intermeddle with my ease Leave mine Asse leave my comfort flie Villane absent thy selfe theeâ—e and abandon that which is none of thine He needed not to have used so many words and frumps for Gines leaped downe at the very first and beginning a Trot that seemed rather to bee a Gallop hee absented himselfe and fledde farre enough from them in a moment Sancho went then to his Asse and imbracing him said How hast thou done hitherto my Darling and Treasure gray Asse of mine Eyes and my deerest Companion and with that stroked and kissed him as if it were a reasonable creature The Asse held his peace and permitted Sancho to kisse and cherish him without answering a Word All the rest arived and congratulated with Sancho for the finding of his Asse but chiefely Don-Quixote who said unto him that notwithstanding that hee found his Asse yet would not hee therefore annull his Warrant for the three Colts for which Sancho returned him very great thanks Whilest they two travelled together discoursing thus the Curate said to Dorotea that shee had very discreetly discharged her selfe as well in the Historie as in her brevitie and immitation thereof to the phrase and conceits of Bookes of Knighthood Shee answered That shee did oft times reade bookes of that subject but that shee knew not where the Provinces lay nor Sea-ports and therefore did only say at randome that shee had landed in Osuna I knew it was so quoth the Curate and therefore I said what you heard wherewithall the matter was souldered But is it not a marveilous thing to see with what facilitie the unfortunate Gentleman beleeves all these inventions and lies only because they beare the stile and manner of the follies laid down in his bookes It is quoth Cardenio and that so rare and beyond all conceite as I beleeve if the like were to bee invented scarce could the sharpest wits devise such another There is yet quoth the Curate as marvellous a matter as that for leaving apart the simplicities which this good Gentleman speakes concerning his frenzie if you will commune with him of any other subject whatsoever he will discourse on it with an excellent method and shew himself to have a cleer and pleasing understanding So that if he be not touched by matters of Chivalry there is no man but will deem him to be of a sound and excellent Judgement Don-Quixote on the other side prosecuted his conversing with his Squire whilest the others talked together and said to Sancho Let us two friend Pancha forget old injuries and say unto me now without any rancour or anger Where how and when didest thou finde my Ladie Dulcinea What did shee when thou camest What said'st thou to her What answered she What countenance shewed she as she read my Letter And who writ it out fairly for thee And every other thing that thou shalt think worthy of notice in this affair to be demanded or answered without either addition or lying or soothing adulation and on the other side doe not abbreviate it lest thou shouldest defraud me thereby of expected delight Sir answered Sancho if I must say the truth none copied out the Letter for me for I carried no Letter at all Thou sayest true quoth Don-Quixote for I found the Tablets wherein it was written with my self two dayes after thy departure which did grieve me exceedingly because I knew not what thou wouldest doe when thou didest perceive the want of the Letter and I alwaies made full account that thou wouldest return again from the place where thou shouldest first misse it I had done so quoth Sancho if I had not borne it away in memory when you read it to me in such sort as I said it to a Cleark of a Verstrie who did copie it out of my understanding so poynt by poynt as he said that he never in all the dayes of his life although he had read many a Letter of excommunication read or seen so fine a Letter as it was And doest thou hold it yet in memory Sancho quoth Don-Quixote No Sir said Sancho for after I gave it seeing it served for none other purpose I did willingly forget it And if I remember any thing it is that of the mouldy I would say Soveraign Ladie and the end Yours untill death The Knight of the Ill-favoured face and I put between these two things in the Letter three hundred Souls and Lives and Sweet-eyes CHAP. IV. Of the pleasant discourses continued between Don-Quixote and his Squire Sancho Pança with other Adventures ALâ— this liketh me well said Don-Quixote therefore say on thou arrived'st and what was that Queen of Beauty doing then I dare say that thou foundest her threading of Pearls or imbroydering some curious Device with Venice gold for me her captive Knight No that I did not quoth Sancho but winnowing two bushels of Wheat in the yard of her house Why then said Don-Quixote thou mayest make account that each corne of that wheat was a grain of Pearl seeing they were touched by her delicate hand And friend didest thou note well what the Wheat was whether of the best or ordinarie It was not but red said Sancho Well then I assure thee answered Don-Quixote that being sifted by her hands it must needs make very fair bread and white But passe forward When thou didest deliver my Letter did she kisse it Did she set it on her head Did she use any ceremony worthy of such a Letter Or what did she When I went to give it unto her said Sancho she was holding up of her armes with a good quantity of Wheat that shee had in her Sieve and therefore said unto me Friend lay down that Letter there on the Sack for I cannot read it untill I have winnowed all that is here O discreet Ladie quoth Don-Quixote she surely did that because she might read it at leisure and recreate her self therewithall Forward Sancho And as long as she was thus busied what discourses passed she with thee What did she demand of thee concerning me And thou what didest thou answer Say all good Sancho say all recount to me every particularity and let not the least immunity remain in the Ink-horn Shee demanded nothing of mee quoth Sancho but I recounted unto her the state I had left you in for her sake doing of penance all naked from the gyrdle upward among these Rocks like a bruit Beast sleeping on the ground and eating your bread without Table-cloathes and that you never combed your Beard but was weeping and cursing your fortune There thou saidst ill quoth Don-Quixote for I doe not curse my fortune but rather blesse it and will blesse it as long
of Camila's answers and his own speech were but fictions and untruths and that hee might the more confirm himself and see whether it were so hee came forth and calling Lothario apart hee demanded of him what Camila had said and in what humour shee was at the present Lothario answered That hee meant not ever any more to found her in that matter for shee replyed unto him so untowardly and sharply as hee durst not attempt any more to speak unto her of such things Oh quoth Anselmo Lothario Lothario how evill doest thou answer to the affection thou owest me or to the confidence I did repose in thee I have stood beholding thee all this while thorow the hole of that lock and saw how thou never spokest one word to her Whereby I doe also collect that thou hast not yet once accosted her and if it bee so as doubtlesly it is say why doest thou deceive me or why goest thou about fraudulently to deprive me of those means whereby I may obtain my desires Anselmo said no more yet what he said was sufficient to make Lothario confused and ashamed who taking it to bee a blemish to his reputation to bee found in a lye swore to Anselmo That hee would from thence forward so indeavour to please his minde and tell him no more leasings as hee himself might perceive the successe thereof if hee did again curiously lye in watch for him a thing which hee might well excuse because him most serious labour to satisfie his desire should remove all shadow of suspicion Anselmo believed him and that hee might give him the greater commoditie and lesse occasion of fear hee resolved to absent himself from his house some eight dayes and goe to visit a friend of his that dwelled in a Village not far from the Cittie and therefore dealt with his friend that hee should send a Messenger to call for him very earnestly that under that pretext hee might finde an excuse to Camila for his departure O infortunate and inconsiderate Anselmo what is that which thou doest what doest thou contrive or what is that thou goest about behold thou workest thine own ruine laying plots of thine own dishonour and giving order to thy proper perdition Thy wife Camila is good thou doest possesse her in quiet and peaceable manner no man surpriseth thy delights her thoughts transgresse not the limits of her house Thou art her Heaven on earth and the goale to which her desires aspire Thou art the accomplishment and summe of her delectation Thou art the Square by which shee measureth and directeth her will adjusting wholy with thine and with that of Heaven Since then the Mines of her Honour Beautie Modestie and Recollection bountifully afford thee without any toyle all the treasures contained in them or thou canst desire why wouldest thou dig the earth and seek out new vains and new seen treasures exposing thy self to the danger that thy labours may turn to wrack seeing in fine that they are only susteined by the weak supporters of her fraile nature Remember how he that seeks the impossible may justly be refused of that which is possible according to that which the Poet saith IN Death for Life I seeke Health in infirmitie For issue in a Dungâ—on deep In Iayles for Libertie And in a Treachour Loyalty But envious-Fate which still Conspires to worke mine ill With Heav'n hath thus decreed That easie things should be to mee deni'd â—Cause I crave th'impossible Anselmo departed the next day following to the Village telling Camila at his departure that whil'st hee were absent his friend Lothario would come and see to the affaires of his house and to eate with her and desired her therefore to make as much of him as shee would doe of his owne person Camila like a discreet and modest woman was grieved at the order her husband did give to her and requested him to render how indecent it was that any one should possesse the chayre of his Table hee being absent and if hee did it as doubting her sufficiency to manage his houshould affaires that at least hee should make tryall of her that one time and should cleerly perceive how shee was able to discharge matters of far greater consequence Anselmo replyed that what hee commanded was his pleasure and therefore shee had nothing else to doe but hold downe her head and obey it Camila answered that shee would doe so although it were very much against her will In fine her husband departed and Lothario came the next day following to the house where hee was entertayned by Camila very friendly but would never treate with Lothario alone but evermore was compassed by her servants and waiting Maidens but chiefly by one called Leonela whom shee loved deerly as one that had been brought up with her in her fathers house even from their infancie and when shee did marry Anselmo shee brought her from thence in her company The first three dayes Lothario spoke not a word although hee might when the Tables were taken up and that the folke of the house went hastily to dinner for so Camila had commanded and did give Leonela order besides to dine before her selfe and that shee should still keepe by her side but the gyrle which had her fancie otherwise imployed in things more pleasing her humor and needed those houres and times for the accomplishing of them did not alwaies accomplish so punctually her Ladies command but now and then would leave her alone as if that were her Ladies behest But the honest presence of Camila the gravitie of her face and the modestie of her carriage was such that it served as a bridle to restraine Lotharioes tongue But the benefit of Camilaes many virtues seting silence to Lotharioes speech resulted afterward to both their harmes for though the tongue spoke not yet did his thoughts discourse and had leisure afforded them to contemplate part by part all the extremes of worth and beautie that were cumulated in Camila potent to enflame a statue of frozen Marble how much more a heart of flesh Lothario did only behold her in the time and space hee should speake unto her and did then consider how worthy shee was to be loved And this consideration did by little and little give assaults to the respects which hee ought to have borne towards his friend Anselmo a thousand times did hee determine to absent himselfe from the Citie and goe where Anselmo should never see him nor hee Camila but the delight hee tooke in beholding her did again withhold and hinder his resolutions When hee was alone hee would condemn himselfe of his madd designe and term himselfe a bad friend and worse Christian hee made discourses and comparisons betweene himselfe and Anselmo all which did finish in this point that Anselmoes foole-hardinesse anâ— madnesse was greater then his owne infidelitie and that if hee might bee as asily excused before God for that hee meant to doe as hee would bee befor men hee needed
which may and are wont to bee had of women doe not eftsoones enter into the profound depths of new inconveniences nor take thou any other Pilot to make experience of the goodnesse and strength of the Vessell that Heaven hath alotted to thee to passe therein thorow the Seas of this world but make account that thou art harboured in a safe Haven and there hold thy selfe fast with the Anchor of good consideration and so rest thee untill death come to demand his debt from the payment whereof no Nobility or priviledge whatsoever can exempt us Anselmo rested singularly satisfied at Lotharioes discourse and did beleeve it as firmly as if it were delivered by an Oracle but did intreate him notwithstanding to prosecute his attempt although it were only done for curiositie and to passe away the time yet not to use so efficacious meanes as hee thitherto practised and that hee only desired him to write some verses in her praise under the name of Clori for hee would make Camila beleeve that hee was enamoured on a certaine Lady to whom hee did appropriate that name that hee might celebrate her prayses with the respect due to her honour and that if hee would not take the pains to invent them that hee himselfe would willingly compose them That is not needfull quoth Lothario for the Muses are not so alienated from mee but that they visite mee somtimes in the yeere Tell you unto Camila what you have devised of my loves and as for the verses I will make them my selfe if not so well as the subject deserves yet at the least as artificially as I may devise them The impertinent curious man and his treacherous friend having thus agreed and Anselmo returned to his house hee demanded of Camila that which shee marvelled hee had not asked before that shee should tell unto him the occasion why shee sent unto him the Letter Camila made answer Because it seemed unto her that Lothario beheld her some what more immodest then when he was at home but that now she did againe disswade her selfe and beleeved that it was but a light surmise without any ground because that shee perceived Lothario to loath her presence or be by any meanes alone with her Anselmo told her that she might very well live secure for him for that he knew Lothario's affections were bestowed else-where and that upon one of the noblest Damzels of the Citie whose praises hee solemnized under the name of Clori and that although hee were not yet was there no cause to doubt of Lothario's virtue or the amitie that was between them both Here if Camila had not been premonished by Lothario that the love of Clori was but fained and that hee himself had told it to Anselmo to blinde him that hee might with lesse difficultie celebrate her own praises under the name of Clori shee had without doubt faln into the desperate toyles of jealousie but being already advertised shee posted over that assault lightly The day following they three sitting together at dinner Anselmo requested Lothario to repeat some one of the Verses that hee had made to his beloved Clori for seeing that Camila knew her not hee might boldly say what hee pleased Although shee knew her quoth Lothario yet would I not therefore suppresse any part of her praises For when any Lover praiseth his Ladie for her beauty and doth withall taxe her of cruelty her credit incurs no danger But befall what it list I composed yesterday a Sonnet of the ingratitude of Clori and is this ensuing A SONNET AMid'st the silence of the darkest night When sweetest sleep invadeth mortall eyes I poor account to Heav'n and Clori bright Give of the richest harmes which ever rise And at the time wee Phoebus may devise Shine through the roseal gates of th' Orient bright With deep accents and sighs in Wonted guise I doe my Plaints renew with main and might And when the Sunne down from his Starry seat Directest rayes towards the earth doth send My sighs I double and my sad regret And night returns but of my Woes no end For I finde alwaies in my mortall strife Heav'n without eares and Clori likewise deaf Camila liked the Sonnet very well but Anselmo best of all for hee praised it and said that the Lady must bee very cruell that would not answer such perspicuous truths with reciprocall affection But then Camila answered Why then belike all that which enamoured Poets say is true In as much as Poets quoth Lothario they say not truth but as they are inamoured they remain as short as they are true That is questionlesse quoth Anselmo all to underprop and give Lothario more credit with Camila who was as carelesse of the cause her Husband said so as shee was inamoured of Lothario and therefore with the delight shee took in his compositions but chiefly knowing that his desires and labours were addrest to her self who was the true Clori shee intreated him to repeat some other Sonnet or Dittie if hee remembred any Yes that I doe quoth Lothario but I believe that it is not so good as the first as you may well judge for it is this A SONNET I Die and if I cannot bee believ'd My death 's more certain as it is most sure To see me aâ— thy feet of life depriv'd Rather then grieve this thraldome to indure Well may I in oblivious shades obscure Of Glorie Life and Favour bee deny'd And yet even there shall in my bosome pure The shape of thy fair face iugrav'd bee ey'd For that 's a relique which I doe reserve For the last Trances my contentions threaten Which mid'st thy rigour doth it self preserve O woe's the Wight that is by tempests beaten By night in unknown Seas in danger rife For want of North or Hav'n to lose his life Anselmo commended also this second Sonnet as hee had done the first and added by that means one link to another in the chain wherewith hee intangled himself and forged his own dishonour seeing when Lothario dishonoured him most of all hee said unto him then that hee honoured him most And herewithall Camila made all the links that verily served only to abase her down to the Center of contempt seem to mount her in her Husbands opinion up to the height of virtue and good fame It befell soon after that Camila finding her self alone with her Maiden said to her I am ashamed friend Leonela to see how little I knew to value my self seeing that I made not Lothario spend some time at least in the purchasing the whole possession of me which I with a prompt will bestowed upon him so speedily I fear me that hee will impute my hastinesse to lightnesse without considering the force hee used towards me which wholly hindred and disabled my resistance Let not that afflict you Madam quoth Leonela for it is no sufficient cause to diminish estimation that that bee given quickly which is to bee given if that in effect be good
entred but could finde no body therein but some certain sheets knit together and tied to the window as a certain signe how Leonela had made an escape by that way Wherefore hee returned very sad to tell to Camila the adventure but when hee could neither finde her at bed nor in the whole house hee remained astonied and demanded for her of his Servants but none of them could tell him any thing And as hee searched for her hee hapned to see her Coffers lye open and most of her Jewels wanting and herewithall fell into the true account of his disgrace and that Leonela was not the cause of his misfortune and so departed out of his house sad and pensive even as hee was half ready and unapparrelled to his friend Lothario to recount unto him his disaster but when hee found him to bee likewise absented and that the Servants told him how their Master was departed the very same night and had borne away with him all his Money hee was ready to runne out of his wits And to conclude hee returned to his own house again wherein he found no ceature man or woman for all his folk were departed and had left the house alone and desart Hee knew not what hee might think say or doe and then his judgement began to faile him There hee did contemplate and behold himself in an instant without a Wife a Friend and Servants abandoned to his seeming of Heaven that covered him and chiefly without honour for hee cleerly noted his own perdition in Camilaes crime In the end hee resolved after hee had bethought himself a great while to goe to his friends Village wherein hee had been all the while that hee afforded the leisure to contrive that disaster And so shutting up his house hee mounted a horseback and rode away in languishing and dolefull wise And scarce had hee ridden the half way when hee was so fiercely assaulted by his thoughts as hee was constrained to alight and tying his Horse to a Tree hee leaned himself to the trunck thereof and breathed out a thousand pittifull and dolorous sighs and there hee abode untill it was almost night about which hour espyed a man to come from the Citie a Horse-back by the same way and having saluted him hee demanded of him what news hee brought from Florence The Citizen replyed The strangest that had hapned there many a day For it is there reported publiquely That Lothario the great friend of the rich man hath carried away the said Anselmo's Wife Camila this night for shee is also missing all which a Waiting-maid of Camilaes hath confest whom the Governour apprehended yesternight as shee slipt down at a window by a pair of sheets out of the said Anselmo's house I know not particularly the truth of the Affair but well I wot that all the Citie is amazed at the accident for such a fact would not bee as much as surmized from the great and familiar amitie of them two which was so much as they were called The two friends Is it perhaps yet known replyed Anselmo which way Lothario and Camila have taken In no wise quoth the Citizen although the Governour hath used all possible diligence to finde them out Farewell then good Sir said Anselmo And with you Sir said the Traveller And so departed With these so unfortunate news poore Anselmo arived not only to termes of losing his wits but also well nigh of losing his life and therefore arising as well as hee might hee came to his friends house who had heard nothing yet of his disgrace but perceiving him to arive so wan pined and dried up hee presently conjectured that some grievous evill afflicted him Anselmo requested him presently that hee might bee caried to his Chamber and provided of paper and inke to write withall all was done and hee left in bed and alone for so hee desired them and also that the dore should bee fast locked And being alone the imagination of his misfortune gave him such a terrible charge as hee cleerely perceived that his life would shortly faile him and therefore resolved to leave notice of the cause of his suddaine and unexpected death and therefore hee began to write it but before hee could set an end to his discourse his breath fayled and hee yeelded up his life into the hands of sorrow which his impertinent curiositie had stirred up in him The Gentleman of the house seeing that it grew late and that Anselmo had not called determined to enter and know whether his indisposition passed forward and hee found him lying on his face with halfe of his body in the bed and the other half leaning on the table whereon he lay with a written paper unfolded and held the pen also yet in his hand His Oast drew neere unto him and first of all having called him he took him by the hand and seeing that he answered not and that it was cold he knew that he was dead and greatly perplexed and grieved thereat he called in his people that they might also be witnesses of the disastrous successe of Anselmo and after all he took the paper and read it which he knew to be written with his own hand the substance whereof was this A Foolish and Impertinent Desire hath dispoyled me of Life If the newes of my Death shall arrive to Camila let her also know that I doe pardon her for shee was not bound to worke Miracles nor had I any neede to desire that she should worke them And seeing I was the builder and contriver of mine owne dishonour there is no reason Hitherto did Anselmo write by which it appeared that his life ended in that point ere he could set an end to the Reason he was to give The next day ensuing the Gentleman his friend acquainted Anselmoes kinsfolke with his death the which had already knowledge of his misfortune and also of the Monastery wherein Camila had retyred her self being almost in terms to accompany her husband in that forcible voyage not for the newes of his death but for grief of others which she had received of her absent friend It is said that although she was a widow yet would she neither depart out of the Monastery nor become a Religious woman untill she had received within a few daies after news how Lothario was slaine in a battell given by Monsieur de Lauâ—reâ— to the great Captain Goncalo Fernandez of Cordova in the kingdom of Naples and that was the end of the late repentant friend the which being known to Camila she made a profession and shortly after deceased between the rigorous hands of sorrow and Melanchollie and this was the end of them all sprung from a rash and inconsiderate beginning This Novell quoth the Curate having read it is a pretty one but yet I cannot perswade my self that it is true and if it be a fiction the Author erred therein for it cannot be imagined that any husband would be so foolish as to make
when shee fell into a Trance and believing that it was his Luscinda issued out of the chamber greatly altered and the first hee espied was Don Fernando which held Luscinda fast who forthwith knew him And all the three Luscinda Cardenio and Dorotea stood dumbe and amazed as folk that knew not what had befaln unto them All of them held their peace and beheld one another Dorotea looked on Don Fernando Don Fernando on Cardenio Cardenio on Luscinda and Luscinda again on Cardenio but Luscinda was the first that broke silence speaking to Don Fernando in this manner Leave me off Lord Fernando I conjure thee by that thou shouldest be for that which thou art and if thou wilt not doe it for any other respect Let me cleave to the wall whose Ivie I am to the supporter from whom neither thy importunitie nor threats promises or gifts could once deflect me Note how Heaven by unusuall unfrequented and from us concealed waies hath set my true Spouse before mine eyes and thou doest know well by a thousand costly experiences that only death is potent to blot forth his remembrance out of my memorie Let then so manifest truths bee of power if thou must doe none other to convert thine affliction into rage and thy good will into despight and therewithall end my life for if I may render up the Ghost in the presence of my deer Spouse I shall account it fortunately lost Perhaps by my death hee will remain satisfied of the faith which I ever kept sincere towards him untill the last period of my life By this time Dorotea was come to her self and listened to most of Luscindaes reasons and by them came to the knowledge of her self But seeing Don Fernando did not yet let â—er depart from between his armes nor answer any thing to her words encouraging her self the best that shee might shee arose and kneeling at his feet and shedding a number of Cristall and penetrating Tâ—ares she spoke to him thus If it bee not so my Lord that the beames of that Sunne which thou holdest eclypsed betweene thine armes doe darken and deprive those of thine eyes thou mightest have by this perceived how shee that is prostrated at thy feete is the unfortunate untill thou shalt please and the disastrous Dorotea I am that poore humble country-woman whom thou eyther through thy bountie or for thy pleasure didst daigne to rayse to that height that shee might call thee her owne I am shee which sometime immured within the limits of honestie did lead a most contented life untill it opened the gates of her recollection and wearinesse to thine importunity and seeming just and amorous requests and rendred up to thee the keyes of her libertie a griefe by thee so ill recompenced as the finding my selfe in so remote a place as this wherein you have met with mee and I seene you may cleerely testifie but yet for all this I would not have you to imagine that I come here guided by dishonourable steps being only hitherto conducted by the tracts of dolour and feeling to see my selfe thus forgotten by thee It was thy will that I should bee thine owne and thou didst desire it in such a manner as although now thou wouldst not have it so yet canst not thou possibly leave off to be mine Know my deere Lord that the matchlesse affections that I doe beare towards thee may recompence and be equivalent to her beautie and nobilitie for whom thou dost abandon mee Thou canst not bee the beautifull Lâ—scindaes because thou art mine nor shee thine for as much as shee belongs to Cardenio and it will bee more easie if you will note it well to reduce thy will to love her that adores thee then to addresse hers that hates thee to beare thee affection Thou diddest sollicite my wretchlessenesse thou prayedst to mine integritie and wast not ignorant of my qualitie thou knowest also very well upon what termes I subjected my selfe to thy will so as there remaines no place nor colour to term it a fraud or deceit and all this being so as in veritie it is that thou beest as Christian as thou art noble why dost thou with these so many untoward wreathings dilate the making of mine end happy whose coÌ„mencement thou didst illustrate so much and if thou wilt not have mee for what I am who am thy true and lawfull Spouse yet at least take and admit mee for thy slave for so that I may bee in thy possession I will account my selfe happy and fortunate Doe not permit that by leaving and abandoning mee meetings may bee made to discourse of my dishonour Doe not vexe thus the declining yeeres of my Parents seeing that the loyall services which they ever have done as Vassals to thine deserve not so dishonest a recompence And if thou esteemest that thy blood by medling with mine shall bee stayned or embased consider how few noble houses or rather none at all are there in the world which have not runne the same way and that the womans side is not essentially requisite for the illustrating of noble discents how much more seeing that true Nobilitie consists in virtue which if it shall want in thee by refusing that which thou owest mee so justly I shall remain with many more degrees of Nobilitie then thou shalt And in conclusion that which I will lastly say is that whether thou wilt or no I am thy wife the witnesses are thine owne words which neither should nor ought to lie if thou dost priâ—e thy selfe of that for whose want thou despisest mee Witnesse shall also bee thine owne hand writing Witnesse Heaven which thou didst invoke to beare witnesse of that which thou didst promise unto mee and when all this shall faile thy very Conscience shall never faile from using clamors being silent in thy myrth and turning for this truth which I have said to thee now shall trouble thy greatest pleasure and delight These and many other like reasons did the sweetly grieved Dorotea use with such feeling and abundance of teares as all those that were present as well such as accompanied Don Fernando as all the others that did accompany her Don Fernando listned unto her without replying a word untill shee had ended her speech and given beginning to so many sighs and sobs as the heart that could indure to behold them without moving were harder then brasse Luscinda did also regard her no lesse compassionate of her sorrow then admired at her discretion and beautie and although shee would have approached to her and used some consolatorie words yet was shee hindred by Don Fernandoes armes which held her still embraced who full of confusion and marvell after hee had stood very attentively beholding Dorotea a good while opening his armes and leaving Luscynda free said Thou hast vanquished O beautifull Dorotea thou hast vanquished me for it is not possible to resist or denie so many united truths Luscinda through her former trance and weakenesse as
in such sort as it would be impossible for us to escape but what was at the present possible to bee done was to give them libertie at the first Christian Countrey whereat wee happened to arive All of us agreed to this opinion and Zeraida also to whom reason was given of the motives wee had not to free them forthwith and accomplish her will therein remained satisfied and therefore presently with joyfull silence and cheerfull diligence every one of our lustie Rowers seizing upon his Oare wee began after wee had commended our selves unto Almighty God to lanch forth and addresse our course towards the â—sles of Mallorca which is the neerest Christian Countrey but by reason that the winde blew somwhat from the Mountaines and that the Sea began to be rough it was not possible to continue that course and so wee were forced to approach the shore and goe by little and little towards Oran not without great grief and anguish for feare to bee espied by the towne of Sargel which is on that coast and falls some seventie leagues beyond Argiers and wee did likewise feare to meete in that passage some Galliot of those which come ordinarily with Merchandize from Tetuan although every one of us for himselfe and for all together did presume that if wee incountred a Galliot of Merchandize so it were not a Pyrate that not only wee would not bee lost but rather would take the Vessell that therein wee might with more securitie finish our Voyage Zoraida whilest thus wee sailed went with her head betweene my hands because shee would not looke on her Father and I felt her how shee was still invoking of Lela Marien to assist us and having sayled about some thirty leagues the morning overtook us about some three Musquet shot from Land in a place that seemed to bee Desart and free from all accesse of those that might discover us and yet for all that wee got by might and maine somwhat further into the Seas that now was become a little calmer and having entred some two leagues into the Maine order was given that they should row by turnes whilest they did refresh themselves and take a little sustenance for the Barke was very well furnished with Victuals although those which did row refused the offer saying that then it was no time to repose and that they should set those that did not row to dinner for they would not yet in any sort let goe their Oares It being done as they had said the winde did rise so much as it made us abandoning our Oares to set sail and direct our Boat towards Oran being unable to take any other course All was done with very great speed and so wee made by the sail more then eight miles an hour free from all other fear then that of encountring some Vessell of warre Wee gave the Moors our Prisoners their dinner and the Runnagate comforted them saying That they went not as Prisoners for they should receive their Libertie upon the first commodity that were proffered The same was likewise said of Zoraida's Father who returned them this answer I would easily expect and believe any other thing O Christians of your liberalitie and honourable manner of proceeding but doe not think that I am so simple as once to imagine that you will give me my Libertie for you did never expose your self to the danger of despoyling me thereof with intention to return it me so prodigally again especially knowing as you doe who I am and the profit you may reap by giving me it again to which profit if you will put a name and tell me how much would you demand I doe even from hence offer unto you all that which you will seek for me and for that unfortunate Daughter of mine or if you will not deliver me I will give you it for her alone who is the greatest and the best part of my Soul And saying so hee began to weep so bitterly as hee moved us all to compassion and forced Zoraida to look upon him who seeing him weep was so strangely moved as arising from my feet shee went and embraced her Father and laying her face upon his they began together so tender a lamentation as many of us that were in the Bark were forced to keep them companie but when her Father noted her to bee so richly adorned and with so many Jewells on hee asked her in his own language How haps this Daughter that yesternight late before this terrible disaster befell us wherein wee are plunged I saw thee attyred in thine ordinarie houshold array and that now without having had any leisure to apparell thy self or having given thee any glad tidings for whose solemnizing thou oughtest to adorn and publish thy selfe I doe view thee thus clad in the richest attire which I could bestow upon thee when our fortune was most favourable Answer me to this for thou hast suspended and astonished me more then the very disgrace it self wherein I am All that the Moor said to his Daughter the Runnagate declared unto us and shee did not answer a word to him But when hee saw the little Coffers lie at one side of the Barke wherein shee was wont to keep her Jewells and that hee knew very well shee had left at Argiers and not brought to the Garden hee was much more amazed and demanded of her how that Coffer was come into our possession and what things shee had there within it To which the Runnagate without attending that Zoraida should answer him said Sir doe not trouble your self by demanding so many things of your Daughter Zoraida for with one that I will say I shall satisfie them all and therefore you shall understand that shee is a Christian and hath been the file that cut off our chains and is the Libertie it self of our Captivity and shee goeth along with us of her own free will as content if mine imagination doe not wrong me to see her self in this State as hee is that commeth out of darknesse to the light from death unto life and out of pain into glorie Is it true Daughter which this man saies quoth the Moor It is answered Zoraida That thou in effect art a Christian replyed the old man and shee that hath put her Father into his enemies hands To which Zoraida answered I am shee that is a Christian but not shee that hath brought thee to this passe for my desire did never so estrange it selfe from thee as to abandon or harme thee but only endeavoured to doe my self good And what good hast thou done thy self Daughter Demand that said shee of Lela Marien for shee can therein inform thee better then I can Scarce had the Moor heard her say so when with incredible haste hee threw himself headlong into the Sea wherein hee had been questionlesly drowned if the long apparell hee wore on had not kept him up a while above the water Zoraida cryed out to us to save him and so wee
have beene given to drunkennesse Hercules hee with his many labours was said to have beene lascivious and a Striker Don Galaor brother to Amadis de Gaul was grudged at for being offensive and his brother for a Sheep-biter So that Sancho since so many worthy men have beene calumniated I may well suffer mine if it have beene no more then thou tellest mee Why there 's the quiddity of the matter Body of my Father quoth Sancho Was there any more said then quoth Don-Quixote There 's more behinde yet â—aid Sancho all that was said hitherto is Cakes and white-bread to this But if you will know all concerning these calumnies I 'le bring you one hither by and by that shall tel um you all without missing a scrap for last night Bartholomew Carrascoes sonne arived that comes from studie from Salamanca and hath proceeded Batchelour and as I went to bid him welcome home hee told mee that your Historie was in print under the Title of the most ingenious Gentleman Don-Quixote de la Mancha and hee tells mee that I am mentioned too by mine owne name of Sancho Panca and Dulcinea del Toboso is in too and other matters that passed betwixt us at which I was amazed and blessed my selfe how the Historian that wrote them could come to the knowledge of them Assute thee Sancho said Don-Quixote the Authour of our Historie is some sage Enchanter for such are not ignorant of all secrets they write Well said Sancho if hee were wise and an Enchanter I will tell you according as Samstn Carrasco told mee for that 's the mans name that spoke with mee that the Authors name of this Historie is Cid Hamete Beregena it should bee Benengeli but Sancho simply mistakes as followeth in the next note That is the name of a Moore said Don-Quixotes It is very like quoth Sancho for your Moors are great lovers of Berengens Berengena is a fruit in Spayne which they boyle with sod meate as wee doe Carrats and here was Sanchoes simplicitie in mistaking and to thinke that name was given to the Author for loving the fruit Sancho said Don-Quixote you are out in the Moores Sirname which is Cid Hamete Benengeli And Cid in the Arabicke signifieth Lord. It may bee so quoth Sancho but if you will have the Batchelour come to you I le bring him to you flying Friend quoth Don-Quixote thou shalt doe mee a speciall pleasure for I am in suspence with what thou hast told mee and will not eate a bit till I am informed of all Well I goe for him said Sancho And leaving his Master in that his suspence went for the Batchelour with whom in a very short time after hee returned and the three had a passing pleasant Dialogue CHAP. III. The ridiculous Discourse that passed betwixt Don-Quixote Sancho and the Batchelor Samson Carrasco DON-QVIXOTE was monstrous pensative expecting the Batchelor Carrasco from whom hee hoped to heare the news of himselfe in print as Sancho had told him and hee could not bee perswaded that there was such a Historie since yet the blood of Enemies killed by him was scarce dry upon his Sword-blade and would they have his noble Acts of Chivalry already in the Presse Notwithstanding hee thought that some wise man or friend or enemy by way of Enchantment had committed them to the Presse If a friend then to extoll him for the most remarkable of any Knight Errant If an Enemy to annihilate them and clap um beneath the basest and meanest that ever were mentioned of any inferiour Squire although thought hee to himselfe no Acts of Squire were ever divulged but if there were any History being of a Knight Errant it must needes bee lofty and stately famous magnificent and true With this hee comforted himselfe somewhat but began to bee discomforted to thinke that his Author must bee a Moore by reason of that name of Cid and from Moores there could be no truth expected for all of them are Cheaters Impostors and Chymists Hee feared likewise that he might treat of his Love with some indecencie that might redound to the lessening and prejudice of his Lady Dulcinea del Toboso's honesty hee desired that hee might declare his constancie and the decorum that hee had ever kept toward her contemning Queens and Empresses and Damsels of all sorts keeping distance with violencies of naturall motions Sancho and Carrasco found him thus tossed and turmoyled in these and many such like imaginations whom Don-Quixote received with much courtesie This Bachelor though his name was Samson was not very tall but a notable Wag-halter lean-faced but of a good understanding hee was about four and twenty yeers of age round-faced flat-nosed and wide-mouthed all signes of a malicious disposition and a friend to conceits and merriment as hee shewed it when hee saw Don-Quixote for hee fell upon his knees before him saying Good Master Don-Quixote give me your Greatnesse his hand for by the habit of St. Peter which I weare you are Sir one of the most compleat Knights Errant that hath been or shall bee upon the roundnesse of the earth Well fare Cid Hamete Benengeli that left the stories of your Greatnesse to Posterity and more then well may that curious Authour fare that had the care to cause them to bee translated out of the Arabick into our vulgar Castilian to the generall entertainment of all men Don-Quixote made him rise and said Then it seems my History is extant and that hee was a Moor and a wise man that made it So true it is quoth Samson that upon my knowledge at this day there bee printed above twelve thousand copies of your History if not let Portugall Barcelona and Valencia speak where they have been printed and the report goes that they are now printing at Antwerp and I have a kinde of ghesse that there is no Nation or Language where they will not bee translated One of the things then quoth Don-Quixote that ought to give a man virtuous and eminent content in is to see himself living and to have a good name from every bodies mouth to bee printed and in the Presse I said with a good name for otherwise no death could bee equalled to that life If it bee for good name said the Bachelour your Worship carries the prize from all Knights Errant For the Moor in his language and the Christian in his were most curefull to paint to the life your Gallantry your great Courage in attempting of Dangers your Patience in Adversities and your Sufferance as well in Misfortunes as in your Wounds your Honestie and Constancie in the so Platonick Loves of your self and my Ladie Donna Dulcinea del Toboso I never replyed Sancho heard my Lady stiled Don before only the Ladie Dulcinea del Toboso and there the History erreth somewhat This is no objection of moment said Carasco No truly quoth Don-Quixote But tell me Signior Bachelor which of the exploits of mine are most ponderous in this Historie In this said
require a new attention and a new beliefe CHAP. X. How Sancho cunningly Inchanted the Lady Dulcinea and other successes as ridiculous as true THe Authour of this History coming to relate that which hee doth in this Chapter sayes That hee would willingly have passed it over in silence as fearing not to bee beleeved because here Don-Quixotes madnesse did exceed and was at least two flight-shots beyond his greatest that ever was but for all this fear and suspition hee set it down as t'other acted it without adding or diminishing the least jot of truth in the Historie not caring for any thing that might bee objected against him for a lyer and hee hadâ—reason for truth is stretcht but never breaks and tramples on the lie as oyle doth upon water and so prosecuting his Historie hee sayes That as Don-Quixote had shaded himself in the Forrest or Oake-Wood neer the grand Toboso hee willed Sancho to return to the City and not to come to his presence without hee had first spoken to his Mistris from him requesting her that shee would please to bee seen by her captiv'd Knight and to daigne to bestow her blessing on him that by it hee might hope for many most prosperous successes in all his onsets and dangerous enterprizes Sancho took on him to fulfill his command and to bring him now as good an answer as the former Goe Lad said Don-Quixote and bee not daunted when thou comest before the beams of the Sunne of Beauty which thou goest to discover Oh happy thou above all the Squires of the world bee mindefull and forget not how shee entertains thee if shee blush just at the instant when thou deliverest my Embassie if shee bee stirred and troubled when she heares my name whether her cushion cannot hold her if shee bee set in the rich state of her Authority And if shee stand up mark her whether shee clap sometimes one foot upon another if shee repeat the answer shee gives thee twice or thrice over or change it from milde to curst from cruell to amorous whether she seem to order her haire though it bee not disorderd Lastly observe all her actions and gestures for if thou relate them just as they were I shall ghesse what is hidden in her heart touching my Love in matter of fact for know Sancho if thou knowest it not that the actions and outward motions that appear when love is in treaty are the certain Messengers that bring news of what passeth within Goe friend and better fortune guide thee then mine and send thee better successe then I can expect 'twixt hope and feare in this uncouth solitude in which thou leavest me I goe said Sancho and will return quickly Enlarge that little heart of yours no bigger then an Hasell-nur and consider the saying Faint heart never c. Sweet meat must have sowre sauce And another Where wee least think there goes the Hare away This I say because that if to night wee found not the Castle or Palace of my Lady now by day I doubt not but to finde it when I least dream of it and so to finde her Beleeve me Sancho quoth Don-Quixote thou alwaies bringest thy Proverbs so to the haire of the businesse wee treat of as God give mee no worse Fortune then I desire This said Sancho turned his back and switched his Dapple and Don Quixote stayd a horse-back easing himself on his stirrops and leaning on his Launce full of sorrowfull and confused thoughts where wee will leave him and wend with Sancho who parted from his Master no lesse troubled and pensative then hee insomuch that hee was scarce out of the Wood when turning his face and seeing that Don-Quixote was out of sight hee lighted from his Asse and resting at the foot of a Tree hee began to discourse thus to himself and say Now brother Sancho I pray let 's know whither is your Worship going To seek some Asse that you have lost No forsooth Well what is it you seek for I seek a matter of nothing a Princesse and in her the Sunne of Beauty and all Heaven withall And where doe you think to finde this you speak of Sancho Where Why in the grand Citie of Toboso Well and from whom doe you seek her From the most famous Knight Don-Quixote de la Mancha hee that righteth wrongs gives the thirsty meat and the hungry drink Mistakes of simplicity All this is well And doe you know her house Sancho My Master sayes it is a Royall Palace or a lofty Towre And have you ever seen her trow Neither hee nor I never And doe you think it were well that the men of Toboso should know that you were here to entice their Princesses and to trouble their Wenches and should come and grinde your ribs with bangs and leave you never a sound bone Indeed belike they should consider that you are commanded friend but as a Messenger that you are in no fault not you Trust not to that Sancho for your Manchegan People are as cholerick as honest and doe not love to bee jested with In very deed if they smell you you are sure to pay for it Ware Hawk ware Hawk No no let me for anothers pleasure seeke better bread then 's made of Wheat and I may as well finde this Dulcinea as one Mary in Robena As if we should say one Jone in London or a Scholler in black in Salamanca The Devill the Devill and none else hath clapt me into this businesse This Soliloquy passed Sancho with himself and the upshot was this All things said he have a remedy but death under whose yoke wee must all passe in spite of our teethes when life ends This Master of mine by a thousand signes that I have seen is a Bedlam fit to be bound and I come not a whit short of him and am the greater Cox-combe of two to serve him if the Proverbe bee true that sayes Like master like man and another Thou art known by him that doth thee feed not by him that doth thee breed Hee being thus mad then and subject out of madnesse to mistaking of one thing for another to judge black for white and white for blacke as appeared when he sayd the winde-mils were Gyants and the Friers mules Dromedaries and the flocks of sheep armies of enemies and much more to this tune it will not be hard to make him beleeve that some husband-mans daughter the first we meet with is the Lady Dulcinea and if he beleeve it not I le swear and if hee swear I le out-swear him and if he be obstinate I le be so more and so that I will stand to my tackling come what will on it Perhaps with mine obstinacy I shall so prevaile with him that hee will send mee no more upon these kinde of Messages seeing what bad dispatch I bring him or perhaps hee will thinke that some wicked Enchanter one of those that hee saies persecute him hath changed her shape to vexe him
to be taken and a particular favour to be given from above to make it light happily Any man that would but undertake some voyage if hee bee wise before hee is on his way hee will seeke him some good companion And why should not hee doe so that must travell all his life time till hee come to his resting place Death and the rather if his company must bee at bed and at boord and in all places as the Wives companie must be with the Husband Your wife is not a commodity like others that is bought and sold or exchang'd but an inseparable accident that lasts for terme of life It is a nooze that being fastned about the neck turns to a Gordian knot which cannot bee undone but by Deaths sickle I could tell yee much more in this businesse were it not for the desire I have to bee satisfied by Master Parson if there bee any more to come of Basilius his story To which hee answered This is all that from the instant that Basilius knew the faire Quiteria was to bee married to the rich Camacho hee was never seene to smile or talke sensibly and hee is alwaies sad and pensative talkes to himselfe an evident token that hee is distracted eates little sleepes much all he cates is fruits and all his sleepe is in the fields upon the hard ground like a Beast now and then hee lookes up to Heaven and sometimes casts his eyes downeward so senslesse as if he were only a Statue cloathed and the very ayre strikes off his garments In fine hee hath all the signes of a passionate heart and wee are all of opinion that by that time Quiteria to morrow gives the I it will be the Sentence of his Death God forbid said Sancho for God gives the wound and God gives the salve no body knowes what may happen 't is a good many houres betweene this and to morrow and in one houre nay one minute a house falls and I have seen the Sunne shine and foule weather in an instant one goes to bed sound at night and stirres not the next morning and pray tell mee is there any one here that can say hee hath stayed the course of Fortunes great wheele No truly and betweene a womans I and no I would be loth to put a pins point for it would hardly enter Let mee have Mistrisse Quiteria love Basilius with all her heart and I le give him a bag full of good luck for your love as I have heard tell lookes wantonly with eyes that make copper seeme gold and poverty riches and filth in the eyes pearles Whether a plague run'st thou Sancho quoth Don-Quixote when thou goest threding on thy Proverbs and thy flim-flams Iudas himselfe though hee take thee cannot hold thee Tell me Beast what knowest thou of fortune or her wheel or any thing else Oh if you understand me not no marvell though my sentences bee held for fopperies well I know what I say and know I have not spoken much from the purpose but you Sir are allwaies the Tourney to my words and actions Attourney thou wouldest say God confound thee thou prevaricator of language Doe not you deale with me said Sancho since you know I have not been brought up in Court nor studied in Salamanca to know whether I add or diminish any of my syllables Lord God you must not think your Galizian One of that Province that speak a bastard language to the Spanish can speak like your Toledonian and they neither are not all so nimble For matter of your Court language quoth the Parson 't is true for they that are bred in the Tanner-rows and the Zocodoner The Market place so called in Toledo cannot discourse like them that walk all day in the high Church Cloysters yet all are Toledonians the language is pure proper and elegant indeed only in your discreet Courtiers let them bee borne where they will Discreet I say because many are otherwise and discretion is the Grammer of good language which is accompanied with practice I Sir I thank God have studied the Canons in Salamanca and presume sometimes to yeeld a reason in plain and significant tearms If you did not presume said the other Scholler more on your using the foyles you carry then your tongue you might have been Senior in your degree whereas now you are lag Look you Bachelour quoth the Parson you are in the most erronious opinion of the world touching the skill of the weapon since you hold it frivolous 'T is no opinion of mine said Corchuelo but a manifest truth and if you will have me shew it by experience there you have foyles commodious I have an arme and strength which together with my courage which is not small will make you confesse I am not deceived alight and keep your distance your circles your corners and all your Science I hope to make your see the starres at noon day with my skill which is but modern and mean which though it bee small I hope to God the man is yet unborn that shall make mee turne my back and there is no man in the world but I 'le make him give ground For turning your back said the skillfull I meddle not though perhaps where you first set your foot there your grave might bee diged I mean you might bee killed for despising skill That you shall trye said Corchuelo and lighting hastily from his Asse hee snatched one of the Swords that the Parson carried Not so said Don-Quixote instantly I 'le bee the Master of this Fence and the Judge of this undecided controversie and lighting from Rozinante and taking his Launce hee stepped between them till such time as the Parson had put himself into his Posture and distance against Corchuelo who rann as you would say darting fire out of his eyes The two Husbandmen that were by without lighting from their Asses served for spectators of the mortall Tragedy the blows the stockadoes your false thrusts your back-blows your doubling blows that came from Corchuelo were numberlesse as thick as hopps or haile hee laid on like an angry Lyon but still the Parson gave him a stopple for his mouth with the button of his foyle which stopped him in the mid'st of his fury and hee made him kisse it as if it had been a Relike though not with so much devotion as is due to them In a word the Parson with pure Stocados told all the buttons of his Cassock which hee had on his skyrts flying about him like a fishes tayle Twice hee strook off his hat and so wearied him that what for despight what for choller and rage he took the sword by the hilt and flung it into the aire so forcibly that one of the Husbandmen that was by who was a notary and went for it gave testimony after that he flung it almost three quarters of a mile which testimony serves and hath served that it may bee known and really seen that force is overcome by
consider that the miserable man is subject to the temptations of our depraved nature and as much as thou canst without grievance to the contrary party shew thy self milde and gentle for although Gods attributes are equall yet to our sight his mercy is more precious and more eminent then his Justice If Sancho thou follow these Rules and Precepts thy dayes shall bee long thy fame eternall thy rewards full thy happinesse indelible thou shalt marry thy Children how thou wilt thy shall have titles and thy grand-children thou shalt live in peace and love of all men and when thy life is ending death shall take thee in a mature old age and thy Nephews shall close thy eyes with their tender and delicate hands Those I have told thee hitherto are documents concerning thy soul to adorn it hearken now to those that must serve for the adorning thy body CHAP. XLIII Of the second advice that Don-Quixote gave Sancho Pança WHo could have heard this discourse and not held Don-Quixote for a most wise Personage and most honest But as it hath been often told in the progresse of this large History hee was only besotted when hee touched upon his Chivalry and in the rest of his talk he shewed a cleer and current apprehension so that every foot his works bewrayed his judgement and his judgement his works But in these second documents hee gâ—ve now to Sancho hee shew'd a great deal of lenity and ballanced his judgement and his madnesse in an equall scale Sancho hearkened most attentively unto him and strove to bear in minde his instructions as thinking to observe them and by them to bee very well delivered of his big-swoln Government Don-Quixote proceeded saying Touching the governing thine owne Person and Houshold Sancho the first thing I enjoyn thee to is to bee cleanly and to paire thy Nailes not letting them grow as some doe whose ignorance hath made them think 't is a fine thing to have long Nails as if that excrement and superfluity that they let grow weare only their Nailes rather the claws of a Lizard-bearing Castrell and a foule abuse it is Goe not ungirt or loose for a slovenly Garment is the signe of a carelesse minde if so bee this kinde of slovenly loosenesse bee not to some cunning end as it was judged to bee in Iulius Caesar. Consider with discreetion what thy Government may bee worth and if it will afford thee to bestow Liveries on thy Servants give them decent and profitable ones rather then gawdie or sightly and so give thy cloth amongst thy Servants and the poor I mean that if thou have six Pages give three of them Liveries and three to the poor so shalt thou have Pages in earth and in Heaven and your vain-glorious have not attained to this kinde of giving liveries Eat not Garlick or Onions that thy Pesantry may not be known by thy breath walk softly and speak stayedly but not so as if it appeared thou hearkenedst to thy self for all kinde of affectation is naught Eat little at dinner but lesse at supper for the health of the whole body is forged in the forge of the stomack Be temperate in drinking considering that too much Wine neither keeps secreet nor fulfills promise Take heed Sancho of chewing on both sides or to ruct before any body I understand not your ructing quoth Sancho To ruct quoth hee is as much as to belch and this is one of the fowlest words our language hath though it be very significant so your more neat people have goten the Latine word and call belching ructing and belchers ructers and though some perhaps understand not this 't is no great matter for use and custome will introduce them that they may easily bee understood and the power that the vulgar and custome hath is the enriching of a language Truly said Sancho one of your advices that I mean to remember shall bee not to belch for I am used to doe it often Ruct Sancho not belch quoth Don-Quixote Ruct I will say quoth hee hence forward and not forget it Likewise Sancho you must not intermixe your discourse with that multiplicity of Proverbs you use for though Proverbs bee witty short sentences yet thou bringest them in so by head and shoulders that they are rather absurdities then sentences This quoth Sancho God Almighty can only help for I have more Proverbs then a Book will hold and when I speak they come â—o thick to my mouth that they fall ouâ— and strive one with another who shall come out first but my tongue casts out the first it meets withall though they bee nothing to the purpose but I will have a care hereafter to speak none but shall bee fitting to the gravity of my place for where there is plenty the Guests are not empty and hee that works doth not care for play and hee is in safety that stands under the Bels And hâ—s judgements rare that can spend and spare Now now quoth Don-Quixote glue thred fasten thy Proverbs together no body comes the more â—thou art told a thing the more thou dost it I bid thee leave thy Proverbs and in an instant thou hast cast out a Letany of them that are as much to the purpose as To morrow I found a horse-shooe Look thee Sancho I finde not fault with a Proverb brought in to some purpose but to load and heap on Proverbs hudling together makes a discourse wearisome and base When thou geâ—st on horse-back doe not goe casting thy body all upon the crupper nor carry thy leggs stiff down and stradling from the horses belly nor yet so loosly as if thou wert still riding on thy Dapple for your horse-riding makes some appear Gentlemen others Grooms Let thy sleep bee moderate for hee that riseth not with the Sun loseth the day And observe Sancho That diligence is the Mother of good Fortune and sloth the contrarie that never could satisfie a good desire This last advice that I mean to give thee though it bee not to the adorning of thy body yet I would have thee bear it in thy memory for I beleeve it will bee of no lesse use to thee then those that I have hitherto given thee and it is That thou never dispute of Linages comparing them together since of necessity amongst those that are compared one must bee the better and of him thou debasest thou shalt bee abhorred and of him thou ennoblest not a whit rewarded Let thy apparrell bee a painted Hose and Stocking a long-skirted Jacket and a Cloke of the longest but long Hose by no means for they become neither Gentlemen nor Governours This is all Sancho I will advise thee to for the present as the time and occasionâ— serve hereafter so shall my instructions bee so that thou bee carefull to let me know how thou dost Sir quoth Sancho I see well that you have told me nothing but what is good holy and profitable but to what purpose if I remember nothing True it
Hee so well bestirred himself in his journies that at last hee came to the Dukes Castle who taught him the way or tract that Don-Quixote had taken and how hee had a great desire to bee present at the Tiltings and Turnaments of Saragosa Hee likewise related unto him the gullings or gudgeons that hee had given him with the invention of Dulcinea's dis-enchantment which should bee accomplished at the charges of Sancho's buttocks In summe hee understood from him the fob or jest that Sancho had used toward his Master in making him beleeve that Dulcinea was Enchanted and transformed into a Country Lasse and how the Duchesse his Wife had given Sancho to understand that himself was the man that received himself for so much as Dulcinea was verily Enchanted The Bachelour could not contain himself from laughing and therewithall to bee amazed considering the quaint subtilty and plain simplicity of Sancho equall unto the extream folly of Don-Quixote The Duke desired him that if hee met with him and either vanquished him or not hee would bee pleased to come that way again to the end hee might advertise him of it The Bachelor promised him to doe it and so took his leave of the Duke to goe and see whether hee could finde Don-Quixote Hee found him not at Saragosa but went farther and then befell him what you have already heard Hee came afterward to the Dukes Castle and there made report of all together with the conditions of the Combat Hee moreover told them that Don-Quixote came again to accomplish as a perfect Knight Errant the promise which he had made to retire himself to his own Village and there to abide the full space of one whole yeer And that during the said time it might peradventure bee brought to passe said the Bachelor that hee might bee cured of his folly That hee never had other intention and that for this only cause hee had thus disguised himself for it was great pitty that a Gentleman so well skilled and versed in all things as Don-Quixote was should become a foole With that hee took leave of the Duke and went to his Burrough where hee staid for Don-Quixote who was comming after him Whereupon the Duke took occasion to put this trick upon him for hee took a wondrous pleasure of what succeeded unto Sancho and Don-Quixote and therefore hee caused all the approaches and high-wayes about his Castle to bee laid and watched especially where hee imagined our Knight might come And for the said cause he placed divers of his servants as well on foot as on horseback to the end that if they met with him willed he or nilled he they should bring him to the Castle Now it fortuned that they met with him and forthwith they gave the Duke knowledge of it who was already resolved what hee would doe As soon then as hee knew of his comming hee caused all the Torches and lights that were in the Court to bee lighted and Altisidora to bee placed upon the Tombe with all the preparation that you have seen before and that so lively represented as one would have found very little difference between the truth and that which was counterfeit Cid Hamete goeth yet farther for hee saith that hee asturedly beleeveth that the mockers were as foolish as the mocked and that there wanted not two inches of the Dukes and Duchesses utter privation of common understanding since they took so much pains to mock two fools whereof the one was then sound asleep and the other broad awake transported with his raving and ranging thoughts In the mean time the day surprized them and they desired to rise for the sluggish feathers were never pleasing unto Don-Quixote were hee conquered or conqueror Altisidora who as Don-Quixote supposed being risen from death to life conforming her self to her Master and Mistrisses humour being crowned with the very same Garland which shee had in the tombe attired in a loose Gown of white Taâ—â—ata all beset with flowres of gold her haire loose and dangling down her shoulders leaning upon a staff of fine Ebony wood shee entred into Don-Quixotes Chamber who so soon as hee saw her was so amazed and confounded at her presence as hee shrunk down into his Bed all covered with the clothes and hid with the sheets and counterpoint that hee neither spake word nor used any manner of gesture towards her as might witnesse that hee desired to shew her any courtesie Altisidora sat down in a chaire which was neer unto Don-Quixote's head and after fetching a deep deep sigh with a low sweet and milde voyce shee thus bespake him Sir Don Quixote whensoever women of quality or maidens of discretion trample their honour under their feet and give their tongue free liberty and scope to exceed the bounds of conveniency or modesty publishing the secreets lurking in their hearts they then shall finde themselves brought to extream misery and distresse Now am I one of those pressed vanquished and also enamoured All which notwithstanding I suffer patiently and continue honest So that having been so too much silence was the cause that my soul went out of my body and I lost my life It is now two daies since that the consideration and remembrance of the rigor which thou oh more stony-minded then any marble and inexorable Knight so to reject my plaints which you have used towards me brought me to my lives end or at least I have been deemed and taken for dead by all those that saw me And had it not been that Love who taking pitty of me deposed my recovery among the grievous torments of this good Esquire I should for ever have remained in the other world Love might well depose it replyed Sancho in those of my Asse and I would have been very glad of it But tell me I pray you good Damzel even as Heaven may provide you of another more kind loving-Lover then my Master what is it that you have seen in the other world What is there in Hell that he who dyeth desperate must necessarily undergoe I must needs quoth Altisidora tell you the plain truth of all So it is that I was not wholly or thorowly dead since I came not into Hell for had I once been therein there is no question but I had never been able to come out of it at my pleasure True it is that I came even unto the gate thereof where I met with a dozen of Devils who in their hosen and doublets were playing at Tennis-ball they did weare Falling-bands set with peaks of Flemmish bone-lace with Cuffs of the very same so deep as they appeared four good inches longer then the arme to the end their hands might seem the greater Their Battledors or Rackets were of fire But that which made me wonder most was that they used Books in stead of Balls which Books were full stuft with winde and stifning a thing both wondrous and newly-strange yet did not that so much astonie me for as it
the error wherein Don Alvaro was and how they had done very well in taking a Declaration before the Judge and that so authentically They wandred all that day and the night succeeding without encountring any thing worthy the relation unlesse it bee that the very same night Sancho finished his whipping task to the great contentment of Don Quixote who greedily longed for peep of day to see if in their travels they might meet with his sweet Mistris Dulcinea who was now dis-enchanted Thus wandring they met no woman but they would approach and close with her to take perfect view of her and to discern whether it were Dulcinea of Toboso confidently assuring themselves as of an infallible truth that the promises of the Prophet Merlin could not possibly prove false Whilest they were musing on these things and their longings increasing they unawares ascended a little hillock whence they discovered their Village Which Sancho had no sooner perceived but hee prostrated himself on his knees and uttered these words Oh my dear-dearly-beloved and long desired native Country open thine eyes and behold how they Sonne Sancho returns at last to thee again who if hee bee not very rich yet is hee at least very well whipt and lashed Open thine armes likewise and friendly receive thy Son Don-Quixote And if he return to thee vanquished by the force of a strange Arme hee yet at least returneth conqueror of himself And as himself hath often told me it is the greatest victory that any man can desire or wish for I have good store of money for if they gave me sound whip-lashes I found much good in being a worthy Knight Let us leave these fooleries said Don-Quixote and forthwith wend unto our Village where wee will give free passage unto our imaginations and prescribe unto our selves the form and method that wee are to keep and observe in the rurall or pastorall life which wee intend to put in practise Thus reasoning together they fair and gently descended the hillock and approached to their Village CHAP. LXXIII Of the presages and fore-boadings which hapned to Don-Quixote at the entrance into his Village with other Adventures which serve for grace and ornament unto this famous History and which give credit unto it CID Hamete reporteth That as they were come neer unto the entrance into their Village Don Quixote perceived how in the Commons thereof there were two yong Lads who in great anger contested and disputed together The one said to the other Pierrot thou must not chafe or be angry at it for as long as thou livest thou shalt never set thine eyes upon her Which Don Quixote hearing hee began this speech unto Sancho Friend said hee doest not thou understand what yonder yong Lad saith So long as thou livest thou shalt never let eyes upon her And what imports quoth Sancho what the yong Lad hath spoken What replyed Don Quixote seest thou not how that applying the words unto mine intention his meaning is that I shall never see my Dulcinea Sancho was about to answer him but hee was hindred by an Hare which chased crossed their way Shee was eagerly pursued by divers Gray-hounds and Hunts-men so that fearfully amazed shee squatted down between the feet of Dapple Sancho boldly took her up and presented the same unto Don Quixote who cryed out alowd Malum signum malum signum A Hare runnes away Gray-hounds pursue her and Dulcinea appears not You are a strange man then quoth Sancho let us imagine that this Hare is Dulcinea and the Gray-hounds which pursue her the wicked Enchanters that have transformed her into a Country-Lasse Shee runnes away I take her up and deliver her into your own hands You hold her in your armes you hug and make much of her What ill-boading may this be and what misfortune can bee implyed upon this In the mean while the two yong Boyes came neer unto them to see the Hare and Sancho demanded of one of them the cause or ground of their brabling controversie Then hee who had uttered the words So long as thou livest thou shalt never set eyes upon her related unto Sancho how that he had taken from the other boy a little cage full of Crickets and that hee never purposed to let him have it again Then Sancho pul'd out of his pocket a peece of six Blanks and gave it to the other Boy for his Cage which hee put into Don Quixotes hands saying thus unto him Behold good Sir all these fond Sooth-sayings and ill-presages are dasht and overthrown and have now nothing to doe with our Adventures according to my understanding although I bee but a silly gull no more then with the last yeers snow And if my memory fail me not I think I have heard the Curate of our Village say That it fits not good Christians and wise folks to stand upon such fopperies It is not long since you told me so your self vnd gave me to understand That all such Christians as plodded and amused themselves upon Augures or Divinations were very fools And therefore let us no longer trouble our selves with them but let us goe on and enter into our Village There whilest the Hunters came in they demanded to have their Hare and Donâ—Quixote delivered the same unto them Then hee and Sancho kept on their way and at the entrance into the Village in a little Medow they met with the Curate and the Bachelor Carrasco who with their Beads in their hands were saying their prayers It is to bee understood that Sancho Panca had placed upon Dapple and upon the fardell of their weapons the Jacket or Gaberdine of Boccasin all painted over with fierie flames which was upon him in the Dukes Castle the night that Altisidora rose again from death to life which Jubb or Jacket served them instead of a Carpet or Sumpter-cloth They had likewise placed upon the Asses head the Miter whereof wee have spoken before It was the newest kinde of transformation and the fittest decking or array that ever Asse did put upon his head The Curate and the Bachelor knew them incontinently and with wide-open armes ranne towards them Donâ—Quixote alighted presently and very kindely embraced them But the little Children who are as sharp-sighted as any Linx having eyed the Asses Myter flocked sodainly about them to see the same saying the one to the other Come come and run all you Camarados and you shall see Sancho Panca's Asse more brave and gallant then Mingo and Donâ—Quixotes Palfry leaner fainter and more flaggy then it was the first day Finally being environed with a many yong Children and attended on by the Curate and Bachelor they entred the Village and went directly unto Donâ—Quixotes house At the dore whereof they met with his Maid-servant and with his Neece who had already heard the news of their comming Teresa Panca the Wife of Sancho had likewise been advertised thereof She ranne all dishevelled and half naked to see her Husband leading her Daughter
to the worst it were better to bee still a Knight Errant then a Sheepheard I beseech you good my Lord follow my counsell which I give you not as being full of Wine and Bread but rather fasting and as one that have fifty yeers upon my head Abide still in your house think on your domestick Affairs confesse your self often serve God doe good unto the poor and if any harme come to you of it let me take it upon my soul. Good Wenches hold your peace replyed Don-Quixote for I know what I have to doe In the mean while let me be had to bed me thinks I am not very well yet assure your selves that whether I bee an Errant Knight or a Sheepheard I will carefully provide for all that you may stand in need of and you shall see the effects of it The Neece and the Maid-servant who without doubt were two merry good Wenches laid him in his bed and attended and lookt so well unto him as they could not possibly have done better CHAP. LXXIV How Don-Quixote fell sick Of the Will hee made And of his death AS all humane things being transitory and not eternall are ever declining from their beginnings untill they come unto their last end and period but more especially the lives of men And as that of Don-Quixote had no priviledge from Heaven to continue in one estate and keep it's course his end surprized him at what time hee least thought of it I wot not whether it proceeded of the melancholy which the sad remembrance of his being vanquished caused in him or whether the disposition of the Heavens had so decreed So it is that a burning Fever seized upon him which forced him to keep his bed six dayes During which time the Curate the Bachelor and the Barber who were all his good friends did very often visit him and Sancho Panca his good Squire never went from his bed-side They supposing that the vexation and fretting which hee felt for having been conquered as also because hee saw not the accomplishment of his desires touching the dis-enchantment of Dulcinea caused this sicknesse in him endevoured by all possible means to make him merry The Bachelor desired him to bee of good courage and to rise that they might begin their Pastorall exercise and how hee had already composed an Eglogue which was nothing behinde those that Sanazaro had compiled That for the same purpose hee had bought two goodly and fair Doggs and of great renown for to keep their Flock whereof the one was called Barcino and the other Butron and how a Sheepheard of Quintanar had sold them to him But for all this Don-Quixote quitted not his sorrow nor left off his sadnesse His friends called for a Physician who was nothing well pleased with his pulse which hee felt And therefore hee told him that whatsoever might happen hee should not doe amisse to begin to think on the salvation of his soul for the health of his body was in very great danger Don-Quixote without being any whit amazed did very quietly listen unto this discourse which neither his Neece his Maid nor his Squire did for they were so deeply plunged in tears and weeping as had they seen gastly death in the face they could have done no more The Physician told them plainly That only melancholy and his troublesome cares were the cause of his death Don-Quixote intreated the company to leave him alone because hee had a great desire to sleep a while They did so and hee had a sound nap as they say of six hours so that the Maid and his Neece thought hee would never have waked again Well hee waked at last and with a lowd and audible voyce hee uttered these words The Almighty God bee for ever blessed that hath done so much good for me To bee short his mercies have no bounds they are neither shortned nor hindred by the sinnes of man The Neece listned with heedy attention unto her Uncles words and perceiving that they were better couched and wiser disposed then those hee was accustomed to pronounce in all his sicknesses shee proposed this question unto him My Lord and Uncle what is that you say Is there any new matter befaln What mercies doe you speak of Or what sinnes of men My good Neece replyed Don-Quixote the mercies I talk of are those which God of his goodnesse hath at this instant conferred upon me wretched sinner and my sinnes have been no stop or let unto them I possesse now a free and cleer judgement and nothing over-shadowed with the misty clouds of ignorance which the continuall reading and plodding on books of Chivalry had over-cast me withall I acknowledge all these extravagancies and confesse them to bee but coozening tricks and am agrieved that this disabuse hath hapned so late unto me as it affords me no leisure to make amends for my over-sight by reading of other good books and which might serve and tend to the enlightning of my soul. My deer Neece I feel my self neer unto death but I would not have it to bee such as the sirname of Fool should rest upon me for although I have been foolish in my life I desire not to confirm the truth of it in my death And therefore my dear friend goe and cause the Curate the Bachelor Samson Carrasco and Master Nicholas the Barber to come immediately unto me I desire to confesse my self and to make my last Will and Testament His Neece was eased of this labour by the comming of them all three who even then entred the Chamber Don Quixote no sooner saw them but said thus unto them My good Sirs give me some new yeers gift I am no more Don Quixote de la Mancha but rather Alonso Quixano unto whom my honest life and civill conversation hath heretofore appropriated the surname of Good I am now a professed enemy to Amadis de Gaule of all the infinite rabble of his race Now are all the prophane Histories of Errant Chivalrie hatefull unto me I now acknowledge my folly and perceive the danger whereinto the reading of them hath brought me But now by the meer mercy of my God become wise at my own proper cost and charges I utterly abhorr them When these three friends heard him speak so they beleeved undoubtedly that hee was possessed with some new kinde of foolishnesse My Lord Don Quixote said Samson unto him now that the news are come unto us that the Lady Dulcinea of Toboso is dis-enchanted doe you speak in this manner And now that wee are so neer hand to become Sheepheards that so wee may in singing mirth and jollity lead a kinde of Princely life doe you intend to become a Hermite Hold your peace I pray you replyed Don-Quixote recollect your wits together and let us leave all these discourses That which hitherto served me to my hurt and detriment my death by the assistance of Heaven shall turn to my good and redound to my profit Good Sirs I perceive
distribute in pious uses Item I intreat the said Executors and Over-seers of my Will that if by good fortune they come to the knowledge of the Authour who is said to have composed an History which goes from hand to hand under the Title of The second part of the heroike feats of Armes of Don Quixote de la Mancha they shall in my behalf most affectionately desire him to pardon me for that I have unawares given them occasion to write so infinite a number of great extravagancies and idle impertinencies for so much as I depart out of this life with this scruple upon my conscience to have given him subject and cause to publish them to the world Hee had no sooner ended his discourse and signed and sealed his Will and Testament but a swouning and faintnesse surprizing him hee stretched himself the full length of his Bed All the company were much distracted and moved thereat and ranne presently to help him And during the space of three dayes that hee lived after hee had made his Will hee did Swoun and fall into Trances almost every hour All the house was in a confusion and uproare All which notwithstanding the Neece ceased not to feed very devoutly the Maid-servant to drink profoundly and Sancho to live merrily For when a man is in hope to inherit any thing that hope doth deface or at least moderate in the minde of the inheritor the remembrance or feeling of the sorrow and grief which of reason hee should have a feeling of the Testators death To conclude the last day of Don-Quixote came after hee had received all the Sacraments and had by many and Godly reasons made demonstration to abhorr all the Books of Errant Chivalry The Notary was present at his death and reporteth how hee had never read or found in any Book of Chivalrie that any Errant Knight dyed in his Bed so mildly so quietly so Christianly as did Don-Quixote Amidst the wailfull plaints and blubbering tears of the by-standers hee yeelded up the ghost that is to say hee dyed which the Curate perceiving hee desired the Notary to make him an Attestation or Certificate how Alonso Quixano surnamed the good and who was commonly called Don-Quixote de la Mancha hee was deceased out of this life unto another and dyed of a naturall death Which Testificate hee desired to remove all occasions from some Authors except Cid Hamete Benengeli falsly to raise him from death again and write endlesse Histories of his famous Acts. This was the end of the ingenious Gentleman de la Mancha of whose birth-place Cid Hamete hath not been pleased to declare manifestly the situation unto us to the end that all Villages Towns Boroughs Hamlets of la Mancha should contest quarrell dispute among themselves the honour to have produced him as did the seven Cities of Greece for the love of Homer we have not been willing to make mention and relate in this place the dolefull plaints of Sancho nor those of the Neece and Maid-servant of Don Quixote nor likewise the sundry new and quaint Epitaphs which were graven over his tombe Content your self with this which the Bachelor Samson Carrasco placed there Here lies the Gentle Knight and stout That to that height of valour got As if you marke his deeds throughout Death on his life triumphed not With bringing of his death about The world as nothing hee did prize For as a Scar-crow in mens eyes Hee liv'd and was their Bug-bear too And had the luck with much adoe To live a foole and yet die wise In the meane while the wise and prudent Cid Hamete Benengeli addrest this speech unto his witty Pen Here it is oh my slender Quill whether thou bee ill or well cut that thou shalt abide hanged upon those Racks whereon they hang Spits and Broaches being there-unto fastned with this Copper Wire There shalt thou live many ages except some rash fond-hardy and lewd Historian take thee downe to profane thee Neverthelesse before they lay hands upon thee thou maist as it were by way of advertisement and as well as thou canst boldly tell them Away pack hence stand a farr off you wicked botchers and ungracious Souters and touch mee not since to mee only it belongs to cause to bee imprinted Cum bono Privilegio Regiae Majestatis Don-Quixote was borne for mee alone and I had my birth onely for him If hee hath been able to produce the effects I have had the glory to know how to write and compile them well To be short He and I are but one selfe-same thing maugre and in despight of the fabulous Scribler de Tordesillas who hath rashly and malapâ—rtly dared with an Estridge course and bungling Pen to write the prowesse and high Feates of Armes of my valorous Knight This fardle is too-too heavy for his weake shoulders and his dull wit over-cold and frozen for such an enterprize And if peradventure thou know him thou shalt also advise him to suffer the weary and already rotten bones of Don-Quixote to rest in his Sepulchre For it would bee too great a cruelty if contrary to all Orders and Decrees of Death hee should goe about to make shew of him in Castila the olde where in good sooth hee lyeth within a Sepulchre layd all along and unable to make a third journey and a new outrode It is sufficient to mocke those that so many wandring Knights have made that those two whereof hee hath made shew unto the world to the generall applause and universall content of all Peoples and Nations that have had knowledge of them as well through the whole Countries of Spain as in all other forreigne Kingdomes Thus shalt thou performe what a good Christian is bound to doe in giving good counsell to him that wisheth thee evill As for mee I shall rest contented and well satisfied to have been the first that fully enjoyed the fruites of his writings and that according to my desires since I never desired any other thing then that men would utterly abhore the fabulous impertinent and extravagant Bookes of Chivalries And to say truth by meanes of my true Don-Quixote they begin already to stagger for undoubtedly such fables and slim-slam tales will shortly faile and I hope shall never rise again Farewell FINIS * O dulces prendas A beginning of a Sonnet in Diana de Monto Mayoâ— which D. Q. here rapâ— out upon a suddain Verses made on purpose absurdly as the subject required and so translated ad verbum a These verses and the former of Altisidora are made to bee scurvy on purpose by the Author fitting the occasions and the subjects so he observes neyther Verse nor Rime * Though these Verses were made on purpose to bee absurd yet sure the authoritie here fell into the common absurditie that I have known many of his Countreymen doe which is that England is in London and not Vice Versa