dwelled right before my Fathers house at the Court and although the Windows of our house were in Winter covered with Sear-cloth and in Summer with Lattice I know not how it happened but this Gentleman who went to the School espied me and whether it was at the Church or else-where I am not certain Finally hee fell in Love with me and did acquite me with his affection from his own Windows that were opposite to mine with so many tokens and such abundance of teares as I most forceably believed and also affected him without knowing how much hee loved me Among the signes that hee would make me one was to joyn the one hand to the other giving me thereby to understand that hee would marry me and although I would be very glad that it might bee so yet as one alone and without a Mother I knew not to whom I might communicate the affair and did therefore let it rest without affording him any other favour unlesse it were when my Father and his were gone abroad by lifting up the Lattice or Sear-cloth only a little and permitting him to behold me for which favour hee would shew such signes of joy as a man would deem him to bee reft of his wits The time of my fathers departure ariving and hee hearing of it but not from mee for I could never tell it to him hee fell sick as far as I could understand for griefe and therefore I could never see him all the day of our departure to bid him farewell at least with mine eyes but after wee had travelled two dayes just as wee entred into an Inne in a Village a dayes journey from hence I saw him at the lodging dore appareled so properly like a Lackey as if I had not borne about mee his Portraiture in my Soule it had beene impossible to know him I knew him and wondred and was glad withall and hee beheld mee unwitting my father from whose presence hee still hides himselfe when hee crosses the waies before mee as I travell or after wee arive at any Inne And because that I know what hee is and doe consider the paines hee takes by coming thus a foote for my sake and that with so great toyle I die for sorrow and where hee puts his feete I also put mine eyes I know not with what intention hee comes nor how hee could possibly thus escape from his Father who loves him beyond measure both because hee hath none other Heir and because the young Gentleman also deserves it as you will perceive when you see him and I dare affirme besides that all that which hee saies hee composes ex tempore and without any study for I have heard that hee is a fine Student and a great Poet and every time that I see him or doe heare him sing I start and tremble like an Aspen-leafe for feare that my father should know him and thereby come to have notice of our mutuall affections I have never spoken one word to him in my life and yet I doe neverthelesse love him so much as without him I shall not bee able to live And this is all deer Ladie that I am able to say unto you of the Musician whose voice hath pleased you so well as by it alone you might conjecture that he is not a horse-boy as you said but rather a Lord of Soules and townes as I affirmed Speake no more Lady Clara quoth Dorotea at that season kissing her a thousand times speake no more I say but have patience untill it bee day light for I hope in God so to direct your affaires as that they shall have the fortunate successe that so honest beginning deserves Alas Madam quoth Donna Clara what end may be expected seeing his father is so noble and rich as hee would scarce deeme mee worthy to bee his sonnes servant how much lesse his spouse and for mee to marry my selfe unknown to my Father I would not doe it for all the world I desire no other thing but that the young Gentleman would returne home againe and leave mee alone perhaps by not seeing him and the great distance of the way which wee are to travell my paine which now so much presseth mee will bee somwhat allayed although I dare say that this remedy which now I have imagined would availe mee but little for I know not whence with the vengeance or by what way this affection which I beare him got into mee seeing both I and hee are so young as wee bee for I beleeve wee are much of an age and I am not yet full sixteene nor shall bee as my father sayes untill Michaelmas next Dorotea could not contain her laughter hearing how childishly Donna Clara spoke to whom shee said Lady let us repose againe and sleepe that little part of the night which remaines and when God sends day light wee will prosper or my hands shall faile mee With this they held their peace and all the Inn was drowned in profound silence only the Inne-keepers Daughter and Maritorners were not asleepe but knowing very well Don-Quixotes peccant humor and that hee was armed and on Horse-back without the Inne keeping Guard both of them consorted together and agreed to bee some way merry with him or at least to passe over some time in hearing him speake ravingly It is therefore to bee understood that there was not in all the Inne any window which looked out into the field but one hole in a Barne out of which they were wont to cast their straw to this hole came the two demy-Demzells and saw Don-Quixote mounted and leaning on his Javelin and breathing forth ever and anon so dolefull and deepe sighes as it seemed his Soule was plucked away by every one of them and they noted besides how hee said with a soft and amorous voice O my Lady Dulcinea of Toboso the Sunne of all beauty the end and quintessence of discretion the treasurie of sweete countenance and carriage the store-house of honestie and finally the Idea of all that which is profitable modest or delightfull in the World and what might thy Ladyship bee doing at this present Hast thou perhaps thy minde now upon thy captive Knight that most wittingly exposeth himselfe to so many dangers for thy sake Give unto mee tidings of her O thou Luminary of the three faces peradventure how dost now with envie enough behold her eyther walking through some Gallerie of her sumptuous Palaces or leaning on some Bay-window and thinking how saving her honour and greatnesse shee shall mittigate and asswage the torture which this mine oppressed heart indures for her Love what glory shee shall give for my pains what quiet to my cares what life to my death and what guerdon to my services And thou Sun which art as I believe by this time sadling of thy Horses to get away early and goe out to see my Mistrisse I request thee as soon as thou shalt see her to salute her in my behalf but beware that
horse unbridled his Launce set up against a tree finally void of all defence and therefore hee deemed it best to crosse his hands and hold down his head reserving himself for a better occasion and conjuncture The Theeves came to flea Dapple and began to leave him nothing hee had either in his Wallets or Cloke-bage and it fell out well for Sancho for the Dukes Crownes were in a hollow girdle girt to him and those likewise that hee brought from home with him and for all that those good fellowes would have weeded and searched him to the very entrailes if their Captaine had not come in the Interim who seemed to bee about thirty yeeres of age strongly made and somewhat of a tall stature his looke was solemne and his complexion swarthy hee was mounted upon a powerfull Horse with his Steele coat on and foure Petronels called in that Country Pedrenales which hee wore two at each side and now his squires for so they call those that are in that vocation came to make spoyle of Sancho hee commanded them they should not and hee was strait obeyed and so the Girdle escaped hee wondred to see a Launce reared up on a tree a Shield on the ground and Don-Quixote armed and pensative with the saddest Melancholiest visage that sadnesse it selfe could frame Hee came to him saying Bee not sad honest man for you have not falne into the hands of any cruell Osiris but into Roque Guinarts that have more compassion then cruelty in them My sadnesse is not quoth Don-Quixote to have falne into thy power oh valorous Roque whose Fame is boundlesse but that my carelesnesse was such that they souldiers have caught mee without bridle I being obliged according to the order of Knight Errantry which I professe to keepe watch and ward and at all houses to bee my owne Centinell for let mee tell thee Grand Roque if they had taken mee on Horse-backe with my Launce and Shield they should not easily have made mee yeeld for I am Don-Quixote de la Mancha hee of whose exploits all the world is full Straight Roque Guinarte perceived that Don-Quixote's infirmity proceeded rather of Madnesse then Valour and though hee had sometimes heard tell of him yet he never could beleeve his deeds to bee true neither could hee bee perswaded that such a humour should raigne in any mans heart and hee was wonderfully glad to have met with him to see by experience what hee had heard say of him and therefore hee said Valorous Knight vexe not your self neither take this Fortune of yours to bee sinister for it may be that in these stumbling blocks your crooked Lot may bee straightned for heaven doth usually raise up those that fall and enrich the poor by strange and unseen waies by men not imagined Don-Quixote was about to have rendred him thanks when as they perceived a noyse behinde them as if there had been some troop of Horse but there was but one only upon which there came with full speed a Youth to see to about some twenty yeers of age clad in green Damask his Hose and loose Jerkin were laid on with gold lace with a Hat turned up from his band with close fit Boots Sword and Dagger gilt and a little Birding-Peece in his hand and two Pistols at his sides Roque turned his head to the noyse and saw this beautifull shape who comming neer him said In quest of thee I came oh valorous Roque to finde in thee if not redresse at least some lightsomnesse in this my misfortune And to hold thee no longer in suspence because I know thou knowest me not I will tell thee who I am that is Clandia seronima daughter to Simon Forte thy singular friend and only enemy to Clanquell Torellas who is also thine as being one of thy contrary Faction and thou knowest that this Torellas hath a Sonne called Don Vincente Torellas or at least was so called not two hours since He then to shorten my unfortunate Tale I will tell thee in few words what hath befallen me He saw me courted me I gave eare to him and my Father unwitting of it I affectionated my self to himâ— for there is no woman bee shee never so retired or looked to but shee hath time enough to put in execution and effect her hasty longing Finally hee promised me marriage and I gave him my word to bee his so no more passed really Yesterday I came to know that forgetfull of his obligation he contracted to another and that this morning hee went to bee married a news that troubled my brain and made an end of my patience and by reason my Father was not at home I had oportunity to put my self in this apparell thou seest and making speed with this horse I overtook Don Vincente about a league from hence and without making any complaint or hearing his discharge I discharged this Piece and to boot these Pistols and I beleeve I sent two bullets into his body making way thorow which my honour enwrapped in his blood might sally out therefore I left him to his servants who not durst nor could put themselves in his defence I came to seek thee that thou mightest help me to passe me into France where I have kindred with whom I may live and withall to desire thee to defend my Father that the number of Don Vincentes Friends take no cruell revenge upon him Roque wondring at the Gallantry Bravery handsomnesse and Successe of the faiâ— Claudia said Come Gentlewoman and let us goe see if your enemy bee dead and afterward what shall bee most fitting to be done Don Quixote that hearkned attentively to all that Claudia said and Roque Guinart answered said No man need take pains to defend this Lady let it bee my charge Give me my Horse and my Armes and expect me here and I will goe seek this Knight and alive or dead will make him accomplish his promise to so great a Beauty No man doubt it quoth Sancho for my Master hath a very good hand to bee a marriage â— maker and not long since hee forced another to marry that denied his promise to a Maid and had it not been that Enchanters persecuted him and changed the true shape into the shape of a Lackey by this time the said Maid had beene none Roque that attended more to Claudia's Successe then the reasons of Master or Man understood them not and so commanding his Squires they should restore to Sancho all they had taken from Dapple and commanding them likewise to retire where hee lodged the night before he went straight with all speed with Claudia to find the wounded or dead Don Vincente To the place they came where Claudia met him where they found nothing but late shed blood But looking round about them they discovered some People upon the side of a Hill and they thought as true it was that that was Don Vincente whom his servants carried alive or dead to cure or give him buriall
feet there was another that said Don-Quixote Rozinante was marvellous well pourtraited so long and lank so thin and lean so like one labouring with an incurable consumption as he did shew very cleerly with what consideration and propriety he had given unto him the name Rozinante By him stood Sancho Panca holding his Asse by the halter at whose feet was another scroule saying Sancho Cancas And I think the reason thereof was that as his picture shewed he had a great belly a short stature and thick leggs And therefore I judge he was called Panca or Canca for both these names were written of him indifferently in the History There were other little things in it worthy nothing but all of them are of no great Importance nor any thing necessary for the true relation of the History for none is ill if it be true And if any objection be made against the truth of this it can be none other then that the Authour was a Moor and it is a known propriety of that Nation to be lying Yet in respect that they hate us so mortally it is to be conjectured that in this History there is rather want and concealement of our Knights worthy acts then any superfluity which I imagine the rather because I finde in the progresse thereof many times that when he might and ought to have advanced his penn in our Knights prayses he doth as it were of purpose passe them over in silence Which was very ill done seeing that Historiographers ought and should be very precise true and unpassionate and that neither profit or fear rancor or affection should make them to tread awry from the truth whose mother is History the Emulatresse of time the depository of actions the witnesse of things past and advertiser of things to come In this Historie I know a man may finde all that he can desire in the most pleasing manner and if they want any thing to be desired I am of opinion that it is through the fault of that ungracious knave that translated it rather then through any defect in the subject Finally the second part thereof according to the translation began in this manner The trenchant Swords of the two valorous and inraged combatants being listed a loft it seemed that they threatned Heaven the Earth and the Depths Such was their hardnesse and courage And the first that discharged his blow was the Biscaine which fell with such force and fury as if the Sword had not turned a little in the way that only blow had been sufficient to set an end to the rigorous Contention and all other the Adventures of our Knight But his good fortune which resolved him for greateâ— Affairs did wrest his adversaries Sword away in such sort as though he stroke him on the left shoulder yet did it no more haâ—â— then disarm all that side carying away with it a great part of his Beaver with the half of his eare all which fell to the ground with a dreadfull ruine leaving him in very ill case for a good time Good God! who is he that can well describe at this present the fury that entred in the heart of our Manchegan seeing himself used in that manner Let us say no more but that it was such that stretching himself again in the stirrops and griping his Sword fast in both his hands he discharged such a terrible blow on the Biscaine hitting him right upon the Cushion and by it on the head that the strength and thicknesse thereof so little availed him that as if a whole Mountain had faln upon him the blood gushed out of his mouth nose and ears all at once and he toâ—teredi so on his Mule that every step he took he was ready to fall off as he would indeed if he had not taken him by the neck yet neverthelesse he lost the stirrops and loosing his gripe of the Mule it being likewise frighted by that terrible blow ran away as fast as it could about the Fields and within two or three winches overthrew him to the ground All which Don-Quixote stood beholding with great quietnesse and as soon as he saw him fall he leapt off his Horse and ran over to him very speedily and setting the poynt of his Sword on his eyes he bad him yeeld himself or else he would cut off his head The Biscaine was so amazed as he could not speak a word and it had succeeded very ill with him considering Don-Quixote fury if the Ladies of the Coach which untill then had beheld the Conflict with great anguish had not come where he was and earnestly be sought him to doe them the favour to pardon their Squiers life Don-Quixote answered with a great loftinesse and gravity Truly fair Ladyes I am well appaid to grant you your request but it must be with this agreement and condition that this Knight shall promise me to goe to Toboso and present himself in my name to the Peerlesse Ladie Daloinea to the end she may dispose of him as shee pleaseth The timerous and comfortlesse Lady without considering what Don-Quixote demanded or asking what Dulâ—â— was promised that her Squire should accomplish all that he pleased to command Why then quoth Don-Quixote trusting to your promise I 'le doe him no more harme although he hath well deserved it at my hands CHAP. II. Of that which after befell unto Don-Quixote when he had left the Ladies BY this Sancho Panca had gotten up though somewhat abused by Friars Lackeyes and stood attentively beholding his Lords combate and prayed to God with all his heart that it would please him to give him the victory and that he might therein winn some Island whereof he might make him governour as he had promised And seeing the controversie ended at last and that his Lord remounted upon Rozinante he came to holde him the stirrop and cast himself on his knees before him ere hee got up and taking him by the hand hee kist it saying I desire that it will please you good my Lord Don-Quixote to bestow upon mee the government of that Island which in this terrible Battell you have wonne for though it were never so great yet doe I finde my selfe able enough to govern it as wel as any other whatsoever that ever governed Island in this world To this demand Don-Quixote answered thou must note friend Sancha that this Adventure and others of this kinde are not adventures of Islands but of thwartings and high wayes wherein nothing else is gained but a broaken pate or the losse of an ear Have patience a while for Adventures will be offered whereby thou shalt not only be made a Governor but also a greater man Sancho rendred him many thanks and kissing his hand again and the skirt of his Habergeon he did help him to get up on Rozinante and he leapt on his Asse and followed his Lord who with a swift pace without taking leave or speaking to those of the Coach he entred into a wood that was
Rozinante and did empannell his Squires beast whom hee likewise holpe to apparell himself and to mount upon his Asse And presently getting a horse-back hee rode over to a corner of the Inne and laid hand on a Javelin that was there to make it serve him instead of a Launce All the People that were in the Inn stood beholding him which were about twenty in number The In-keepers daughter did also looke upon him and hee did never withdraw his eye from her and would ever and anon breathe forth so dolefull a sigh as if hee had plucked it out of the bottom of his heart which all the beholders tooke to proceede from the grief of his Ribs but especially such as had seen him playstered the night before And being both mounted thus a Horse-back he called the Inn keeper and said unto him with a grave and staid voyce Many and great are the favours Sir Constable which I have received in this your Castle and doe remain most oblieged to gratifie you for them all the dayes of my life And if I may pay or recompence them by revenging of you upon any proud Miscreant that hath done you any wrongs know that it is mine Office to help the weak to revenge the wronged and to chastise Traytors Call therefore to memory and if you finde any thing of this kinde to commend to my correction you need not but once to say it for I doe promise you by the order of Knighthood which I have received to satisfie and appay you according to your own desire The Inn-keeper answered him again with like gravity and staidnesse saying Sir Knight I shall not need your assistance when any wrong is done to me for I know very well my self how to take the revenge that I shall think good when the injury is offered That only which I require is That you defray the charges whereat you have been here in the Inn this night as well for the straw and barley given to your two horses as also for both your beds This then is an Inn quoth Don-Quixote That it is and an honourable one too replyed the Inn-keeper Then have I hitherto lived in an errour quoth Don-Quixote for in very good sooth I took it till now to be a Castle and that no mean one neither But since that it is no Castle but an Inn that which you may doe for the present time is to forgive me those expences for I cannot doe ought against the custome of Knights Errant of all which I most certainly know without ever having read untill this present any thing to the contrary that they never payed for their lodging or other thing in any Inn wheresoever they lay For by all Law and right any good entertainment that is given unto them is their due in recompence of the insupportable travells they indure seeking of Adventures both day and night in Summer and Winter a foot a horse-back with thirst and hunger in heat and cold being subject to all the distemperatures of Heaven and all the discommodities of the earth All that concerns me nothing replyed the Innkeeper pay unto me my due and leave these tales and Knighthoods apart for I care for nothing else but how I may come by mine own Thou art a mad and a bad Host quoth Don-Quixote And saying so he spur'd Rozinante and flourishing with his Javelin he issued out of the Inn in despight of them all and without looking behinde him to see once whether his Squire followed he road a good way off from it The Inn-keeper seeing he departed without satisfying him came to Sancho Panca to get his mony of him who answered That since his Lord would not pay he would likewise give nothing forbeing as he was Squire to a Knight Errant the very same rule and reason that exempted his Master from payments in Inns and Taverns ought also to serve and be understood as well of him The Inn-keeper grew wroth at these words and threatned him That if he did not pay him speedily he would recover it in manner that would grieve him Sancho replyed swearing by the Order of Knighthood which his Lord had received that he would not pay one Denier though it cost him his life for the good and anncient Customes of Knights Errant should never through his default be infringed nor should their Squires which are yet to come into the world ever complain on him or upbraid him for transgressing or breaking so just a duety But his bad fortune ordeined that there were at the very time in the same Inn four Clothiers of Segovia and three Poynt-makers of the Stews of Cordova and two neighbours of the Market of Sivill all pleasant folk well minded malicious and playsome all which pricked and in a manner moved all at one time and by the very same spirit came neer to Sancho and pulling him down off his Asse one of them ran in for the Inn-keepers Coverlet and casting him into it they looked up and seeing the house was somewhat too low for their intended businesse they determined to goe into the base Court which was over head only limitted by Heaven and then Sancho being laid in the midest of the Blanket they began to tosse him aloft and sport themselves with him in the manner they were wont to use Dogs at Shrovetide The out-cries of the miserable betossed Squire were so many and so lowd as they arived at last to his Lords hearing who standing a while to listen attentively what it was beleved that some new Adventure did approach untill hee perceived at last that hee which cried was his Squire wherefore turning the Reignes hee made towards the Inne with a loathsome gallop and finding it shut hee rode all about it to see whether hee might enter into it But scarce was hee arived at the walles of the base Court which were not very high when hee perceived the foule play that was used toward his Squire for hee saw him descend and ascend into the ayre againe with such grace and agilitie that did his choller permit I certainly perswade my selfe hee would have burst for laughter Hee assayed 〈◊〉 mount the wall from his Horse but hee was so bruised and broken as hee could not doe so much as alight from his back Wherefore from his back hee used such reproachfull and vile language to those which tossed Sancho as it is impossible to lay them downe in writing And notwithstanding all his scornefull speech yet did not they cease from their laughter and labour nor the flying Sancho from his complaints now and then medled with threats now and then with intreaties but availed very little nor could prevaile untill they were constrained by wearinesse to give him over Then did they bring him his Asse againe and helping him up upon it they lapt him in his Gavay mantle and the compassionate Maritornes beholding him so afflicted and orelaboured thought it needfull to helpe him to a draught of water and so brought it
Ferdinando wherein consisted all the difficultie of her fathers protracting of the mariage to wit in that my father should first demand her the which I dared not to mention unto him fearing lest hee would not willingly consent thereunto not for that the qualitie bountie virtue and beautie of Luscinda were to him unknowne or that shee had not parts in her able to ennoblish and adorne any other linage of Spayne whatsoever But because I understood by him that he desired not to marry mee untill he had seen what Duke Ricardo would doe for me Finally I told him that I dared not reveale it to my father as well for that inconvenience as for many others that made me so afraid without knowing what they were as me thought my desires would never take effect To all this Don Ferdinando made mee answere that hee would take upon him to speake to my father and perswade him to treate of that affaire also with Luscindaes O ambitious Marius O cruell Cataline O facinorous Quila O trecherous Galalon O trayterous Vellido O revengefull Iulian one who for the Rape of his daughter committed by Roderick King of Spayne brought in the Moores and destroyed all the Countrie O covetous Iudas Traytor cruell revengefull and couzening what indeserts did this wench commit who with such plaines discovered to thee the secrets and delights of her heart What offence committed I against thee What words did I speake or councell did I give that were not all addrest to the increasing of thine honour and profit But on what doe I the worst of all Wretches complain seeing that when the current of the Starres doth bring with it mishaps by reason they come downe precipitately from above there is no earthly force can withhold or humane industry prevent or evacuate them Who would have imagined that Don Ferdinando a noble Gentleman discreete oblieged by my deserts and powerfull to obtaine whatsoever the amorous desire would exact of him where and whensoever it seized on his heart would as they say become so corrupt as to deprive mee of one only sheepe which yet I did not possesse But let these considerations bee laid apart as unprofitable that wee may knit up againe the broken thred of my unfortunate History And therefore I say that Don Ferdinando beleeving that my presence was a hindrance to put his treacherous and wicked designe in execution hee resolved to send mee to his eldest brother under pretext to get some money of him for to buy sixe great Horses that hee had of purpose and only to the end I might absent my selfe bought the very same day that hee offered to speake himselfe to my father and would have mee goe for the money because hee might bring his treacherous intent the better to passe could I prevent this Treason Or could I perhaps but once imagine it No truely but rather glad for the good Merchandize hee had made did make preffer of my selfe to depart for the money very willingly I spoke that night to Luscinda and acquainted her with the Agreement past betweene mee and Don Ferdinando biding her to hope firmly that our good just desires would sort a wished and happy end Shee answered mee againe as little suspecting Don Ferdinandoes treason as my selfe biding mee to returne with all speede because shee beleeved that the conclusion of our affections should bee no longer deferred then my father deferred to speake unto hers And what was the cause I know not but as soone as shee had said this unto mee her eyes were filled with tears and somwhat thwarting her throat hindred her from saying many other things which mee thought shee strived to speak I rested admired at this new accident untill that time never seene in her for alwaies as many times as my good fortune and diligence granted it wee conversed with all sport and delight without ever intermedling in our discourses any teares sighes complaints suspicions or feares All my speech was to advance my fortune for having received her from Heaven as my Lady and Mistresse then would I amplifie her beautie admire her worth and prayse her discretion Shee on the other side would returne mee the exchange extolling in mee what shee as one enamoured accounted worthy of laud and commendation After this wee would recount a hundred thousand toyes and chances befaln our neighbours and acquaintance and that to which my presumption dared farthest to extend it selfe was sometimes to take her beautifull and Ivorie hands perforce and kisse them as well as I might thorow the rigorous strictnesse of a nigardly yron grate which divided us But the precedent night to the day of my sad departure shee wept sob'd and sighed and departed leaving mee full of confusion and inward assaults amazed to behold such new and dolefull tokens of sorrow and feeling in Luscinda But because I would not murder my hopes I did attribute all these things to the force of her affection towards mee and to the griefe which absence is wont to stir in those that love one another deerly To bee briefe I departed from thence sorrowfull and pensive my Soule being full of imaginations and suspicions and yet know not what I suspected or imagined Cleere tokens foretelling the sad successe and misfortune which attended mee I arived to the palce where I was sent and delivered my Letter to Don Ferdinandoes brother and was well entertayned but not well dispatched for hee commanded mee to expect a thing to mee most displeasing eight dayes and that out of the Duke his fathers presence because his brother had written unto him to send him certaine moneys unknowne to his father And all this was but false Don Ferdinandoes invention for his brother wanted not money wherewithall to have dispatched mee presently had not hee written the contrary This was so displeasing a commandement and order as almost it brought me to terms of disobeying it because it seemed to me a thing most impossible to sustein my life so many dayes in the absence of my Luscinda and specially having left her so sorrowfull as I have recounted yet notwithstanding I did obey like a good servant although I knew it would be with the cost of my health But on the fourth day after I had arrived there came a man in my search with a Letter which he delivered unto me and by the indorsement I knew it to be Luscinda's for the hand was like hers I opened it not without fear and assailment of my senses knowing that it must have been some serious occasion which could move her to write unto me being absent seeing shee did it so rarely even when I was present I demanded of the Bearer before I read who had delivered it to him and what time hee had spent in the way Hee answered me That passing by chance at mid-day through a street of the City a very beautifull Lady did call him from a certain window Her eyes were all be-blubbered with tears and said unto him very hastily
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
like unto one that goeth to buy with intention never to pay for what hee takes and therefore never considers the price worth or defect of the stuffe hee takes co credit I at this season made a briefe discourse and said thus to my selfe I may doe this for I am not the first which by Matrimony hath ascended from a low degree to a high estate not shall Don Fernando bee the first whom beautie or blind affection for that is the most certaine hath induced to make choice of a Consort equall to his Greatness Then since herein I create no new world nor custome what error can bee committed by embracing the honour wherewithall fortune crownes mee Although it so befell that his affection to mee endured no longer then till he accomplisht his will for before God I certes shall still remaine his wife And if I should disdainfully give him the repulse I see him now in such termes as perhaps forgetting the dutie of a Nobleman hee may use violence and then shall I remaine for ever dishonoured and also without excuse of the imputations of the ignorant which knew not how much without any fault I have faln into this inevitable danger For what reasons may bee sufficiently forcible to perswade my father and other that this Nobleman did enter into my Chamber without my consent All these demands and Answeres did I in an instant revolve in mine imagination and found my selfe chiefly forced how I cannot tell to assent to his Petition by the witnesses hee invoked the teares hee shed and finally by his sweete disposition and comely feature which accompanied with so many arguments of unfained affection were able to conquer and enthrall any other heart though it were as free and wary as mine own Then called I for my waiting-maid that shee might on earth accompany the coelestiall witnesses And then Don Fernando turned again to reiterate and confirme his oathes and added to his former other new Saints as witnesses and wished a thousand succeeding maledictions to light on him if hee did not accomplish his promise to mee His eyes againe waxed moist his sighes increased and himselfe inwreathed mee more streightly between his armes from which hee had never once loosed mee and with this and my Maydens departure I left to bee a Mayden and hee began to bee a Traytor and a disloyall man The day that succeeded to the night of my mishaps came not I think so soon as Don Fernando desired it for after a man hath satisfied that which the appetite covets the greatest delight it can take after is to apart it selfe from the place where the desire was accomplished I say this because Don Fernando did hasten his departure from mee by my maids industrie who was the very same that had brought him into my Chamber hee was got in the street before dawning And at his departure from mee hee said although not with so great shew of affection and vehemency as hee had used at his coming that I might bee secure of his faith and that his oathes were firme and most true and for a more confirmation of his word hee tooke a rich Ring off his finger and put it on mine In fine hee departed and I remayned behinde I cannot well say whether joyfull or sad but this much I know that I rested confused and pensive and almost beside my self for the late mischance yet either I had not the heart or else I forgot to chide my Maid for her treacherie committed by shutting up Don Fernando in my Chamber for as yet I could not determine whether that which had befaln me was a good or an evill I said to Don Fernando at his departure that he might see me other nights when hee pleased by the same means he had come that night seeing I was his own and would rest so untill it pleased him to let the world know that I was his wife But hee never returned again but the next night following could I see him after for the space of a moneth either in the street or Church so as I did but spend time in vain to expect him although I understood that he was still in Town and rode every other day a hunting an Exercise to which he was much addicted Those dayes were I know unfortunate and accursed to me and those hours sorrowfull for in them I began to doubt nay rather wholly to discredit Don Fernando's faith and my maid did then hear loudly the checks I gave unto her for her presumption ever untill then dissembled And I was moreover constrained to watch and keep guard on my tears and countenance lest I should give occasion to my Parents to demand of me the cause of my discontents and thereby ingage me to use ambages or untruths to cover them But all this ended in an instant one moment ariving whereon all these respects stumbled all honourable discourses ended patience was lost and my most hidden secrets issued in publique which was when there was spread a certain rumour throughout the Town within a few dayes after that Don Fernando had married in a Citty neer adjoyning a Damzell of surpassing beauty and of very Noble birth although not so rich as could deserve by her preferment or dowrie so worthie a husband it was also said that shee was named Luscinda with many other things that hapned at their Spousals worthy of admiration Cardenio hearing Luscinda named did nothing else but lift up his shoulders bite his lip bend his brows and after a little while shed from his eyes two floods of tears But yet for all that Dorotea did not interrupt the file of her History saying This dolefull news came to my hearing and my heart instead of freezing thereat was so inflamed with choler and rage as I had well-nigh run out to the streets and with out-cries published the Deceit and Treason that was done to me but my furie was presently asswaged by the resolution which I made to doe what I put in execution the very same night and then I put on this habit which you see being given unto me by one of those that among us Country-folk are called Swains who was my fathers servant to whom I disclosed all my misfortunes and requested him to accompanie me to the Citie where I understood my enemie sojourned He after he had reprehended my boldnesse perceiving me to have an inflexible resolution made offer to attend on me as he said unto the end of the world And presently after I trussed up in a pillow-bear a womans attire some Money and Jewels to prevent necessities that might befall and in the silence of night without acquainting my treacherous maid with my purpose I issued out of my house accompanied by my servant and many imaginations and in that manner set on towards the Citie and though I went on foot was yet born away flying by my desires to come if not time enough to hinder that which was past yet at least to demand of Don
unmeasurable strides and making withall such gestures as shee rather seemed defective of wit and a desperate Russian then a delicate woman All this Anselmo perceived very well from behinde the Arras that covered him which did not a little admire him and hee thought that what he had seen and heard was a sufficient satisfaction of farre greater suspicions then he had and could have wished with all his heart that the triall of Lothario's comming might bee excused fearing greatly some suddain bad successe and as hee was ready to manifest himself and to come out and imbrace and disswade his wife hee withdrew himself because hee saw Leonela return bringing Lothario in by the hand And as soon as Camila beheld him shee drew a great stroke with the poynt of the Ponyard athwart the Wardrobe saying Lothario note well what I mean to say unto thee for if by chance thou beest so hardy as to passe over this line which thou seest e're I come as farre as it I will in the very same instant stab my self into the heart with this Ponyard which I hold in my hand and before thou doest speak or answer me any word I would first have thee to listen to a few of mine for after thou mayest say what thou pleasest First of all I would have thee O Lothario to say whether thou knowest my Husband Anselmo and what opinion thou hast of him And next I would have thee to tell me if thou knowest my self answer to this without delay nor doe not stand long thinking on what thou art to answer seeing they are no deep questions which I propose unto thee Lothario was not so ignorant but that from the very beginning when Camila requested him to perswade her Husband to hide himself behinde the Tapistrey hee had not fallen on the drift of her invention and therefore did answer her intention so aptly and discreetly as they made that untruth passe between them for a more then manifest verity and so hee answered to Camila in this forme I did never conjecture Beautifull Camila that thou wouldest have called me here to demand of me things so wide from the purpose for which I come if thou doest it to defer yet the promised favour thou mightest have entertained it yet farther off for the good desired afflicteth so much the more by how much the hope to possesse it is neer But because thou mayest not accuse me for not answering to thy demands I say that I know thy Husband Anselmo and both of us know one another even from our tender infancie and I will not omit to say that which thou also knowest of our amity to make me thereby a witnesse against my self of the wrong which Love compells me to doe unto him yet Love is a sufficient excuse and excuse of greater errous then are mine Thee doe I likewise know and hold in the same possession that hee doth for were it not so I should never have been won by lesse perfections then thine to transgresse so much that which I owe to my self and to the holy Laws of true Amity now broken and violated by the tyrannie of so powerfull an Adversary as Love hath proved If thou doest acknowledge that replyed Camila O mortall enemie of all that which justly deserveth Love with what face darest thou then appear before that which thou knowest to bee the Mirrour wherein hee looks in whom thou also oughtest to behold thyselfe to the end thou mightest perceive upon how little occasion thou dost wrong him But unfortunate that I am I fall now in the reason which hath moved thee to make so little account of thine owne duty which was perhaps some negligent or light behaviour of mine which I will not call dishonesty seeing that as I presume it hath not proceeded from mee deliberately but rather through the carelessnesse that women which thinke they are not noted doe sometimes unwittingly commit If not say Traytor when did I ever answere thy Prayers with any world or token that might awake in thee the least shadow of hope to accomplish thine infamous desires When were not thine amorous intreaties reprehended and dispersed by the roughnesse and rigour of mine answeres When were thy many promises and lager gifts ever beleeved or admitted But for as much as I am perswaded that no man can persevere long time in the amorous contention who hath not beene susteined by some hope I will attribute the fault of thine impertinence to my selfe for doubtlesly some carelesnesse of mine hath hitherto susteined thy care and therefore I will chastise and give to my selfe the punishment which thy fault deserveth And because thou mightest see that I being so inhumane towards my selfe could not possibly bee other then cruell to thee I thought fit to call thee to bee a witnesse of the Sacrifice which I meane to make to the offended honour of my most honourable husband tainted by thee with the blackest note that thy malice could devise and by me through the negligence that I used to shun the occasion if I gave thee any thus to nourish and canonize thy wicked intentions I say againe that the suspicion I have that my little regard hath ingendred in thee these distracted thoughts is that which afflicteth mee most and that which I meane to chastise most with mine owne hands for if another executioner punished mee then should my crime become more notorious but before I doe this I dying will kill and carie him away with mee that shall end and satisfie the greedie desire of revenge which I hope for and I have seeing before mine eyes wheresoever I shall goe the punishment which disingaged justice shall inflict it still remayning unbowed or suborned by him which hath brought me to so desperate termes And having said these words shee flew upon Lothario with incredible force and lightnesse and her Ponyard naked giving such arguments and tokens that shee meant to stab him as hee himselfe was in doubt whether her demonstrations were false or true wherefore hee was driven to helpe himselfe by his wit and strength for to hinder Camila from striking of him who did so lively act her strange guile and fiction as to give it colour shee would give it a blush of her owne blood for perceiving or else feighning that shee could not hurt Lothario shee said Seeing that adverse fortune will not satisfie throughly my just desires yet at least it shall not bee potent wholly to crosse my designes and then striving to free the dagger hand which Lothario held fast shee snatched it away and directing the point to some place of her body which might hurt her but not very grievously shee stab'd her selfe and hid it in her apparell neere unto the left shoulder and fell forthwith to the ground as if shee were in a trance Lothario and Leonela stood amazed at the unexpected event and still rested doubtfull of the truth of the matter seeing Camila to lye on the ground bathed in her blood Lothario
their satisfaction and then takeing Don Lewis apart hee intreated him to tell him the occasion of that his departure And whilest hee made this and other demands to the Gentleman they heard a great noyse at the In doore the cause whereof was that two Guests which had lien there that night seeing all the People busied to learne the cause of the foure Horse-mens coming had thought to have made an escape scot-free without defraying their expences but the In-keeper who attended his owne affaires with more diligence then other mens did stay them at their going forth and demanded his money upbrayding their dishonest resolution with such words as moved them to returne him an answere with their fists which they did so roundly as the poore Oast was compelled to raise the crie and demand succour The Oastesse and her daughter could see no man so free from occupation as Don-Quixote to whom the daughter said I request you Sir Knight by the virtue that God hath given you to succour my poore Father whom two bad men are grinding like corne To this Don-Quixote answered very leisurely and with great gravity Beautifull Damzell your Petition cannot prevaile at this time for as much as I am hindred from undertaking any other Adventure untill I have finished one wherein my promise hath ingaged mee and all that I can now doe in your service is that which I shall say now unto you Run unto your Father and bid him continue and maintaine his conflict manfully the best that hee may untill I demand license of the Princesse Micomicona to help him out of his distresse for if shee will give it unto mee you may make full account that hee is delivered Sinner that I am quoth Maritornes whâ— was by and heard what hee said before you shall bee able to obteyne that License of which you speake my Master will bee departed to the other World Worke you so Lady quoth Don-Quixote that I may have the License for so that I may have it it will make no great matter whether hee bee in the other world or no for even from thence would I bring him back againe in despight of the other World it selfe if it durst contradict mee or at least wise I will take such a revenge of those that doe send him to the other World as you shall remaine more then meanely contented and so without replying any more hee went and fell on his knees before Dorotea demanding of her in Knightly and Errant phrases that shee would daigne to license him to goe and succour the Constable of that Castle who was then plunged in a deepe distresse The Princesse did grant him leave very willingly and hee presently buckling on his Target and laying hold on his Sword ranne to the Inne doore where yet the two Guests stood handsomly tuging the Innkeeper But as soone as hee arived hee stopt and stood still although Maritornes and the Oastesse demanded of him twice or thrice the cause of his restiffenesse in not assisting her Lord and Husband I stay quoth Don-Quixote because according to the Lawes of Armes it is not permitted to mee to lay hand to my Sword against Squire-like men that are not dubbed Knights But call to mee here my Squire Sancho for this defence and revenge concernes him as his duty This passed at the Inne doore where fists und blowes were interchangeably given and taken in the best sort although to the Innkeepers cost and to the rage and griefe of Maritornes the Oastesse and her daughter who were like to runne wood beholding Don-Quixotes cowardise and the mischiefe their Master Husband and Father endured But here let us leave them for there shall not want one to succour him or if not let him suffer and all those that wittingly undertake things beyond their power and force and let us turne backward to heare that which Don Lewis answered the Judge whom wee left somewhat apart with him demanding the cause of his comming a foote and in so base aray to which the Youth wringing him hardâ— by the hands as an Argument that some extraordinary griefe pinched his heart and sheding many teares answered in this manner I know not what else I may tell you deere Sir but that from the instant that heaven made us Neighbours and that I saw Donna Clara your Daughter and my Lady I made her Commandresse of my Will and if yours my true Lord and Father doe not hinder it shee shall bee my Spouse this very day For her sake have I abandoned my Fathers house and for her I did on this attyre to follow her wheresoever shee wentâ— as the Arrow doth the Marke or the Mariner the North-starre Shee is as yet no farther acquainted with my desires then as much as shee might understand somtimes by the teares which shee saw mine eyes distill a farre off Now Sir you know the Riches and Nobility of my discent and how I am my Fathers sole Heire and if it seeme unto you that these bee conditions whereupon you may venter to make mee throughly happy accept of mee presently for your sonne in Law for if my Father borne away by other his Designes shall not like so well of this good which I have sought out for my selfe yet time hath more force to undoe and change the affaires then mens Will. Here the amorous Gentleman held his peace and the Judge remayned astonied as well at the grace and discretion wherewith Don Lewis had discovered his affections unto him as also to see himselfe in such a passe that as hee knew not what course hee might best take in so suddaine and unexpected a matter and therefore hee answered no other thing at that time but only bad him to settle his minde and entertayne the time with his Servants and deale with them to expect that day because hee might have leisure to consider what might bee most convenient for all Don Lewis did kisse his hands perforce and did bathe them with tears a thing able to move a heart of Marble and much more the Judges who as a wise man did presently perceive how beneficiall and honourable was that preferment for his Daughter although hee could have wished if it had been possible to effect it with the consent of Don Lewis his Father who hee knew did purpose to have his Sonne made a Noble man of Title By this time the Inn-keeper and his Ghests had agreed having paid him all that they ought more by Don-Quixotes perswasion and good reasons then by any menaces And Don Lewis his Servants expected the end of the Judge his discourse and his resolution When the Devill who never sleeps would have it at that very time entred into the Inne the Barber from whom Don-Quixote took away the Helmet of Mambrino and Sancho Panca the furniture of the Asse whereof hee made an exchange for his own which Barber leading his Beast to the Stable saw Sancho Panca who was mending some part of the Pannell and as soon as
that remained in his hand returned the Knight such a thwack upon the shoulder on the Sword side as his Target not being able to make resistance against that rusticall Force poore Don-Quixote was overthrowne to the ground and extremely bruised Sancho Panca who had followed him puffing and blowing as fast as hee could seeing him overthrown cried to his adversarie that hee should strike no more for hee was a poor inchanted Knight that had never all the dayes of his life done any man harme but that which detained the Swain was not Sancho's out-cries but to see that Don-Quixote stirred neither hand nor foot and therefore beleeving that hee had slain him hee tucked up his Coat to his girdle as soon as hee could and fled away thorow the Fields like a Deer In the mean while Don-Quixotes Companions did hasten to the place where hee lay when those of the Procession seeing them but principally the Troopers of the Holy-Brotherhood with their Cross-hows runne towards them did fear some disastrous successe and therefore they gathered together in a troop about the Image and lifting up their hoods and laying fast hold on their Whips and the Priests on their Tapers they attended the assault with resolution both to defend themselves and offend the assaylants if they might But Fortune disposed the matter better then they expected for Sancho did nothing else then throw himself on his Lords Body making over him the most dolorous and ridiculous lamentation of the world and beleeving that hee was dead The Curate was known by the other Curate that came in the procession and their acquaintance appeased the conceived fear of the two squadrons The first Curate in two words told the other what Don-Quixote was and therefore hee and all the crue of the Disciplinants went over to see whether the poor Knight were dead or alive and then might heare Sancho Panca with the tears in his eyes bewayling him in this manner O flowre of Chivalrie who hast with one blow alone ended the Career of thy so well bestowed Peers O renown of this linage the honour and glorie of all the Mancha yea and of all the world beside which seeing it wanteth thee shall remain full of miscreants secure from being punished for their misdeeds O liberall beyond all Alexanders seeing thou hast given me only for eight moneths service the best Island that the Sea doth compasse or ingyrt O humble to the proud and stately to humbled undertaker of perills indurer of affronts enamoured without cause imitater of good men whip of the evill enemie of the wicked and in conclusion Knight Errant then which no greater thing may be said Don-Quixote was called again to himself by Sancho his out-cries and then the first word that ever hee spake was Hee that lives absented from thee most sweet Dulcinea is subject to greater miseries then this Help me friend Sancho to get up into the inchanted Chariot again for I am not in plight to oppresse Rozinantes Saddle having this shoulder broken all into peeces That I will doe with a very good will my deer Lord replyed the Squire and let us return to my Village with those Gentlemen which desire your welfare so much and there wee will take order for some other voyage which may bee more profitable and famous then this hath been Thou speakest reasonable Sancho quoth Don-Quixote and it will be a great wisdome to let over passe the crosse aspect of those Planets that raigâ—e at this present The Canon Curate and Barber commended his resolution and so having taken delight enough in Sancho Panca's simplicitie they planed Don-Quixote as before in the Team The Processioners returning into their former order did prosecute their way The Goat-heard took leave of them all The Troopers would not ride any farther and therefore the Curate satisfied them for the pains they had taken The Canon intreated the Curate to let him understand all that succeeded of Don-Quixote to wit whether hee amended of his frenzie or grew more distracted and then hee took leave to continue his Journey Lastly all of them departed the Curate Barber Don-Quixote Sancho Panca and the good Rozinante only remaining behinde Then the Waâ— man yoked his Oxen and accommodated the Knight on a Bottle of Hayâ— and afterwards followed on in his wonted slow manner that way which the Curate directed At the end of two dayes they arrived to Don-Quixotes Village into which they entred about noon this befell on a Sunday when all the People were in the Market stead thorow the middle whereof Don-Quixotes Cart did passe all of them drew neer to see what came in it and when they knew their Countrey man they were marvellously astonished the whilest a little Boy ran home before to tell the old Wife and the Knights Niece that their Lord and Uncle was returned very lean pale disfigured and stretcht all along on a bundle of Hay It would have moved one to compassion to have heard the lamentations and outcries then rais'd by the two good Women the blows they gave themselves and the curses and exeâ—rations which they powred out against all Books of Knighthood all which was again renewed when they saw Don-Quixote himself entred in at their doors At the news of this his arrivall Sancho Panca's Wife repaired also to get some tydings of her goodman for she had learned that he was gone away with the Knight to serve him as his Squire and as soon as ever she saw her Husband the question she asked him was whether the Asse were in health or no Sancho answered that he was come in better health then his Master God be thanked quoth she who hath done me so great a favour but tell me now friend What profit hast thou reaped by this thy Squireship What Peticoat hast thou brought me home What Shoos for thy little Boyes I bring none of these things good wife quoth Sancho although I bring other things of more moment and estimation I am very glad of that quoth his Wife shew me those things of more moment and estimation good friend for I would sayne see them to the end that this heart of mine may be cheered which hath been so swolne and sorrowfull all the time of thine absence Thou shalt see them at home quoth Sancho and therefore rest satisfied for this time for and it please God that we travaile once againe to seek Adventures thou shalt see me shortly after an Earle or Governour of an Island and that not of every ordinary one â—neither but of one of the best in the World I pray God Husband it may be so replyed she for we have very great need of it But what means that Island for I understand not the word Honey is not made for the Asses mouth quoth Sancho Wife thou shalt know it in good time yea and shalt wonder to hear the title of Ladyship given thee by all thy Vassals What is that thou speakest Sancho of Lordships Islands and Vassalls Answered
manner he gave him two claps with his hand on the Belly and so let him goe saying to those which stood by which alwaies were many How think you my Masters Is it a small matter to blow up a Dogge like a Bladder And how think you is it a small matter to make a Book If this Tale should not fit him then good Reader tell him this other for this also is of a Mad-man and a Dogge In Cordova was another Mad-man which was wont to carry on his head a huge peece of Marble not of the lightest who meeting a Masterlesse Dogge would stalk up close to him and on a suddain down with his burden upon him the Dogge would presently yearn and barking and yelling run away three streets could not hold him It fell out afterwards among other Doggs upon whom hee let fall his load there was a Cappers Dogge which his Master made great account of upon whom he let down his great stone and took him full on the head the poor batter'd Curre cries pittifully his Master spies it and affected with it gets a meat-yard assaults the Mad-man and leaves him not a whole bone in his skinne and at every blow that he gave him he cries out Thou Dogge Thou Thief my Spaniell Saw'st thou not thou cruell Villain that my Dogge was a Spaniell And ever and anon repeating still his Spaniell he sent away the Mad-man all black and blue The Mad-man was terribly skared herewith but got away and for more then a moneth after never came abroad At last out he comes with his invention again and a bigger load then before and comming where the Dogge stood viewing him over and over again very heedily he had no minde he durst not let goe the stone but only said Take heed this is a Spaniel In fine whatsoever Doggs he met though they were Mastives or Fysting-Hounds he still said they were Spaniels So that after that he never durst throw his great stone any more And who knows but the same may befall this our Historian that he will no more let fall the prize of his wit in Books for in being naught they are harder then Rocks Tell him too that for his menacing that with his Book he will take away all my gain I care not a straw for him but betaking my self to the famous Interlude of Perendenga I answer him Let the old man my Master live and Christ be with us all Long live the great Conde de Lemos whose Christianity and well known Liberallitie against all the blows of my short Fortune keepes me on foot And long live that eminent Charitie of the Cardinall of Toledo Don Bernardo de Sandovaly Rojas Were there no printing in the World or were there as many Books printed against me as there are letters in the Rimes of Mingo Revulgo those two Princes without any solicitation of flatterie or any other kinde of applause of their sole bounty have taken upon them to doe me good and to favour me wherein I account my self more happy and rich then if Fortune by some other ordinary way had raised me to her highest Honour a Poor man may have it but a Vicious man cannot Povertie may cast a mist upon Noblenesse but cannot altogether obscure it but as the glimmering of any light of it self though but thorow narrow chinks and cranies comes to be esteemed by high and Noble Spirits and consequently favoured Say no more to him nor will I say any more to thee but only advertise that thou consider that this second part of Don-Quixote which I offer thee is framed by the same Art and cut out of the same Cloth that the first was in it I present thee with Don-Quixote enlarged and at last dead and buried that so no man presume to raise any farther reports of him those that are past are enow and let it suffice that an honest man may have given notice of these discreet follies with purpose not to enter into them any more For plenty of any thing though never so good makes it lesse esteemed and scarcity though of evill things make them somewhat accounted of I forgot to tell thee that thou mayest expect Persiles which I am now about to finish as also the second part of Galatea A SUMMARY TABLE OF THAT which this second Part of the famous History of the valorous Don-Quixote de la Mancha doth containe CHAPTER I. HOw the Vicar and the Barber passed their time with Don-Quixote touching his infirmitie CHAP II. Of the Notable fray that Sancho Panca had with the Neece and the old Woman and other delightfull Passages CHAP III. The ridiculous discourse that passed betwixt Don-Quixote Sancho and the Bachelor Samson Carrasco CHAP IV. How Sancho Panca satisfies the Bachelor Samson Carrasco's doubts and demands with other accidents worthy to bee known and related CHAP V. Of the wise and pleasant Discourse that passed betwixt Sancho Panca and his Wife Teresa Panca and other accidents worthy of happy remembrance CHAP VI. What passed betwixt Don-Quixote his Neece and the old Woman and it is one of the most materiall Chapters in all the History CHAP VII What passed betwixt Don-Quixote and his Squire with other famous accidents CHAP VIII What befell Don-Quixote going to see his Mistris Dulcinea del Toboso CHAP IX Where is set down as followeth CHAP X. How Sancho cunningly inchanted the Lady Dulcinea other successes as ridiculous as true CHAP XI Of the strange Adventure that befell Don-Quixote with the Cart or Waggon of the Parliament of Death CHAP XII Of the rare Adventure that befell Don-Quixote with the Knight of the Looking-Glasses CHAP XIII Where the Adventure of the Knight of the Wood is prosecuted with the discreet rare and sweet Colloquy that passed betwixt the two Squires CHAP XIV How the Adventure of the Knight of the Wood is prosecuted CHAP XV. Who the Knight of the Looking-Glasses and his Squire were CHAP XVI What befell Don-Quixote with a discreet Gentleman of Mancha CHAP XVII Where is shewed the last and extremest hazard to which the unheard of courage of Don-Quixote did or could arive with the prosperous accomplishment of the Adventure of the Lyons CHAP XVIII What hapned to Don-Quixote in the Castle or Knight of the green Cassock his Houseâ— with other extravagant matters CHAP XIX Of the Adventure of the enamoured Sheepheard with other indeed pleasant accidents CHAP XX. Of the Marriage of the rich Camacho and the successe of poor Basilius CHAP XXI Of the prosecution of Camacho's Marriage with other delightfull accidents CHAP XXII Of the famous Adventure of Montesino's Cave which is in the heart of Mancha which the valourous Don-Quixote happily accomplished CHAP XXIII Of the admirable things that the unapparelled Don-Quixote recounted which he had seen in Montesino's profound Cave whose strangenesse and impossibilitie makes this Chapter to bee held for Apocrypha CHAP XXIV Where are recoâ—nted a thousand flim-flams as impertinent as necessary to the understanding of this
he would often say when he fell down or stumbled he would have beene glad not to have gone abroad for of stumbling or falling came nothing but tearing his shooes or breaking a rib and though hee were a foole yet hee was not out in this Don-Quixote said unto him Friend Sancho the night comes on us apace and it will grow too darke for us to reach Toboso ere it be day whither I am determined to goe before I undertake any adventure and there I meane to receive a benediction and take leave of the Peerelesse Dulcinea del Toboso after which I know and am assured I shall end and close up every dangerous adventure for nothing makes Knights Errant more hardy then to see themselves favoured by their Mistresses I beleeve it quoth Sancho but I doubt you will not speak with her at least not see her where you may receive her blessing if shee give you it not from the Mud-walls where I saw her the first time when I carried the Letter and news of your mad pranks which you were playing in the heart of Sierra Morena Were those Mud-walls in thy fantasie Sancho quoth Don-Quixote through which thou sawest that never enough-praised gentlenesse and beauty They were not so but Galleries Walks or goodly stone Pavements or how call yee them of rich and royall Pallaces All this might bee answered Sancho but to me they seemed no better as I remember Yet let 's goe thither quoth Don-Quixote for so I see her let them bee Mud-walls or not or Windows all is one whether I see her thorow chinks or thorow Garden-Lattices for each ray that comes from the sunne of her brightnesse to mine eyes will lighten mine understanding and strengthen mine heart and make mee sole and rare in my wisdome and volour Truly Sir said Sancho when I saw that Sunne it was not so bright that it cast any rayes from it and belike 't was that as shee was winnowing the Wheat I told you of the dust that came from it was like a cloud upon her face and dimmed it Still doest thou think Sancho quoth Don-Quixote beleeve and grow obstinate that my Mistris Dulcinea was winnowing it being a labor so unfit for persons of quality that use other manners of exercises and recreation which shew a flight-shot off their noblenesse Thou doest ill remember those Verses of our Poet where hee paints out unto us the exercises which those four Nymphs used in their cristall habitations when they advanced their heads above the loved Tagus A River in Spain and sate in the green fields working those rich embroyderies which the ingenious Poet there describes unto us all which were of Gold of Purle and woven with embossed Pearls Such was the work of my Mistris when thou sawest her but that the envie which some base Inchanter beares to mine affairs turns all that should give me delight into different shapes and this makes me fear that the Historie of my exploits which is in print if so bee some Wizard my enemie were the Authour that hee hath put one thing for another mingling with one truth a hundred lyes diverting himself to tell Tales not fitting the continuing of a true Historie Oh envie thou root of infinite evils thou worm of Virtues All Vices Sancho doe bring a kinde of pleasure with them but envie hath nothing but distaste rancour and raving I am of that minde too said Sancho and I think that in the Historie that Carrasco told us of that hee had seen of us that my credit is turned topsie turvy and as they say goes a begging Well as I am honest man I never spoke ill of any Inchanter neither am I so happie as to bee envied True it is that I am somewhat malicious and have certain knavish glimpses but all is covered and hid under the large cloak of my simplicitie alwaies naturall to me but never artificiall and if there were nothing else in me but my beliefe for I beleeve in God and in all that the Roman Church beleeves and am sworn a mortall enemie to the Jews the Historians ought to pittie me and use me well in their writings But let um say what they will naked was I borne naked I am I neither win nor lose and though they put me in Books and carrie me up and down from hand to hand I care not a fig let um say what they will 'T was just the same quoth Don-Quixote that hapned to a famous Poet of our times who having made a malicious Satyre against all the Curtizans hee left out one amongst them as doubting whether shee were one or no who seeing shee was not in the scrowl among the rest took it unkindely from the Poet asking him what hee had seen in her that hee should not put her amongst the rest and desired him to inlarge his Satyre and put her in the spare room if not shee would scratch out his eyes The Poet consented and set her down with a vengeance and shee was satisfied to see her self famous although indeed infamous Besides the Tale of the Sheapheard agrees with this that set Diana's Temple on fire which was one of the seven wonders of the World because hee would bee talked of for it and although there were an Edict that no man should either mention him by speaking or writing that hee might not attain to his desire yet his name was known to bee Erostratus the same allusion may bee had out of an Accident that befell the great Emperour Charles the fift with a Knight of Rome The Emperour was desirous to see the famous Temple of the Rotunda which in ancient times was called The Temple of all the Gods and now by a better stile Of all Saints and it is the only entire edifice that hath remained of all the Genâ—â—â—s in Rome and that which doth most conserve the Glory and Magnificence of its Founders 't is made like an half Orenge exceeding large and very lightsome having but one window that gives it light or to say truer but one round Loover on the top of it The Emperour looking on the edifice there was a Roman Knight with him that shewed him the devices and contriving of that great Work and memorable Architecture and stepping from the Loover said to the Emperour A thousand times mightie Monarch have I desired to see your Majestie and cast my self down from this Loover to leave an everlasting fame behinde me I thank you said the Emperour that you have not performed it and henceforward I will give you no such occasion to shew your Loyaltie and therefore I command you that you neither speake to me nor come to my presence and for all these words he rewarded him I 'le tell you Sancho this desire of honour is an itching thing What do'st thou think cast Horatius from the Bridge all armed into deep Tyber What egged Curtius to launch himself into the Lake What made Mutius burn his hand What forced Caesar against all the
With this conceit Sancho's spirit was at rest and he thought his businesse was brought to a good passe and so staying there till it grew to bee toward the Evening that Don-Quixote might think he spent so much time in going and comming from Toboso all fell out happily for him for when he got up to mount upon Dapple hee might see three Countrey wenches coming towards him from Toboso upon three Asse-colts whether male or female the Author declares not though it be likely they were shee-Asses they being the ordinary beasts that those country-people ride on but because it is not very pertinent to the story we need not stand much upon deciding that In fine when Sancho saw the three country-wenches he turned back apace to find out his Master Don-Quixote and found him sighing and uttering a thousand amorous lamentations As soone as Don-Quixote saw him he said how now Sancho what is the matter May I marke this day with a white or a black stone 'T were fitter quoth Sancho you would marke it with red-Oker as the Inscriptions are upon Professors chaires that they may plainly read that see them Belike then quoth Don-Quixote thou bringest good news So good said Sancho that you need no more but spur Rozinante and straight discover the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso with two Damzells waiting on her coming to see your worship Blessed God! friend Sancho what sayest thou quoth Don-Quixote See thou deceive me not with thy false myrth to glad my true sorrow What should I get by deceiving you quoth Sancho the rather your selfe being so neer to discover the truth Spur Sir ride on and you shall see our Mistris the Princesse coming clad indeed and adorned like her selfe Shee and her Damzels are a very spark of gold they are all ropes of Pearle all Diamonds all Rubies all cloth of Gold ten stories high at least Their haires hung loose over their shoulders that were like so many Sun-beams playing with the winde and besides all this they are mounted upon three flea-bitten Nackneys the finest sight that can bee Hackneyes thou would'st say Sancho Hackney or Nackney quoth Sancho there is little difference but let them come upon what they will they are the bravest Ladies that can be imagined especially my Lady the Princesse Dulcinea that dazles the sences Let 's goe sonne Sancho quoth Don-Quixote and for a reward for this unlook't for good news I bequeathe thee the best spoyle I get in our first Adventure next and if this content thee not I give thee my this yeeres Colts by my three Mares thou knowest I have to foale in our towne Common The Colts I like quoth Sancho but for the goodnesse of the spoyle of the first Adventure I have no minde to that By this they came out of the wood and saw the three Country-wenches neere them Don-Quixote stretcht his eyes all over Toboso way and seeing none but the three wenches he was somwhat troubled and demanded of Sancho if he had left them comming out of the Citty How out of the City quoth Sancho are your eyes in your noddle that you see them not coming here shining as bright as the Sunne at noone I see none said he but three wenches upon three Asses Now God keep me from the Devill quoth Sancho and is it possible that three Hackneyes or how call ye um as white as a flake of snow should appeare to you to be Asses As sure as may be you shall pull of my beard if that be so Well I tell you friend Sancho 't is as sure that they are Hee or Shee Asses as I am Don-Quixote de la Mancha and thou Sancho Panca at least to me they seem so Peace Sir quoth Sancho and say not so but snuffe your eyes and reverence the Mistris of your thoughts for now she drawes neere and so saying he advanced to meet the three Country-wenches and alighting from Dapple tooke one of their Asses by the halter and fastning both his knees to the ground said Queen and Princesse and Dutchesse of beauty let your Haughtinesse and Greatnesse be pleased to receive into your grace and good liking your captiv'd Knight that stands yonder turned into marble all amazed and without his pulse to see himselfe before your Magnificent Presence I am Sancho Panca his Squire and he is the Way-beaten Knight Don-Quixote de la Mancha otherwise called The Knight of the Sorrowfull Countenance And now Don-Quixote was on his knees by Sancho and beheld with unglad but troubled eyes her that Sancho called Queene and Lady but seeing he discovered nothing in her but Country-wench and not very well-favoured for shee was blub-fac'd and flat-nosed he was in some suspence and durst not once open his lips The wenches too were astonisht to see those two so different men upon their knees and that they would not let their companion goe forward But she that was stayed angry to heare her self misused broke silence first saying Get you out of the way with a mischief and let 's be gone for we are in haste To which quoth Sancho Oh Princesse and universall Lady of Toboso why doth not your magnanimous heart relent seeing the Pillar and Prop of Knight Errantry prostrated before your sublimated presence Which when one of the other two heard after shee had cried out to her Asse that was turning aside shee said Looke how these Yonkers come to mock at poore Country-folke as if wee knew not how to returne their flouts upon them get you gone your way and leave us you had best Rise Sancho quoth Don-Quixote at this instant for I perceive now that mine ill fortune not satisfied hath shut up all the passages by which any content might come to this my wretched Soule within my flesh Oh thou the extreme of all worth to be desired the bound of all humane gentlenesse the only remedy of this mine afflicted Heart that adores thee now that the wicked Enchanter persecutes mee and hath put Clouds and Cataracts in mine eyes and for them only and none else hath transformed and changed thy peerlesse beauty and face into the face of a poor Countrey-Wench if so be now hee have not turned mine too into some Hobgoblin to make it loathsome in thy sight look on me gently and amorously perceiving by this submission and kneeling which I use to thy counterfeit beauty the humilitie with which my Soule adores thee Marry muff quoth the Countrey-Wench I care much for your courtings Get you gone and let us goe and wee shall bee beholding to you Sancho let her passe by him most glad that hee had sped so well with his device The Countrey-Wench that played Dulcinea's part was no sooner free when spurring her Hackney with a prickle shee had at the end of her cudgell shee began to run apace and the Asle feeling the smart of it more then ordinary began to wince so fast that down came my Lady Dulcinea which when Don-Quixote saw hee came to help her up and
Sancho went to order and gird her Pack-saddle that hung at the Asses belly which being fitted and Don-Quixote about to list his inchanted Mistris in his armes to her Asse shee being now got upon her legs saved him that labour for stepping a little back shee fetcht a rise and clapping both her hands upon the Asses crupper shee lighted as swift as an Hawke upon the Pack-saddle and sate astride like a man Then said Sancho By Saint Râ—que our Mistris is as light as a Robbin-ruddock and may teach the cunningest Cordovan or Mexicanian to ride on their Ginets At one spring shee hath leapt over the crupper and without spurs makes the Hackney runne like a Musk-Cat and her Damzels come not short of her for they flie like the winde And hee said true for when Dulcinea was once on horse-back they all made after her and set a running for two miles without looking behinde them Don-Quixote still looked after them but when they were out of sight turning to Sancho hee said Sancho how thinkest thou How much Inchanters doe hate me And see how farre their malice extends and their aime at me since they have deprived me of the happinesse I should have received to have seen my Mistris in her true being Indeed I was borne to bee an example of unfortunate men to bee the Mark and Butt at which ill-Fortunes arrows should bee sent And thou must note Sancho that these Enchanters were not content to have changed and transformed my Dulcinea but they have done it into a shape so base and ugly as of a Countrey-Wench thou sawest and withall they have taken from her that which is so proper to her and great Ladies to wit her sweet sent of flowers and Amber for let me tell thee Sancho that when I went to help Dulcinea to her Hackney which as thou sayest seemed to me to bee a shee-Asse shee gave mee such a breath of raw Garlick as piere't and intoxicated my brain O base rowt cried out Sancho instantly Oh dismall and ill-minded Enchanters I would I might see you all strung up together like Galls or like Pilchers in shoals cunning you are much you can and much you doe it had been enough for you Rascals to have turned the Pearls of my Ladies eyes into Corkie Galls and her most pure golden Haire into Bristles of a red Oxes taile and finally all her feature from good to bad without medling with her Breath for only by that wee might have ghessed what was concealed under that course rinde though to say true I never saw her coursenesse but her beauty which was inâ—initely increased by a Moale shee had upon her lipp like a Mostacho with seven or eight red haires like threeds of gold and above a handfull long To this Moale quoth Don-Quixote according to the correspondencie that those of the face have with those of the body shee hath another in the table of her thigh that corresponds to the side where that of her face is but haires of that length thou speakest of are very much for Moals Well I can tell you quoth Sancho that there they appeared as if they had been borne with her I beleeve it friend replyed Don-Quixote for nature could form nothing in Dulcinea that was not perfect and complete and so though shee had a hundreth Moales as well as that one thou sawest in her they were not Moals but Moons and bright Stars But tell me Sancho that which thou did'st set on which seemed to me to bee a pack-saddle was it a plane saddle or a saddle with a back It was said Sancho a Ginet saddle with a field covering worth halfe a Kingdom for the richnesse of it And could not I see all this Well now I say again and will say it a thousand times I am the unhappiest man alive The crack-rope Sancho had enough to doe to hold laughter hearing his Masters madnesse that was so delicately gulled Finally after many other reasons that passed betwixt them both they gate up on their beasts and held on the way to Saragosa where they thought to bee fitly to see the solemnities that are performed once every yeer in that famous City But before they came thither things befell them that because they are many famous and strange they deserve to be written and read as shall be seen here following CHAP. XI Of the strange Adventure that befell Don-Quixote with the Cart or Waggon of the Parliament of Death DON-QVIXOTE went on wonderfull pensative to thinke what a shrewd trick the Enchanters had played him in changing his Mistresse Dulcinea into the rustick shape of a Country-wench and could not imagine what meanes hee might use to bring her to her pristine being and these thoughts so distracted him that carelesly hee gave Rozinante the Reines who perceiving the liberty hee had stayed every stitch-while to feede upon the greene grasse of which those fields were full but Sancho put him out of his Maze saying Sir sorrow was not ordained for beasts but men yet if men doe exceede in it they become beasts pray Sir recollect and come to your selfe and pluck up Rozinantes Reines revive and cheere your selfe shew the courage that befits a Knight Errant What a Devil 's the matter What faintnesse is this are we dreaming on a dry Summer Now Satan take all the Dulcineaes in the world since the wel-fare of one only Knight Errant is more worth then all the Enchantments and transformations in the world Peace Sancho quoth Don-Quixote with a voice now not very faint Peace I say and speake no blasphemies against that Enchanted Lady for I only am in fault for her misfortune and unhappinesse Her ill-plight springs from the envie that Enchanters beare mee So say I too quoth Sancho for what heart sees her now that saw her before and doth not deplore Thou maist well say so Sancho replied Don-Quixote since thou sawest her in her just entyre beautie and the Enchantment dimmed not thy sight nor concealed her fairnesse Against me only only against mine eyes the force of its venome is directed But for all that Sancho I have faln upon one thing which is that thou didst ill describe her beauty to me for if I forget not thou saidst she had eyes of Pearles and such eyes are rather the eyes of a Sea-Breame then a fayre Dames but as I thinke Dulcineaes eyes are like two green-Emralds raled with two Celestiall Arkes that serve them for eye-brows And therfore for your Pearles take them from her eyes and put them to her teeth for doubtlesse Sancho thou mistook'st eyes for teeth All this may be said Sancho for her beauty troubled me as much as her foulnesse since hath done you but leave we all to God who is the knower of all things that befalls us in this Vale of teares in this wicked world where there is scarce any thing without mixture of mischief Impostorship or villanie One thing Master mine troubles me more then all the rest to
eyes me thinks every foot I touch it hugg it and carrie it to mine house set Leasâ—s and Rents and live like a Prince and still when I think of this all the toyle that I passe with this Block-head my Master seemes easie and tolerable to mee who I know is more Mad-man then Knight Hereupon said he of the Wood it is said that All covet all lose And now you talke of mad-men I thinke my Master is the greatest in the world he is one of them that cries Hang sâ—rrow and that another Knight may recover his wits hee 'l make himselfe mad and will seeke after that which perhaps once found will tumble him upon his snowt And is he amorous haply Yes sayd he of the Wood hee loves one Casildea de Vandalia the most raw and most rosted Lady in the world but she halts not on that foot of her rawnesse for other manner of impostures doe grunt in those entrailes of hers which ere long will be knowne There is no way so plaine quoth Sancho that hath not some rubbe or pit or as the Proverbe goes In some houses they seethe beanes and in mine whole kettles full So madnesse hath more companions and more needie ones then wisedome But if that which is commonly spoken be true that to have companions in misery is a lightner of it you may comfort me that serve as sottish a Master as I doe Sottish but valiant answered he of the wood but more knave then foole or then valiant It is not so with my Master said Sancho for he is ne're a whit knave rather he is as dull as a Beetle hurts no-body does good to all he hath no malice a childe will make him beleeve 't is night at noon day and for his simplicity I love him as my heart-strings and cannot finde in my heart to leave him for all his fopperies For all that Brother and friend said he of the wood if the blinde guide the blinde both will be in danger to fall into the pit 'T is better to retire faire and softly and returne to our loved homes for they that hunt after Adventures doe not alwaies light upon good Sancho spit often and as it seemed a kinde of glewy and dry matter which noted by the charitable wooddy Squire he said Me thinkes with our talking our tongues cleave to our roofes but I have suppler hangs at the pummel of my horse as good as touch And rising up hee returned presently with a Borracha of Wine and a bak'd meat at least half a yard long and it is no lye for it was of a perboyled Cony so large that Sancho when he felt it thought it had been of a Goat and not a Kid which being seen by Sancho hee said And had yee this with you too Sir Why what did yee think said the other Doe you take me to bee some hungrie Squire I have better provision at my horses crupper then a Generall carries with him upon a Martch Sancho fell to without invitation and champed his bits in the dark as if he had scraunched knotted cords and said I marry Sir you are a true legall Squire round and sound royall and liberall as appears by your feast which if it came not hither by way of inchantment yet it seems so at least not like mee unfortune wretch that only carry in my Wallets a little Cheese so hard that you may breake a Gyants head with it and only some dozens of Saint Iohns Weed leaves and some few Wall-nuts and Small-nuts plentie in the strictnesse of my Master and the opinion hee hath and the method hee observes that Knights Errant must only bee maintained and susteined only with a little dry fruit and sallets By my faith Brother replied hee of the Wood my stomack is not made to your thistles nor your stalks nor your mountain-roots let our Masters deale with their opinions and their Knightly Statutes and eate what they will I have my cold meats and this bottle hanging at the pommel of my saddle will hee or nill hee which I reverence and love so much that a minute passeth not in which I give it not a thousand kisses and embraces which said he gave it to Sancho who rearing it on end at his mouth looked a quarter of an hour together upon the starres and when hee had ended his draught hee held his neck on one side and fetching a great sigh cries Oh whoreson Rascall how Catholike it is I aw yee there said hee of the wood in hearing Sancho's whoreson how you have praised the wine in calling it whoreson I say quoth Sancho that I confesse I know it is no dishonour to call any body whoreson when their is a meaning to praise him But tell me Sir by the remembrance of her you love best is this wine of Cinidad Reall A place in Spain that hath excellent Wines A brave taste said hee of the wood it is no lesse and it is of some yeers standing too Let mee alone said Sancho you could not but think I must know it to the height Doe you think it strange Sir Squire that I should have so great and so naturall an instinct in distinguishing betwixt wines that comming to smell any wine I hit upon the place the grape the savour the lafting the strength with all circumstances belonging to wine But no marveâ—l if in my linage by my fathers side I had two of the most excellent tasters that were known in a long time in Mancha for proof of which you shall know what befell them They gave to these two some wine to taste out of a Hogs-head asking their opinions of the state qualitie goodnesse or badnesse of the wine the one of them proved it with the tip of his tongue the other only smelt to it The first said that that wine savoured of yron The second said Rather of goats leather The owner protested the Hogshead was cleane and that the wine had no kinde of mixture by which it should receive any savour of yron or leather Notwithstanding the two famous tasters stood to what they had said Time ran on the wine was sold and when the vessell was cleansed there was found in it a little keyâ— with a leatherne thong hanging at it Now you may see whether he that comes from such a race may give his opinion in these matters Therefore I say to you quoth he of the wood let us leave looking after these Adventures and since we have content let us not seeke after dainties but returne to our cottages for there God will finde us if it be his will Till my Master come to Saragosa I meane quoth Sancho to serve him and then wee le all take a new course In fine the two good Squires talked and drank so much that it was fit sleepe should lay their tongues and slake their thirst but to extinguish it was impossible so both of them fastned to the nigh emptie bottle and their meate scarce out of their
all I will doe is to pray to God to deliver you out of it and to make you understand how profitable and necessary Knights Errant have been to the world in former ages and also would bee at present if they were in request But now for our sinnes sloth idlenesse gluttonie and wantonnesse doe raigne I faith thought Don Lorenzo for this once our guest hath scaped me but for all that hee is a lively Asse and I were a dull foole if I did not beleeve it Here they ended their discourse for they were called to dinner Don Diego asked his sonne what tryall hee had made of their guests understanding To which hee made answer All the Physicians and Scriveners in the world will not wipe out his madnesse Hee is a curious mad-man and hath neat Dilemma's To dinner they went and their meat was such as Don Diego upon the way described it such as hee gave to his guests well drest savory and plentifull But that which best pleased Don-Quixote was the marvellous silence throughout the whole house as if it had been a Covent of Carthusians So that lifting up his eyes and grace being said and that they had washed hands he earnestly intreated Don Lorenzo to speake his Prize-verses To which quoth hee because I will not bee like your Poets that when they are over intreated they use to make scruple of their works and when they are not intreated they vomit them up I will speake my Glosse for which I expect no reward as having written them only to exercise my Muse. A wise friend of mine said Don-Quixote was of opinion that to Glosse was no hard task for any man the reason being that the Glosse could ne'er come neere the Text and most commonly the Glosse was quite from the Theame given besides that the Laws of Glossing were too strict not admitting interrogations of Said he or Shall I say or changing Noâ—â—s into Verbs without other ligaments and strictnesses to which the Glossor is tyed as you know Certainly Signior Don-Quixote said Don Lorenzo I desire to catch you in an absurdity but cannot for still you slip from me like an Eele I know not said Don-Quixote what you mean by your slipping You shall know my meaning said Don Lorenzo but for the present I pray you hearken with attention to my glossed verses and to the Glosse as for example If that my Was might turn to Is If look't for 't then it comes compleat Oh might I say Now now time 't is Our after-griefs may bee too great The Glose AS every thing doth passe away So Fortunes good that erst shee gave Did passe and would not with mee stay Though shee gave once all I could crave Fortune 't is long since thou hast seene Mee prostrate at thy feete I wis I shall bee glad as I have beene If that my Was returne to Is. Vnto no honour am I bent No Prize Conquest or Victorie But to returne to my content Whose thought doth grieve my memorie If thou to mee doe it restore Fortune the rigour of my heate Allayed is let it come before I looke for 't then it comes compleat Impossibles doe I desire To make time past returne in vaine No Powre on Earth can once aspire Past to recall him back againe Time doth goe time runs and flies Swiftly his course doth never misse Hee 's in an error then that cies Oh might I say Now now time ' t is I live in great perplexitie Somtimes in hope somtimes in feare Farre better were it for to die That of my griefs I might get cleere For mee to die 't were better farre Let mee not that againe repeat Feare sayes 'T is better live long for Our after-griefs may bee too great When Don Lorenzo had ended Don-Quixote stood up and cried aloud as if he had screecht taking Don Lorenzo by the hand and said Assuredly genetous youth I think you are the best Poet in the world and you deserve the Lawrell not of Cyprus or Gaeta as a Poet said God forgive him but of Athens if it were extant Paris Bolonia and Salamanca I would to God those Iudges that would denie you the prize might bee shot to death with arrowes by Phoebus and that the Muses never come within their thresholds Speak Sir if you please some of your loftier verses that I may altogether feele the pulse of your admirable wit How say you by this that Don Lorenzo was pleased when hee heard himselfe thus praised by Don-Quixote although he held him to bee a mad-man O power of flattery how farre thou canst extend and how large are the bounds of thy pleasing jurisdiction This truth was verified in Don Lorenzo since hee condescended to Don-Quixotes request speaking this following Sonnet to him of the Fable or Story of Pyramus and Thisbe The wall was broken by the Virgin faire That op't the gallant brest of Pyramus Love parts from Cyprus that hee may declare Once seen the narrow breach prodigious There nought but silence speaks no voyce doth dare Thorow so strait a straight be venturous Yet their mindes speake Love works this wonder rare Facilitating things most wonderous Desire in her grew violent and hastâ— In the fond Maid instead of hearts delight Solicites death See â—ow the Story 's past Both of them in a moment oh strange sight One Sword one Sepulchre one Memorie Doth kill doth cover makes them never die Now thanked bee God quoth Don-Quixote having heard this Sonnet that amongst so many consumed Poets as be I have found one consummate as you are Sir which I perceive by your well-framed Sonnet Don-Quixote remained foure dayes being well entertained in Don Diego's house at the end of which he desired to take his leave and thanked him for the kindnesse and good wellcome he had received but because it was not fit that Knights Errant should bee too long idle hee purposed to exercise his Function and to seeke after Adventures he knew ofâ— for the place whither hee meant to goe to would give him plenty enough to passe his time with till it were fit for him to goe to the Justs at Saragosa which was his more direct course but that first of all he meant to goe to Montesino's vault of which there were so many admirable tales in every mans mouth so to search and enquire the Spring and Origine of those seven Lakes commonly called of Ruydera Don Diego and his Sonne commended his noble determination and bid him furnish himselfe with what hee pleased of their house and wealth for that hee should receive it with all love and good will for the worth of his person and his honourable profession obliged them to it To conclude the day for his parting came as pleasing to him as bitter and sorrowfull to Sancho who liked wondrous well of Don Diego's plentifull provision and was loth to returne to the hunger of the forrests and wildernesse and to the hardnesse of his ill-furnisht wallets notwithstanding hee filled and
aloud said Oh my Cousin Montesinos the last thing that I requested you when I was dying and my soule departing was That you would carry my heart to Belerma taking it out of my bosome either with ponyard or dagger which when the venerable Montesinos heard hee kneeled before the greeved Knight and with teares in his eyes said Long since Oh Durandarte long since my dearest Cousin I did what you en-joyn'd mee in that bitter day of our losse I tooke your heart as well as I could without leaving the least part of it in your brest I wiped it with a laced handkerchiefe and posted with it towards France having first layd you in the bosome of the earth with so many teares as was sufficient to wash my hands or to wipe off the bloud from them which I had gotten by stirring them in your entrailes and for more assurance that I did it my dearest Cousin at the first place I came to from Roncesualle I cast salt upon your heart that it might not stinke and might bee fresh and embalmed when it should come to the presence of the Lady Belerma who with you and mee Guadiana your Squire the waiting-woman Ruydera and her seven Daughters and her two Neeces and many other of your acquaintances and friends have beene enchanted heere by Merlin that Wizard long since and though it bee above five hundred yeeres agoe yet none of us is dead only Ruydera her Daughters and Neeces are wanting whom by reason of their lamentation Merlin that had compassion on them turned them into so many Lakes now living in the world and in the Province of Mancha they are called the Lakes of Ruydera seven belong to the Kings of Spaine and the two Neeces to the Knights of the most holy Order of Saint Iohn Guadiana your Squire wailing in like manner this mis-hap was turned into a River that bore his owne name who when hee came to the superficies of the earth and saw the Sun in another heaven such was his griefe to have left you that hee straight plunged himselfe into the entrailes of the earth but as it is not possible for him to leave his naturall Current sometimes hee appeares and shewes himselfe where the Sunne and men may see him The aforesaide Lakes do minister their waters to him with which and many others hee enters Portugall in pompe but which way so-ere hee goes hee shewes his sorrow and melancholy and contemnes the breeding of dainty fish in his waters and such as are esteemed but only muddie and unsavorie farre differing from those of golden Tagus and what I now tell you Cousin mine I have told you often and since you answer mee nothing I imagine you eyther beleeve mee not or not heare mee for which God knowes I am heartily sorry One newes I will let you know which though perhaps it may not any way lighten your griefe yet it will no way increase it Know that you have here in your presence open your eyes and you shall see him that famous Knight of whom Merlin prophesied such great matters that Don-Quixote de la Mancha I say that now newly and more happily then former Ages hath raised the long forgotten Knight Errantry by whose meanes and favour it may bee that wee also may bee dis-inchanted for great exploits are reserved for great Personages And if it be otherwise answered the grieved Durandarte with a faint and low voyce if it bee otherwise oh Cousin I say Patience and shuffle Patiencia ybaraiar A Metaphor taken from Card-players who when they lose cry to the dealer Patience and shuffle the Cards and turning on one side hee returned to his accustomed silence without speaking one word By this wee heard great howling and moane accompanied with deepe sighes and short-breath'd accents I turned mee about and saw that in another roome there came passing by the Christall waters a procession of a company of most beautifull Damzels in two rankes all clad in mourning with Turbants upon their heads after the Turkish fashion at last and in the end of the rankes there came a Lady who by her majesty appear'd so clothed in like manner in blacke with a white dressing on her head so large that it kissed the very ground Her Turbant was twice as bigg as the bigest of the rest shee was somewhat beetle-brow'd flat-nosed wide mouth'd but red lipped her teeth for sometimes shee discovered them seemed to bee thin and not very well placed though they were as white as blanch'd Almonds in her hand shee carried a fine cloth and within it as might be perceived a mommied Heart by reason of the dry embalming of it Montesinos told me that all those in that procession were servants to Durandarte and Belerma that were there enchanted with their Masters and that shee that came last with the linnen cloth and the heart in her hand was the Lady Belerma who together with her Damzels four dayes in the week did make that procession singing or to say truer howling their Dirges over the body and grieved heart of his Cousin and if now shee appeared somewhat foul to me or not so fair as Fame hath given out the cause was her bad nights but worse dayes that shee indured in that enchantment as I might see by her deep-sunk eyes and her broken complexion and her monethly disease is not the cause of these an ordinary thing in women for it is many moneths since and many yeers that shee hath not had it not known what it is but the grief that shee hath in her own heart for that shee carries in her hand continually which renews and brings to her remembrance the unfortunatenesse of her lucklesse Lover for if it were not for this scarce would the famous Dulcinea del Toboso equall her in Beauty Wit or livelinesse that is so famous in the Mancha and all the world over Not too fast then said I Signior Don Montesinos on with your story as befits for you know all comparisons are odious and so leave your comparing the peerlesse Dulcinea del Toboso is what shee is and the Lady Belerma is what shee is and hath been and let this suffice To which hee answered Pardon me Signior Don-Quixote for I confesse I did ill and not well to say the Lady Dulcinea would scarce equall the Lady Belerma since it had beene sufficient that I understood I know not by what ayme that you are her Knight enough to have made mee bite my Tongue before I had compared her with any thing but Heaven it selfe With this satisfaction that Montesinos gave mee my heart was free from that sodaine passion I had to heare my Mistresse compared to Belerma And I marvell said Sancho that you got not to the old Carl aud bang'd his bones and pul'd his beard without leaving him a haire in it No friend Sancho said hee it was not fit for mee to doe so for we are all bound to reverence our Elders although they bee no Knights
of this stood expecting what would become of this Lavatory The Barber Damzell when shee had soaped him well with her hand feigned that shee wanted more water and made her with the Ewre to goe for it whilest Signior Don-Quixote expected which shee did and Don-Quixote remained one of the strangest pictures to move laughter that could bee imagined All that were present many in number beheld him and as they saw him with a neck half a yard long more then ordinary swarthy his eyes shut and his beard full of soap it was great marvell and much discretion they could forbear laughing The Damzels of the jest cast down their eyes not daring to look on their Lords whose bodies with choller and laughter even tickled again and they knew not what to doe either to punish the boldnesse of the Gyrls or reward them for the pastime they received to see Don-Quixote in that manner Lastly shee with the Ewre came and they made an end of washing Don-Quixote and straight shee that had the Towels wiped and dryed him gently and all four of them at once making him a low courtesie would have gone but the Duke because Don-Quixote should not fall into the jest called to the Damzel with the Bason saying Come and wash mee too and see that you have Water enough The Wench that was wylie and carefull came and put the Bason under the Duke as shee had done to Don-Quixote and making haste they washed and scowred him very well and leaving him dry and cleane making Courtesies they went away After it was known that the Duke swore that if they had not washed him as well as Don-Quixote he would punish them for their lightnesse which they discreetly made amends for with soapeing him Sancho marked all the Ceremonies of the Lavatorie and said to himselfe Lord thought he if it be the custome in this Country to wash the Squires beards as well as the Knights for of my soule and conscience I have neede of it and if they would to run over me with a Rasor too What sayest thou to thy selfe Sancho said the Duchesse I say Madam quoth hee that I have heard that in other Princes Palaces they use to give water to wash mens hands when the Cloth is taken away but not Lye to scowre their Beards and therefore I see 't is good to live long to see much although 't is said also that hee that lives long suffers much though to suffer one of these Lavatories is rather pleasure then paine Take no care Sancho quoth the Duchesse for I le make one of my Damozells wash thee and if neede bee lay thee a bucking For my Beard quoth Sancho I should bee glad for the present for the rest God will provide hereafter Looke you Carver said the Duchesse what Sancho desires doe just as hee would have you The Carver answered that Signior Sancho should bee punctually served and so hee went to dinner and carried Sancho with him the Dukes and Don-Quixote sitting still and conferring in many and severall affaires but all concerning the practise of Armes and Knight Errantry The Duchess requested Don-Quixote to delineate and describe unto her since hee seemed to have a happy Memory the beauty and feature of the Lady Dulcinea del Toboso for according to Fames Trumpet she thought that shee must needs bee the fairest creature in the world and also of the Mancha Don-Quixote sighed at the Duchesses command and said If I could take out my heart and lay it before your Greatnesses eyes upon this Table in a dish I would save my Tongue a labour to tell you that which would not bee imagined for in my heart your Excellency should see her lively depainted but why should I be put to describe and delineate exactly peece for peece each severall beauty of the peerelesse Dulcinea a burden fitter for other backs then mine an enterprize in which the pensils of Parrasius Timantes and Apelles and the tooles of Lisippus should indeed be imployed to paint and carve her in tables of Marble and Brasse and Ciceronian and Demosthenian Rhetorick to praise her What meane you by your Demosthenian Signior Don-Quixote quoth the Duchesse Demosthenian Rhethorique quoth hee is as much as to say the Rhethorique of Demosthenes as Ciceronian of Cicere both which were the two greatest Rhethoricians in the world 'T is true quoth the Duke and you shewed your ignorance in asking that question but for all that Sir Don-Quixote might much deligh us if hee would paint her out for I le warrant though it bee but in her first draught shee will appeare so well that the most fair will envy her I would willingly said he if misfortune had not blotted out her Idea that not long since befell her which is such that I may rather bewaile it then describ her for your Greatnesses shall understand that as I went heretofore to have kissed her hands and receive her Benediction Leave and License for this my third sally I found another manner of one then I looked for I found her Enchanted and turned from a Princesse to a Country-wench from fair to foule from an Angell to a Deviil from sweet to contagious from well spoken to rustick from modest to skittish from light to darkness and finally from Dulcinea del Tobâ—so to a Peasantess of Sayago Now God defend us quoth the Duke with a loud voice who is hee that hath done so much hurt to the world Who hath taken away the beautie that cheered it The quicknesse that entertained it and the honesty that did credit it Who said hee who but some cursed Enchanter one of those many envious ones that persecute me This wicked race borne in the world to darken and annihilate the exploits of good men and to give light and raise the deeds of evill Enchanters have me persecuted Enchanters me persecute and Enchanters will me persecute till they cast me and my lofty Chivalry into the profound Abisme of forgetfullnesse and there they hurt and wound me where they see I have most feeling for to take from a Knight Errant his Lady is to take away his eye-sight with which hee sees the Sunne that doth lighten him and the food that doth nourish him Oft have I said and now I say again that a Knight Errant without a Mistris is like a Tree without leaves like a Building without cement or a Shadow without a Body by which it is caused There is no more to bee said quoth the Duchesse but yet if wee may give credit to the History of Don-Quixote that not long since came to light with a generall applause it is said as I remember That you never saw Dulcinea and that there is no such Ladie in the world but that shee is a meer fantasticall creature ingendred in your brain where you have painted her with all the graces and perfections that you please Here is much to bee said quoth hee God knows if there bee a Dulcinea or no in the world whether shee
root it up and since you know that I know there is none of these prime kinde of Officers that payes not some kinde of bribe some more some lesse yours for this Government shall bee that you accompanie your Master Don-Quixote to end and finish this memorable Adventure that whether you return on Clavileno with the brevity that his speed promiseth or that your contrary fortune bring and return you home on foot like a Pilgrim from Inn to Inn and from Ale-house to Ale-house at your comming back you shall finde the Island where you left it and the Islanders with the same desire to receive you for their Governour that they have alwaies had and my good will shall alwaies bee the same and doubt not Signior Sancho of this for you should doe much wrong in so doing to the desire I have to serve you No more Sir quoth Sancho I am a poor Squire and cannot carry so much courtesie upon my back let my Master get up and blindefold me and commend me to God Almighty and tell mee if when I mount into this high-flying I may recommend my self to God or invoke the Angels that they may favour me To which the Trifaldi answered You may recommend your self to God or to whom you will for Malambruno though hee bee an Enchanter yet hee is a Christian and performs his Enchantments with much sagacity and very warily without medling with any body Goe to then quoth Sancho God and the holy Trinity of Gaeta help me Since the memorable Adventure of the Full-Mills quoth Don-Quixote I never saw Sancho so fearfull as now and if I were as superstitious as some his pusillanimity would tickle my conscience but hark thee Sancho by these Gentles leaves I will speak a word or two with thee and carrying Sancho amongst some trees in the Garden taking him by both the hands hee said Thou seest Brother Sancho the large voyage that wee are like to have and God knows when wee shall return from it nor the leisure that our affaires hereafter will give us I prethee therefore retire thy self to thy Chamber as if thou wentst to look for some necessary for the way and give thy self in a trice of the three thousand and three hundred lashes in which thou standest engaged but five hundred only so that the beginning of a businesse is half the ending of it Verily quoth Sancho I think you have lost your wits this is just I am going and thou art crying out in haste for thy Mayden-head I am now going to sit upon a bare peece of wood and you would have my bumm smart Beleeve me you have no reason let 's now goe for the shaving these Matrons and when wee return I 'le promise you to come out of debt let this content you and I say no more Don-Quixote made answer Well with this promise Sancho I am in some comfort and I beleeve thou wilt accomplish it for though thou beest a fool * yet I think thou art honest * Here I left out a line or two of a dull conceit so it was no great matter for in English it could not bee expressed So now they went to mount Clavileno and as they were getting up Don-Quixote said Hud-wink thy self Sancho and get up for hee that sends from so farre off for us will not deceive us for hee will get but small glory by it and though all should succeed contrary to my imagination yet no malice can obscure the glory of having undergone this Adventure Let 's goe Master quoth Sancho for the beards and teares of these Gentlewomen are nailed in my heart and I shall not eat a bit to doe me good till I see them in their former smoothnesse Get you up Sir and hud-wink your self first for if I must ride behinde you you must needs get up first in the faddle 'T is true indeed said Don-Quixote and taking a hand-kerchief out of his pocket hee desired the Afflicted to hide his eyes close and when it was done hee uncovered himself again and said As I remember I have read in Virgill of the Palladium that horse of Troy that was of wood that the Grecians presented to the Goddesse Pallas with childe with armed Knights which after were the totall ruine of all Troy and so it were sit first to try what Clavileno hath in his stomack You neede not said shee for I dare warrant you and know that Malambruno is neither traytor nor malicious you may get up without any feare and upon mee be it if you receive any hurt But Don-Quixote thought that every thing thus spoken to his safety was a detriment of his valour so without more exchanging of words up hee got and tried the pin that easily turned up and downe so with his legs at length without stirrups hee looked like an Image painted in a piece of Flanders Arras or woven in some Roman triumph Sancho got up faire and softly and with a very ill will and settling himselfe the best hee could upon the crupper found it somewhat hard and nothing soft and desired the Duke that if it were possible hee might have a cushionet or for failing one of the Duchesses cushions of State or a pillow from one of the Pages beds for that Horses crupper hee sayd was rather Marble then Wood. To this quoth Trifaldi Clavileno will suffer no kinde of furniture nor trapping upon him you may doe well for your ease to sit on him woman-wayes so you will not feele his hardnesse so much Sancho did so and saying farewell hee suffered himselfe to bee bound about the eyes and after uncovered himselfe againe and looking pittifully round about the Garden with teares in his eyes hee desired that they would in that dolefull trance joyne with him each in a Pater-noster and an Ave Maria as God might provide them some to doe them that charitable office when they should bee in the like trance To which quoth Don-Quixote Rascall are you upon the Gallowes trow or at the last gaspe that you use these kinde of supplications Art thou not thou soule-lesse cowardly creature in the same place where the faire Magalona sate from whence shee descended not to her grave but to bee Queene of France if Histories lye not and am not I by thee cannot I compare with the valorous Pierrs that pressed this seat that I now presse Hudwinke hudwinke thy selfe thou dis-heartned Beast and let not thy feare come forth of thy mouth at least in my presence Hudwinke mee quoth Sancho and since you will not have mee pray to God nor recommend mee how can I chuse but bee afrayd lest some legion of Devills bee here that may carry us headlong to destruction Now they were hudwinked and Don-Quixote perceiving that all was as it should bee layd hold on the pin and scarce put his fingers to it when all the Wayting-women and as many as were present lifted up their voyces saying God bee thy speed Valorous Knight God bee with
I recreate my selfe with the painting and if I had dined there were no better dish of fruit to me then your picture I humbly thanke you sir for that quoth the Husbandman but time will come that I may bee thankefull if I bee not now and if I should paint out to you her gentlenesse and the height of her body 't would admire you but that cannot bee for shee is crooked her knees and her mouth meet and for all that 't is well seene that if shee could stand upright shee would touch the roofe with her head and long ere this shee would have given her hand to my sonne to bee his spouse but that shee cannot stretch it out 't is so knotted and crumpled up for all that her goodnesse and good shape appeares in her long and guttured nailes 'T is very well quoth Sancho and make account Brother that now you have painted her from head to foot What would you now come to the matter without fetches or lanes or digressions or additions I would desire you quoth the Husbandman to give mee a Letter of favour to my brother by marriage her father to desire him to consent that this marriage may goe forward since our fortunes bee equall and our births for to say true Sir Governour my sonne is possessed with the Devill and there 's not a day passeth but the wicked spirits torment him and once falling in the fire hath mad his face as wrinkled as a piece of parchment and his eyes are somewhat bleered and running and hee is as soft conditioned as an Angell for if it were not for buffeting of himselfe now and then hee were a very Saint Will you any thing else honest friend quoth Sancho One thing more quoth hee but that I dare not tell it but let it out it shall not rotte in my brest speed how it will I desire Sir that you would give mee three hundred or six hundred Dukats to helpe my Bachelors portion I meane to helpe him to furnish his house for they will live by themselves without being subject to the impertinencies of fathers in Lawe Will you have any thing else quoth Sancho and bee not abashed or ashamed to tell it No truly quoth the Husbandman and hee had scarce said this when the Governor rising up layd hold on the chayre that hee sat on saying I vow to you goodman splay-foot unmannerly clown if you goe not strait and hide your selfe out of my presence I le breake your head with this chayre here ye whoor-son Rascall the Devills painter commest thou at this time of day to aske mee sixe hundred Ducats And where have I them stinkard and if I had them why should I give them thee sottish knave What a poxe care I for Miguel Turra or all the linage of the Perlerinas Get thee out of my sight or I sweare by my Lord the Dukes life that I le doe as I have said Thou art not of Miguel Turra but some crafty knave sent from hell to tempt mee Tell mee desperate man 't is not yet a day and a halfe since I came to the Government how wouldst thou have mee have sixe hundreth Ducats The Carver made signes to the Husbandman to get him out of the Hall who did so like a sheepbyter and to see to very fearfull lest the Governour should execute his choller on him for the cunning knave very well knew what belonged to his part but leave wee Sancho to his choller and peace bee in the Quire and returne we to Don-Quixote for we left his face bound up and dressed for his Cattish wounds of which hee was not sound in eight dayes in one of which this befell him that Cid Hamete promiseth to recount with all the punctualitie and truth that hee usually doth in the most triviall matters of this History CHAP. XLVIII What hapned to Don-Quixote with Donna Rodriguez the Duchesses Waiting-woman with other successes whorthy to bee written and had in eternall remembrance THe ill-wounded Don-Quixote was exceeding musty and melancholy with his face bound up and scarred not by the hand of God but by the nayles of a Cat misfortunes annexed to Knight Errantry sixe dayes past ere hee came abroad in one of which in a night when hee was awake and watching thinking upon his mishaps and his being persecuted by Altisidora hee perceived that some body opened his Chamber door with a Key and straight hee imagined that the inamored Damzell came to set upon his honestie and to put him to the hazzard of forgoing his loyalty due to his Mistris Dulcinea del Toboso No said hee beleeving in his imagination and this so lowd that hee might easily bee heard no beauty in the world shall make mee leave her that is graved and stamped in the midst of my heart and in my innermost entrailes bee thou Mistris mine either transformed into an Onion-like husband-woman or into a Nimph of the Golden Tagus weaving webs made of silke and gold twist bee thou in Merlins power or in Montesino's where ere they will have thee for wheresoever thou art thou art mine and wheresoever I am I will bee thine His speech ended and the door opened both together Up hee stood upon the bed wrapped from head to foot in a quilt of yellow Sattin a woollen cap upon his head his face and Mustachos bound up his face for his scratches his Mustachoes because they should not dismay or fall down in which posture hee lookt like the strangest aparition that can bee imagined Hee nayled his very eyes upon the door and whereas hee thought to have seen the vanquished and pittifull Altisidora enter hee saw that it was a most reverend Matron with a long white gathered Stole so long that it did cover and bemantle her from head to foot betwixt her left hand fingers shee had halfe a Candle lighted and with her right hand shee shaddowed her selfe to keep the light from her eyes which where hid with a great payre of spectacles shee came treading softly and moving her feet gently Don-Quixote from his Watch-towre beheld her and when hee saw her furniture and noted her silence hee thought it had beene some Hagge or Magician which came in that shape to doe him some shrewd turne and hee beganne apace to blesse himselfe The Vision came somewhat neeeer but being in the midst of the Chamber shee lifted up her eyes and saw with what haste Don-Quixote was crossing himselfe as if hee were afraid to see such a shape shee was no lesse affrighted with his for seeing him so lanke and yellow in the quilt and with the bends that dis-figured him shee cryed out saying Jesus What 's this and with the sodaine fright the Candle dropt out of her hand and being in the darke shee turned her back to bee gone but for feare stumbled upon her Coats and had a sound fall Don-Quixote timorous began to say I conjure thee Apparition Or whatso'ere thou art to tell me who thou art and
what thou wilt have with mee If thou bee'st a soule in Purgatory tell mee and I will doe what I am able for thee for I am a Catholike Christian and love to doe good to all the world for for this cause I tooke upon mee the order of Knight Errant which I professe whose practice extends even to doe good to the soules in Purgatorie The broken Matron that heard her selfe thus conjured by her feare ghessed at Don-Quixote and with a low and pittifull voice shee answered him Signior Don-Quixote if you bee hee I meane I am no Apparition nor Vision nor soule of Purgatory as you have thought but Donna Rodriguez my Lady the Duchesses honour'd Matron that come to you with a case of necessity of those that you usually give redresse to Tell me Donna Rodriguez quoth Don-Quixote come you happily about some peece of brokage For let mee tell you if you doe there 's no good to bee done with mee for any body thanks to the peerelesse Beauty of my Mistris Dulcinea del Toboso So that let me tell you Donna Rodriguez setting aside all amorous messages you may goe light your candle again and return and impart what you will command me and any thing you please excepting I say all kinde of inciting nicities I Sir messages from any body You know not me yfaith I am not so stale yet that I should fall to those triflles for God be praised I have life and flesh and all my teeth and my grinders in my mouth except some few that the Catarrs which are so common in this Country of Aragon have usurped on but stay a little Sir I le goe out and light my Candle and I le come in an instant and relate my griefs to you as to the Redressor of all such like in the world And so without staying for an answer shee left the rooms where Don-Quixote remained still and pensative expecting her but straight a thousand imaginations came into his minde touching this new Adventure and hee thought it would bee very ill done or worse imagined to endanger the breach of his vowed loyalty to his Mistris and said to himself Who knows whether the Devill that is so subtil and crafty may deceive mee now with this Matron which hee hath not been able to doe with Empresses Queens Duchesses Marquesses and I have heard say often by many well experienced men that hee will rather make a man sinne with a foul then a fair one and who knows whether this privacie this oportunitie silence may not awake my desires now sleeping and that now in my old age I may fall where I never stumbled in such like chances 't is better fly then try the combat but sure I am out of my wits since I talk thus idlely and sure it is not possible that a white-stoled lank-spectacled Matron should moove or stirre up a lascivious thought in the ungodliest brest in the world Is there any Matron in the world that hath soft flesh Is there any that is not foolish nice and coy Avaunt then you Matronly troops unprofitable for mans delight How well did that Lady of whom it was observed that shee had two Matrons Statue-wayes of wood with their Spectacles and Pin-pillows at the end of her Seat of State as if they had been at work and those Statues served as well to authorize her room as if they had been reall Matrons And this said hee flung from the Bed to have shut the door and not have let Mistris Rodriguez come in but as hee was going to doe it shee was come back with her candle lighted of white wax and when shee saw Don Quixote neer her wrapped in his Quilt his Bends his wollen Cap and a thick cloth about his neck shee began to fear again and stepping two or three steps backward shee asked Am I safe Sir Knight for I hold it not a very honest signe that you are up from your Bed 'T were fit I asked that question of you quoth Don-Quixote and therefore let me know whether I shall be free from ravishing By whom quoth she By you said Don-Quixote for neither am I of marble or you of brasse neither is it now ten a clock at day time but mid-night and something more as I think and wee are in a more secret and close couch then the Cave in which the bold trayterous Aeneas enjoyed the fair and pitying Dido but give me your hand Mistris and I le have no other assurance then mine own continencie and warinesse And in saying this hee kissed her right hand and shee layd hold of his which shee gave him with the same solemnitie Here Cid Hamete makes a parenthesis and earnestly protesteth he would have given the best coat he had to have seen them both go so joyned and linked from the Chamber dore to the bed In fine Don-Quixote went to his Bed and Donna Rodriguez sate downe in a Chayre a pretty way from it without taking off her spectacles or setting downe the Candle Don-Quixote crowded up together and covered himselfe all over leaving nothing but his face uncovered So both of them beeing quiet the first that broke off their silence was Don-Quixote saying Now Mistrisse Rodriguez you may unrip your selfe and dis-mawe all that you have in your troubled Heart and grieved Entrailes which shall bee heard by my chaste Eares and relieved with my pious Workes I beleeve no lesse said the Matron for from your gentle and pleasing presence there could not be but a Christian answere expected Thus then it is Signior Don-Quixote that though you see mee set in this Chaire and in the midst of the Kingdome of Aragon in the habit of a poore and way-beaten Matron I was borne in the Asturias A barcen Mountainous countrey in Spaine like our Wales and Kingdome of Oniedo and of a linage allied to the best of that Province but my hard fortune and my fathers lavishing that grew to bee a Begger before his time God knowes how brought mee to the Court at Madrid where very quietly and to avoid other inconveniencies my friends placed mee to serve as a Chamber-maid to a worthy Ladie and though I say it that for white-worke hemming and stitching I was never yet put downe in all my life My friends left mee at service and returned homeward and not long after went in likelyhood to heaven for they were wonderfull good Catholike Christians thus was I an Orphan and stinted to the miserable wages and hard allowance that at Court is given to such kinde of servants and at that time I not giving any occasion thereto a Squire of the house fell in love with mee somewhat an elderly man big-bearded and personable and above all as good a Gentleman as the King for hee was of the Mountaines wee kept not our loves so close but that they came to my Ladies eares who without any more adoe with full conof our Holy Mother the Catholique Romane Church caused us to bee married by sent
by the shortnesse of it that it had been cut off at the Placket and shee had Russet bodies of the same and shee was in her smoâ—k-sleeves shee was not very old for shee lookt as if shee had beene about forty but shee was strong tough sinowie and raw-boned who seeing her Daughter and the Page a horse-back said What 's the matter child What Gentleman is this A servant of my Lady Teresa Panca's quoth the Page so doing and speaking hee flung himselfe from his horse and with great humilitie went to prostrate himselfe before the Lady Teresa saying My Lady Teresa give mee your hands to kisse as you are lawfull and particular Wife to my Lord Don Sancho Panca proper Governour of the Island Barataria Ah good Sir forbear I pray do not doe so quoth Teresa for I am no Court-noll but a poore Husband-woman a Ploughmans daughter and wife to a Squire Errant and not a Governour You are quoth the Page a most worthy wife to an Arch-worthy Governour and for proofe of what I say I pray receive this Letter and this token when instantly hee plucked out of his pocket a Corall string with the lac'd Beads of gold and put it about her neck and said This Letter is from the Governour and another that I bring and these Corals are from my Lady the Duchesse that sends me to you Teresa was amazed and her daughter also and the Wench said Hang mee if our Master Don-Quixote have not a hand in this businesse and hee it is that hath given my Father this Government or Earledome that he so often promised him You say true quoth the Page for for Signior Don-Quixotes sake Signior Sancho Panca is now Governour of the Island Barataria as you shall see by this Letter Reade it gentle Sir said Teresa for though I can spin I cannot reade a jot nor I neither added Sanchica but stay a little and I le call one that shall either the Vicar himselfe or the Bachelor Samson Carrasco who will both come hither with all their hearts to heare newes of my Father You need not call any body said hee for though I cannot spin yet I can reade and therefore I will reade it so hee did thorowout which because it was before related it is not now set downe here and then hee drew out the Duchesses which was as followeth FRiend Teresa your Husbands good parts of his wit and honesty moved and obliged mee to request the Duke my Husband to give him the Government of one of the many Islands hee hath I have understood that hee governs like a Ier-Falcon for which I am very glad and consequently my Lord the Duke for which I render heaven many thankes in that I have not beene deceived in making choise of him for the said government for let mee tell Mistris Teresa it is a very difficult thing to finde a good Governour in the world and so God deale with mee as Sancho governes I have sent you my beloved a string of Corall Beads with the tens of gold I could wish they had beene Orientall Pearles but something is better then nothing time will come that wee may know and converse one with another and God knowes what will become of it Commend me to Sanchica your Daughter and bid her from me that shee bee in a readinesse for I mean to Marry her highly when shee least thinks of it They tell me that in your Town there you have goodly Acornes I pray send me some two dozen of them I shall esteem them much as comming from you and write me at large that I may know of your health and well-being and if you want ought there is no more to be done but mouth it and your mouth shall have full measure so God keep you From this Town Your loving Friend The Duchesse Lord quoth Teresa when she heard the Letter what a good plain meek-Lady ' t is God bury me with such Ladies and not with your stately ones that are used in this town who think because they are Jantle-folks the winde must not touch them and they go so fantastically to Church as if they were Queenes at least and they think it a disgrace to um to looke upon a poor Countrey Woman But looke you here 's a good Lady that though she bee a Duchesse calls mee friend and useth mee as if I were her equall equall may I see her with the highest Steeple in the Mancha and concerning her Acorns Signior mine I will send her Ladyship a whole Pecke that every body shall behold and admire them for their bignesse and now Sanchica doe thou see that this Gentleman bee welcome set his Horse up and get some Egges out of the Stable and cut some Bacon hee shall fare like a Prince for the good newes hee hath brought us and his good face deserves it all in the meane time I will goe tell my neighbours of this good newes and to our father Vicar and Master Nicholas the Barber who have beene and still are so much thy fathers friends Yes marry will I quoth Sanchica but harke you you must give mee half that string for I doe not thinke my Ladie Duchesse such a foole that shee would send it all to her 'T is all thine Daughter said Teresa but let mee weare it a few dayes about my neck for verily it glads mee to the heart You will bee glad quoth the Page when you see the bundle that I have in my Port-mantue which is a garment of fine cloth which the Governour onely wore one day a Hunting which he hath sent to Mistris Sanchica Long may he live quoth Sanchica and hee that brings it too Teresa went out with her chaine about her neck and playd with her fingers upon her Letters as if they had been a Timbrel and meeting by chance with the Vicar and Samson Carrasce shee began to dance and to say yfaith now there is none poore of the kinn we have a little Government No no. Now let the proudest Gentlewoman of um all meddle with mee and I le shew her a new tricke What madnesse is this Teresa Panca and what Papers are these No madnesse quoth shee but these are Letters from Duchesses and Governours and these I weare about my neck are fine Corals the Ave-Maries and Pater-nosters are of beaten gold and I am a Governesse Now God shield us Teresa wee understand you not neither know wee what you meane There you may see quoth Teresa and gave um the Letters The Vicar reads them that Samson Carrasco might heare so hee and the Vicar lookâ— one upon the other wondring at what they had read And the Bachelor asked Who brought those Letters Teresa answered that they should goe home with her and they should see the Messenger a young Youth as fair as a golden Pine-Apple and that hee brought her another Present twice as good The Vicar took the Corals from her neck and beheld them again and again and assuring himself
and I le snuff them apace The Steward was as good as his word holding it to bee a matter of conscience to starve so discreet a Governour Besides his purpose was to make an end with him that night performing the last jest which hee had in Commission towards him It hapned then that having eaten contrary to the prescriptions and orders of the Doctor Tirte fuera when the cloth was taken away there came in a Poste with a Letter of Don-Quixotes to the Governour Sancho commanded the Secretary to read it to himself and that if there came no secret in it hee should read it aloud The Secretary did so and sodainly running it over said It may well bee read out for this that Don-Quixote writes to you deserves to bee stamped and written in golden Letters and thus it is Don-Quixotes Letter to Sancho Pança Governour of the Island Barataria WHen I thought friend Sancho to have heard news of thy negligence and folly I heard it of thy discretion for which I gave to God particular thanks I hear thou Governest as if thou wert a man and that thou art a man as if thou wert a beast such is thy humility thou usest yet let me note unto thee That it is very necessary and convenient many times for the Authority of a place to goe against the humility of the heart for the adornment of the person that is in eminent Offices must be according to their greatnesse and not according to the measure of the meek condition to which hee is inclined Goe well clad for a stake well dressed seems not to bee so I say not to thee that thou weare toyes or gawdy gay things not that being a Iudge thou goe like a Souldier but that thou adorn thy self with such a habit as thy place requires so that it bee handsome and neat To get the good will of those thou Governest amongst others thou must doe two things the one to bee courteous to all which I have already told thee of and the other to see that there bee plenty of sustenance for there is nothing that doth more weary the hearts of the poor then hunger and dearth Make not many Statute Laws and those thou doest make see they bee good but chiefly that they be observed and kept for Statutes not kept are the same as if they were not made and doth rather shew that the Prince had Wisedome and Authority to make them then valour to see that they should bee kept And Laws that only threaten and are not executed become like the beam King of Frogs that at first scarred them but in time they despised and gat up on the top of it Bee a Father of Virtue but a Father-in-law of Vice Bee not alwaies cruell nor alwaies mercifull choose a mean betwixt these two extreams for this is a point of discretion Visit the Prisons the Shambles and the Markets for in such places the Governours presence is of much importance Comfort the Prisoners that hope to be quickly dispatcht Be a Bull-begger to the Butchers and a scar-Crow to the Hucksterwomen for the same reason Shew not thy selfe though perhaps thou art which yet I beleeve not Covetous or a Whore-monger or a Glutton for when the Town and those that converse with thee know which way thou art inclined there they will set upon thee till they cast thee down head-long View and re-view passe and re-passe thine eyes over the Instructions I gave thee in writing before thou wentest from hence to thy Government and thou shalt see how thou findest in them if thou observe them an allowance to help thee to bear and passe over the troubles that are incident to Governours Write to my Lords and shew thy self thankfull for Ingratitude is the Daughter of Pride and one of the greatest sins that is and hee that is thankfull to those that have done him good gives a testimony that he will be so to God too that hath done him so much good and dayly doth continue it My Lady Duchesse dispatcht a Messenger a purpose with thy apparel and another present to thy Wife Teresa Pança every minute we expect an answer I have been somewhat ill at ease of late with a certain Cat businesse that hapned to me not very good for my nose but 't was nothing for if there be Enchanters that misuse me others there be that defend me Let me know if the Steward that is with thee had any hand in Trifaldi's actions as thou suspectedst and let me hear likewise of all that befalls thee since the way is so short besides I think to leave this idle life e're long for I was not born to it Here is a business at present that I beleeve will bring me in disgrace with these Nobles but though it much concern me I care not for indeed I had rather comply with my Profession then with their wills according to the saying Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas I write thee this Latine because I think since thy being Governour thou hast learnt to understand it And so farewell God keep thee and send that no man pittie thee Thy Friend Don-Quixote de la Mancha Sancho heard the letter very attentively and those that heard it applauded it for a very discreet one and presently Sancho rose from the Table and calling the Secretary lockt him to him in his lodging Chamber and without more delay meant to answer his Master Don-Quixote and therefore hee bade the Secretarle without adding or diminishing ought to write what he would have him which hee did and the Letter in answer was of this ensuing tenour Sancho Pança's Letter to Don-Quixote de la Mancha My businesse and imployments are so great that I have not leisure either to scratch my head or pare my nails which is the reason they are so long God help me This I say dear Signior mine that you may not wonder if hitherto I have not given you notice of my well or ill being at this Governmeut in which I am now more hungry then when you and I travelled in the Woods and Wilderness My Lord the Duke wrote me the other day by way of advice that there were certain Spies entred the Island to kill me but hitherto I have discovered none but a certain Doctor who is entertained in this Town to kill as many Governours as come to it and his name is Doctor Pedro Rezio born in Tirte a fuera that you may see what a name this is for me to fear lest hee kill me This aforesaid Doctor sayes of himself that hee cures not infirmities when they are in present being but prevents them before they come and the Medicines he useth are dyet upon dyet till he makes a man nothing but bare bones as if leannesse were not a greater sicknesse then a Calenture Finally he hath even starved me and I am ready to dye for anger for when I thought to have comne to this Island to eate good warm things and to
Thou carriest Oh ill carrying In thy wicked clutching pawes Th' entrailes of an humble one Tender and enamoured Three Night-caps hast thou borne hence And a paire of Garters too That doe equall Marble pure For their smoothnesse white and blacke Two thousand sighes thou bearest away Which were they but fire they might Set on fire two thousand Troyes If two thousand Troyes there were Cruell Virenus Aeneas fugitive Barrabas take thee never maist thou thrive Of thy Squire that Sancho hee May his entrailes bee so tough And so hard that Dulcinea may not dis-enchanted bee For the Fault that thou hast made Let poore shee the burden beare For the just for wrongers doe Sometimes in my Countrey pay Let thy best Adventures all Into mis adventures turne All thy pleasure to a Dreame Firmenesse to forgetfullnesse Cruell Virenus Aeneas fugitive Barrabas take thee never maist thou thrive Maist thou false accounted bee From Sevill to Marchena From Granada unto Loia From London to England Whenso'ere thou plai'st at Trumpe At Primera or at Saint Never mai'st thou see a King Aces sevens fly from thee If thou chance to cut thy Cornes Maist thou wound till blood doe comeâ— Also let the stumps remaine If thou plucke out hollow Teeth Cruell Virenus Aeneas fugitive Barrabas take thee never maist thou thrive Whilest the grieved Altisidora thus lamented Don-Quixote beheld her and without answering a word turning to Sancho he said By thy fore-fathers lives I conjure thee my Sancho that thou tell me one truth tell me happily hast thou the three night-Caps and the Garters that this enamoured Damzel speaks of To which quoth Sancho the three Caps I have but for your Garters as sure as the sea burns The Duchesâ—e wondred at Alâ—isidora's loosnesse for though she held her to be bold witty and wanton yet she never thought she would have proceeded so far and knowing nothing of this jest her admiration was the greater The Duke meant to second the sport and therefore said I doe not like it well Sir Knight that having received this good entertainment that hath been made you in my Castle you should presume to carry away three night-Caps at least if it were but only my Damzels Garters 't is a signe of a false heart not sutable to your Honour and therefore restore her Garters if not I challenge you to a mortall combat and I le not fear that your Elvish Enchanters will truck or change my face as they have done my Lackie Tosilos that was to have fought with you God forbid quoth Don-Quixote that I should unsheath my sword against your most illustrious Person from whom I have received so many favours The night-Caps I will restore for Sancho sayes he hath them the Garters 't is impossible for neither her nor I received them and if this your Damzel will look into her corners I warrant her she findes them I my Lord was never Thief nor never think I shall as long as I live if God forsake me not This Damzell speaks as shee pleaseth as being enamoured on what I am not faulty of and therefore I have no reason to ask forgivenesse neither of her nor your Excellency whom I beseech to have a better opinion of me and again I desire your Licence to be upon my way God send you Signior Don-Quixote quoth the Duchesse so good a journey that wee may alwaies hear happy news of your brave exploits and so God be with youâ— for the longer you stay the more you increase the flames in the Damzels hearts that behold you and for mine I le punish her so that hence forward shee shall neither mis-behave her self in look or action Hear me then but a word oh valorous Don-Quixote quoth Altisidora which is That I cry thee mercy for the theft of my Garters for in my soul and conscience I have them on and I have faln into the same carelessnesse of his that looked for his Asle when hee rode upon him Did not I not tell you quoth Sancho I am a fit Youth to conceal Thefts for had I been so I had in two bouts fit occasions in my Government Don-Quixote inclined his head and made an obeysance to the Dukes and by-standers and turning Rozinantes reins Sancho following him on Dapple hee went out of the Castle taking his way towards Saragosa CHAP. LVIII Of Adventures that came so thick and three-fold on Don-Quixote that they gave no respit one to the other WHen Don-Quixote saw himself in open Field free and uncumbred from Altisidora's wooing hee thought himself in his Center and that his spirits were renewed to prosecute his new project of Chivalrie and turning to Sancho said Liberty Sancho is one of the preciousest Gifts that Heaven hath given men the treasure that the earth encloseth and the Sea hides cannot be equalized to it Life ought to be hazarded as well for Liberty as for a mans Honour and by the contrary Captivity is the greatest evill that can befall men This I tell thee Sancho because thou hast well observed the cheer and plenty we have had in the Castle we left Well in the midest of those savoury Banquets and those drinks cooled with snow me thought I was straightned with hunger for I enjoyed nothing with the liberty I should have done had it been mine own for the obligations of recompencing benefits and favours received are tyes that curb a free minde Happy that man to whom Heaven hath given a piece of bread without obligation to thank any else but Heaven alone For all that quoth Sancho 't is not fit for us to be unthankfull for two hundred Crowns that wee have received in gold which the Dukes Steward gave me in a purse which I carry as comforting Cordial next my heart for what may fall out for wee shall not alwaies finde Castles where we shall be much made on sometimes wee shall meet with Inns where we shall be cudgelled In these and such like discourses went the Errants on Knight and Squire when they saw having gone about half a league upon the grasse of a green Medow some dozen men with their Cloaks spread at dinner clad like Husbandmen somewhat neer them they had as it were white sheets with which they covered something underneath they were set upright and stretch at length and put a pretty distance one from another Don-Quixote came to those that were eating and saluting them first courteously hee asked them what was under that linnen One of them answered him Sir under this linnen there bee certain Images of Embossed work in wood which must serve in a shew wee make in our Village wee carry them covered that they may not bee â—ullied and on our shoulders that they bee not broken If you please quoth Don-Quixote I should be glad to see them for Images carried so charily doubtlesse are good ones Good quoth one if they bee not let their price speak for there is none of them but cost fifty Ducats and that you may
see 't is true pray stay and you shall see it with your eyes and rising hee left his dinner and went to uncover the first Image which shewed to bee Saint George on horse back with a winding Serpent at his feet and his Launce runne thorow the throat of it with the fiercenesse he useth to be painted with all the Images seemed to bee of pure gold And Don-Quixote seeing it said This Knight was one of the best Errants that the divine War-fare had his name was Saint George and he was a wonderfull defender of Damzels Let 's see this next The man discovered it and it seemed to see Saint Martin on Horse-back that divided his cloak with the poor man and Don-Quixote no sooner saw it but he said This Knight also was one of our Christian Adventâ—rers and I beleeve he was more liberall then valiant as thou mayest see Sancho by his dividing his cloak and giving the poor man half and doubtlesse it was then Winter for had it been Summer he would have given him all he was so charitable Not so quoth Sancho but he stuck to the Proverb To give and to have doth a brain crave Don-Quixote laughed and desired them to take away another peece of linnen under which was the Image of the Patron of Spain on Horse-back his sword bloodied trampling on Moors and treading on heads and Don-Quixote seeing it said I marry Sir here 's a Knight indeed one of Christs Squadrons this is called Don-Saint Diego Moorkiller one of the Valientest Saints and Knights in the world then or in heaven now Then they discovered another peece which shewed Saint Paul his falling from his Horse with all the circumstances usually painted in the Table of his Conversion when hee saw him so lively as if you would say Christ were then speaking to him and Paul answering hee said This was the greatest enemie that the Church of God had in a long time and the greatest Defender that ever it shall have a Knight Errant in his life time and a quiet Saint in his death a restless Laboror in the Vineyard of the Lord a Doctor of Nations whose School was Heaven and Christ himself his Reader and Instructer Now there were no more Images and so Don-Quixote commanded them to cover them again and said to those that carried them I hold it for a propitious signe Brethen to have seen what I have seen for those Saints and Knights were of my Profession which is to exercise Armes onely the difference between them and me is that they were Saints and fought Divinely I am a sinner and fight humanely They conquer'd heaven by force of their Armes for heaven suffers force and hitherto I know not what I conquer by the force of my sufferings but if my Dulcinea del Toboso be once free from hers my Fortune bettering it self and my judgement repaired perhaps I might take a better course then I doe God grant and Sin be deaf quoth Sancho straight The men wondred as well at Don-Quixotes shape as at his discourse and understood not one half what it meant They ended their dinner and got up their Images and taking leave of Don-Quixote they went on their way Sancho admired afresh as if hee had never known his Master at his knowledge thinking there was no Historyin the world or Accident that hee had not ciphered upon his nayle and nayled in his memory and said Truly Master mine if this that hath befaln us to day may be called an Adventure it hath been one of the most delicious sweetest that in all our peregrination hath befaln us for wee are come out of it without blows or affrightment or laying hands to our swords or without beating the earth with our bodies or being hungry God be thanked that hee hath let me see this with these eyes of mine Thou sayest well Sancho quoth Don-Quixote but thou must know the times are not alwaies alike nor run on in one fashion and that which the vulgar commonly call Bodings which are not grounded upon any naturall reason ought to bee held and reputed and judged by a wise man for good luck One of your Wizards riseth in a morning goes out of his house meets with a Frier of the blessed Order of S. Francis and as if hee had met with a Griffin turns his back and runs home again Tother Mendoza hee spils the salt on the Table and straight hath a melancholy sprinkled all over his heart as if Nature were bound to shew signes of ensuing mischances with things of so small moment as the aforesaid The discreet Christians ought not to stand upon points or to look into the doings of Heaven Scipio comes into Africa and leaping on shore hee stumbles his Souldiers hold it for an ill signe but hee embracing the ground said Thou canst not flye from me Africa for I have fast hold on thee in mine Armes So that Sancho the meeting with these Images hath been a most happie successe to mee I beleeve you quoth Sancho and pray tell me the cause why wee Spainiards cry Saint Iaques and shut Spain is Spain open troe so that it needed bee shut or what ceremonie is this Thou art most simple Sancho quoth Don-Quixote and look This Grand Knight with the red Crosse God hath given him to Spain for a Patron and Protector especially in the hard conflicts that the Moors and wee had together and therefore they invoke and call on him as their Protector in all their battels they give and many times they have visibly seen him in them overthrowing trampling destroying and killing Agaren Squadrons Many examples could I produce to confirm this out of the true Spanish Histories Sancho changed his discourse and said to his Master Sir I doe wonder at the loosnesse of Altisidora the Duchesses Damzell that same fellow called Love hath bravely wounded and runne her thorow they say hee is a little blinde boy that though hee bee blearâ— ey'd or to say truer blinde takes the least heart for his mark and hits it and pierceth it with his Flight from one side to the other I have also heard say that in the modesty and warinesse of Damzells his amorous Arrows are headlesse and dull but in this Altisidora it seems they are rather whetted then dull Look you Sancho quoth Don-Quixote Love hath no respect or limit in his dealing and hath the same condition with Death that as well sets upon the high Palaces of Kings as the low Cottages of Sheepheards and when he takes entire possession of a soul the first thing hee does is to banish shame without which Altisidora declared her desires that rather engendred in my brest confusion then pitty Notable cruelty quoth Sancho unheard of thanklesnesseâ— I know for my part that the least amorous reason of hers would have humbled and made me her Vassall ah whoreson what a heart of marble entrails of brasse and soul of rough-cast had you but I cannot imagine what this Damzel saw in you
Frigot of Argiers Pirates And now the three other Gallies came to their Admirall to know what they should doe The Generall commanded that two of them should lanch to the Sea and hee with the other would goe betwixt Land and Land that so the Vessell might not escape them The Slaves rowed hard and so furiously drave on the Gallies as if they had flown and those that lanched first into the Sea about two miles off discovered a Vessell which in sight they marked to have about a fourteen or fifteen Oares as it fell out to bee true which Vessell when shee discovered the Gallies shee put her self in chase hoping by her swiftnesse to scape but it prevailed nothing for the Admirall Gally was one of the swiftest Vessells that sayled in the Sea and so got of the other so much that they in the Frigot plainly saw that they could not escape and so the Master of her would have had them forsaken their Oares and yeelded for fear of offending our Generall but fate that would have it otherwise so disposed the matter that as the Admirall came on so nigh that they in the Barke might heare a cry from the Gally that they should yeeld two Toraquis that is two drunken Turks that were in the Frigot with twelve others discharged two Calievers with which they killed two Souldiers that stood abaft our Gally Which when our Generall saw hee vowed not to leave a man alive in the Vessell and comming in great fury to grapple with her shee escaped under the Gallies Oares the Gally passed forward a pretty way they in the Vessell saw themselves gone and began to set sail and to fly afresh as they saw the Gally comming on them but their industry did them not so much good as their presumption hurt for the Admirall overtaking them within one half mile clapped his Oares in the Vessell and so took her and every man alive in her By this the two other Gallies came and all four returned to the Wharf with their Prize where a world of People expected them desirous to see what they brought the Generall cast Anchor neer land and perceived that the Vice-Roy of the City was on the shore hee commanded that a Cock-boat should bee lanched to bring him and that they should strike the Main yard to hang presently the Master of the Frigot and the rest of the Turks that they had taken in her which were about six and thirty persons all goodly men and most of them Turkish shot The Generall asked who was Master of the Barke and answer was made him by one of the Captives in Spanish who appeared after to be a Runagate Spainiard This Youth you see here is our Master and he shewed him one of the goodliest comly Youths that could bee deciphered by humane imagination He was not to see to above twenty yeers of age The Generall asked Tell mee ill-advised Dogg what moved thee to kill my Souldiers since thou sawst it was impossible for to escape is this the respect due to Admiralls Knowest not thou that rashnesse is not valour doubtfull hopes may make men bold but not desperate The Master would have replyed but the Generall could not as yet give him the hearing by reason of his going to welcome the Vice-roy aboord who entred now the Gally with some servants of his and others of the City You have had a pretty chase on 't my Lord Generall said the Vice-roy So pretty said the Generall that your excellency shall see it hanged up at the Main-yard How so quoth the Vice-roy Why they have killed me said he against all Law of Arms Reason or Custome of Warrs two of the best Souldiers I had in my Gallies I have sworn to hang them all especially this Youth the Master of the Frigot and hee shewed him one that had his hands bound and the halter about his neck expecting his death The Vice-roy beheld him and seeing him so comely handsome and humble withall his beauty giving him in that instant as it were a Letter of recommendation the Vice-roy had a minde to save him and therefore asked Tell me Master Art thou a Turk born or a Moor or a Runagate To which the Youth answered him in his own language Neither of all Why what art thou quoth the Vice-roy A Christian woman said the young man A Woman and a Christian in this habit in these employments a thing rather to be wondred at then believed My Lords I beseech you quoth the Youth let my execution bee a little deferred whilest I recount my life What heart so hard that would not bee softned with that reason at least to heare the sad and grieved Youth to tell his story The Generall bade him proceed but that there was no hope for him of pardon for his notorious offence So the Youth began in this manner Of that Linage more unhappie then wise on which a Sea of misfortunes in these latter times have rained am I born of Moriscan Parents and in the current of their misery was carried by two of my Uncles into Barbary it nothing availing me to say I was a Christian as I am indeed and not seeming so as many of us but truly Catholike but this truth prevailed nothing with the Officers that had charge given them to look to our banishment neither would my Uncles believe I was a Christian but that it was a trick of mine to stay in my native Country and so rather forcibly then by my consent they carried me with them My Mother was a Christian and my Father discreet and so likewise I sucked the Catholike Faith in my Milk I was well brought up and neither in my language or fashion made shew to bee a Morisca With these Virtues my beauty if so bee I have any increased also and though my restraint and retirement was great yet it was not such but that a young Gentleman called Don Gasper Gregorio had gotten a sight of me This Gentleman was Sonne and Heir to a Knight that lived neer to our Town hee saw me and we had some speech and seeing himself lost to me but I not won by him 't were large to sell especially fearing that as I am speaking this halter must throttle me yet I say that Don Gregorio would needs accompanie me in my banishment and so mingling himself with Moriscos that came out of other places for hee understood the language well in our Voyage hee got acquainted with my two Uncles that went with me for my Father wisely when hee heard the Edict of our banishment went out of our Town and went to seek some place in a Forraign Country where wee might be entertained and hee left many Pearls precious Stones and some money in double Pistolets hidden in a secret place which I only know of but hee commanded me by no means to meddle with it if wee were banish'd before his return I did so and with my Unkles and others of our Kindred passed into
grant it said Sancho and let sinne bee deaf for I have alwaies heard that a good hope is better then a bad possession In this discourse they were when as Don-Antonio entred with shews of great content saying My reward Signior Don-Quixote for the news I bring for Don Gregorio and the Runnagate Spainiard with him are upon the Wharf the Wharf quoth I in the Vice-roys house and will bee here presently Don-Quixote was somewhat revived and said Truly I was about to have said I would it had been otherwise that I might have gone into Barbary and with the strength and vigor of this Arme not only have given liberty to Don Gregorio but to all the Christian Captives in Barbary But what say I wretch that I am Am not I vanquished Am not I overthrown Am not I hee that must not touch Armes this twelve moneths What then doe I promising Why doe I praise my self since it were fitter for me to use a Distaff then a Sword No more of that Sir said Sancho a man is a man though hee have but a hose on his head To day for thee and to morrow for me and for these thumps and encounters there is no heed to bee taken for hee that falls to day may rise to morrow except it bee that hee mean to lye a-bed I mean to dismay and not take heart to fresh skirmishes and therefore raise you your self now to welcome Don Gregorio for me thinks the people of the house are in an uproar and by this hee is come and hee said true for Don Gregorio having given the Vice-roy account of his going and comming desirous to see Ana Felix he came with the Runnagate to Don Antonio's house and though Don Gregorio when they brought him out of Argiers were in a womans habit yet by the way in the Boat he changed it with a Captive that came with him but whatsoever habit hee had been in hee would have seemed a personage worthy to bee coveted sought after and served for hee was extraordinary comely and about some seventeen or eighteen yeers of age Ricote and his Daughter went out to welcome him the Father with tears and the Daughter with honesty They did not embrace each other for where there is Love there is never much loosenesse The two joynt Beauties of Don Gregorio and Ana Felix astonished all the by-standers Silence there spoke for the two Lovers and their eyes were tongues that discovered their joyfull but honest thoughts The Runagate told them the means and slight hee had used to get Don Gregorio away Don Gregorio told his dangers and straits hee was put to amongst the women with whom hee remained not in tedions manner but with much brevity where hee shewed that his discretion was above his yeers Finally Ricote paid and royally satisfied as well the Runagate as those that had rowed with him The Runagate was reduc't and re-encorporated with the Church and of a rotten member became clean and sound by penance and repentance Some two dayes after the Vice-roy treated with Don Antonio about means that Ricote and his Daughter might remain in Spain thinking it to bee no inconvenience that so Christianly a Father and a Daughter should remain and to see too so well intentionated Don Antonio offered to negotiate it amongst other businesse for which hee was to goe to the Court of necessitie letting them know that there by favour and bribes many difficult matters are ended There is no trust in favours or bribes said Ricote then present for with the Grand Don Bernardine de Volasco Counte Salazar to whom his Majestie hath given in charge our expulsion neither entreaties promises bribes or compassion can prevail for though true it bee that he mixeth his Justice with Mercy yet because hee sees the whole body of our Nation is putrid and contaminated hee useth rather cauterizing that burns it then oyntment that softens it and so with prudence skill diligence and terror hee hath born upon his strong shoulders and brought to due execution the waight of this great Machine our industries tricks slights and frauds not being able to blinde his watchfull eyes of Argus which wake continually to the end that none of ours may remain that like a hidden root may in time sprout up and scatter venemous fruit throughout all Spain now cleansed and free from the fear into which their multitude put her a heroick resolution of the Grand Philip the third and unheard of wisedome to have committed it to Don Bernardino and Velasco Well when I come thither said Don Antonio I will use the best means I can and let Heaven dispose what shall bee fittest Don Gregorio shall goe with me to comfort the affliction of his Parents for his absence Ana Felix shall stay with my Wife here or in a Monastery and I know the Vice-roy will bee glad to have honest Ricote stay with him till hee sees how I can negotiate The Vice-roy yeelded to all that was proposed but Don Gregorio knowing what passed said that by no means hee could or would leave Ana Felix but intending to see his friends and to contrive how hee might return for her at length hee agreed Ana Felix remained with Don Antonio's Wife and Ricote in the Vice-roy his house The time came that Don Antonio was to depart and Don-Quixote and Sancho which was some two dayes after for Don-Quixotes fall would not suffer him to travell sooner When Don Gregorio parted from Ana Felix all was tears swounding sighs and sobs Ricote offered Don Gregorio a thousand Crowns but hee refused them and borrowed only five of Don Antonio to pay him at the Court again With this they both departed and Don-Quixote and Sancho next as hath been said Don-Quixote disarmed and Sancho on foot because Dapple was laden with the Armour CHAP. LXVI That treats of what the Reader shall see and he that hearkens heare AS they went out of Barselona Don-Quixote beheld the place where he had his fall and said Hic Troja fuit here was my ill fortune and not my cowardize that bereaved mee of my former gotten glorie here Fortune used her turns and returns with me here my exploits were darkned and finally my fortune fell never to rise again Which Sancho hearing said Signior mine 'T is as proper to great Spirits to bee patient in adversitie as joâ—und in prosperity and this I take from my self for if when I my self being a Governour was merry now that I am a poor Squire on foot I am not sad For I have heard say that she you call up and down Fortune is a drunken longing woman and withall blinde and so shee sees not what shee doth neither knows whom shee casts down or whom shee raiseth up Sancho quoth Don-Quixote thou art very Philosophicall thou speak'st marvellous wisely I know not who hath taught thee All I can tell thee is that in the world there is no such thing as Fortune neither doe things that happen in it good or
may call himself Niculoso as the ancient Boscan called himselfe Nemoroso Alluding to the word Bosque for a Wood. I know not what name wee should bestow upon the Vicar except it were some derivative from his own calling him the Sheepheard Curiambro The Sheepheardesses on whom wee must bee enamoured wee may chuse their names as amongst Peares and since my Ladies name serves as well for a Sheepheardesse as for a Princesse I need not trouble my selfe to get her another better give thou thine what name thou wilt Mine said Sancho shall have no other name but Teresona which will fit her fatnesse well and it is taken from her Christian name which is Teresa and the rather I celebrating her in my verses doe discover my chaste thoughts since I seeke not in other mens houses better bread then is made of Wheat 't were not fit that the Vicar had his sheepheardesse to give good example but if the Bachelor will have any 't is in his owne free choice Lord blesse mee Sancho said Don-Quixote and what a life shall wee have on ' t What a world of Horne-pipes and Zamora Bag-pipes shall wee heare What Tabouring shall wee have What janggling of Bells and playing on the Rebocke And if to these different Musicks wee have the Albogne too wee shall have all kinde of pastorall instruments What is Albogne quoth Sancho It is said Don-Quixote a certaine plate made like a Candlesticke and being hollow gives if not a very pleasing or harmonious sound yet it displeaseth not altogether and agrees well with the rusticke Tabor and Bag-pipe and this word Albogne is Moorish as all those in our Castilian tongue are that begin with Al to wit Almoasa Almorzar Alhombra Alguazil Alucena Almazon Alsancia and the like with some few more and our language hath onely three Moorish words that end in I which are Borcegni Zaguicami and Meravedi Albeli and Alfaqui are as well knowne to bee Arabick by their beginning with Al as their ending in I. This I have told thee by the way the word Albogne having brought it into my head and one maine help we shall have for the perfection of this calling that I thou knowest am somewhat Poeticall and the Bachelor Samson Carrasco is a most exquisit one for the Vicar I say nothing but I lay a wager hee hath his smacke and so hath Master Nicolas too for all these or the most of them play upon a Gittern and are Rimers I will complain of absence thou shalt praise thy selfe for a constant Lover the Sheepheard Carrascon shell mourn for being disdain'd and let the Vicar Curiambro doe what hee pleaseth and so there is no more to bee desired To which said Sancho Sir I am so unlucky that I feare I shall not see the day in which I may see my selfe in that happy life oh what neat Spoones shall I make when I am Sheepheard What Hodg-potches and Creame What Garlands and other pastorall trumperies that though they get mee not a fame of being wise yeâ— they shall that I am witty My little Daughter Sanchica shall bring our dinner to the Flock but soft she is handsome and you have Sheepheards more Knaves then Fooles and I would not have her come for Wooll and returne shorn and your loose desires are as incident to the fields as to Citties and as well in Sheepheards Cotages as Princes Palaces and the cause being removed the sin will bee saved and the heart dreames not of what the eye sees not and better a fair pair of Heels then die at the Gallows No more Proverbs Sancho said Don-Quixote since each of these is enough to make us know thy meaning and I have often advised thee not to bee so prodigall of thy Proverbs but more sparing but 't is in vaine to bid thee for the more thou art bid the more thou wilt doe it Mee thinkes Sir said Sancho you are like what is said that the Frying-pan said to the Kettle Avant Blacke-browes you reprehend mee for speaking of Proverbs and you thred up yours by two and two Look you Sancho quoth Don-Quixote I use mine to purpose and when I speak them they fit as well as a little Ring to the Finger but thou bringest in thine so by head and shoulders that thou rather draggest then guidest them and if I forget not I told thee heretofore that Proverbs are briefe sentences drawne from the experience and speculation of our Anâ—ient Sages and a Proverb ill applyed is rather a foppery then a sentence but leave we this now and since night comes on us let 's retire a little out of the High-way where wee will passe this night and God knowes what may befall us to Morrow So they retired and made a short supper much against Sancho's will who now began to thinke of the hard life of Knight Errantry in Woods and Mountaines especially calling to his remembrance the Castles and houses as well of Don Diego de Miranda and where the rich Camacho's marriage wasâ— and likewise Don Antonio Moreno's but hee considered with himselfe that nothing could last ever and so he slept away the rest of that night which his Master passed watching CHAP. LXVIII Of the Bristled Adventure that befell Don-Quixote THe night was somewhat darke though the Moon were up but shee was obscured for sometimes my Lady Diana goes to walke with the Antipodes and leaves the Mountaines black and the Vallies darkened Don-Quixote complied with Nature having slept his first sleep hee broke off his second contrary to Sancho for his lasted from night till morning a â—â—gne of his good complexion and few cares These kept Don-Quixote waking in such sort that hee awakned Sancho and said to him I wonder Sancho at thy free condition I imagine thou art made of Marble or of hard Brasse which neitheir moves or hath any feeling I wake when thou sleepest I weepe when thou singest I am ready to faint with fasting when thou art lazy and unweidly with pure cramming in 't were the part of good Servants to have a fellow-feeling of their Masters griefs if it were but for decency behold this nights brightnesse and the solitude wee are in which invites us to intermingle some watching with sleepe rise by thy life and get thee a little apart and with a good courage and thankfull cheer give thy self three or four hundreth lashes upon account for Dulcinea's disenchanting and this I intreat of thee for I will not now as heretofore come to handy-gripes with thee for I know thou hast shrewd Clutches and after thou hast done wee will passe the rest of the night I chanting my absence and thou thy constancy beginning from henceforward our Pastorall exercise which wee are to keep in our Village Sir said Sancho I am of no Religious Order that I should rise out of the midest of my sleep to discipline my self neither doe I think it possible that from the pain of my whipping I may proceed to Musick Pray Sir let
the revenger of outrages the Tutor of Infants the Gardian of Orphanes the Rampire of Fortresâ—e of Widdows the Defender of Damzels and Maidens hee who hath for his only Mistris the matchlesse Dulcinea del Toboso is the very same Lord whom you see here present and who is my good Master All other Don-Quixote and all other Sancho Panca's are but dreams fopperies and fables Now by my Holydam I beleeve as much answered Don Alvaro for in those few words by you even now uttered you have shewed more grace then ever did the other Sancho Panca in all the long and tatling discourses that I have heard come from him He savoured more of the Gormand then of a well-spoken man more of a Coxcombe then of a pleasant Without doubt I beleeve that the Enchanters which persecute the good Don-Quixote have also gone about to persecute me in making me to know the other Don Quixote who is of no worth or merit at all Neverthelesse I wot not well what to say of it since I durst swear that I left him at Toledo in the Nuncio his house to the end he might bee cured and healed and behold here another Don Quixote but far different from mine As for me quoth Don Quixote I know not whether I bee good or no but well I wot I am not the bad And for a manifest tryall of my saying my Lord Don Alvaro Tarfe if you please you shall understand that in all my life-time I was never at Saragosa And having of late understood that the imaginary Don Quixote had been present at the Turnaments and Tiltings in that City I would by no means come or goe into it that in view of all the world I might manifest his false Tale Which was the reason that I went strait vnto Barselona the treasury or store-house of all Courtesie the retreat and refuge of all Strangers the relieving harborough of the poor and needy the native home of valourous men where such as be wronged or offended are avenged and where true friendships are reciprocall and in summe a City that hath no peer bee it either for beauty or for the fair situation of it And albeit what hath befaln me bring me no great content I doe notwithstanding somewhat allay the grief with the pleasure which by the sight thereof I have received and felt To conclude my Lord Don Alvaro Tarfe I am Don Quixote de la Mancha and the very same man of whom Fame speaketh and not hee that unhappy wretch who to honour himself with my Designes hath gone about to usurp my name In the mean while I humbly beseech you by the profession which you make to bee a Noble Knight that before the ordinary Judge of this place you will bee pleased to make mee a Declaration and Certificate how so long as you have lived even untill this present houre you never saw me that I am not the said Don-Quixote imprinted in this second part And likewise That this Sancho Panca my Squire is not hee whom you heretofore have known I shall doe it with all my heart quoth the Knight Don Alvaro although I bee very much amazed to see two Don Quixotes and behold two Sancho's at one very instant so conformable in name and so different in actions But I tell you again and again and I assuredly beleeve that I have not viewed what I have seen and that what hath hapned unto me concerning this subject hath not befaln at all Without doubt my Lord then said Sancho it is very likely that you are Enchanted even as my Ladie Dulcinea del Toboso is would to God that your dis-enchanting might bee brought to passe with giving other three thousand and odd whip lashes as I doe for her I would most willingly give them unto my self without any interest at all I know not what you mean quoth Don Alvaro by these whip-lashes To whom Sancho said it would be too long a discourse to relate but yet hee would make him acquainted with the whole story if peradventure they should both travell one same way By this time the hour of dinner was at hand and they fed and ate together At the very same time the Judge of the place came into the Inne attended on by a Clerk or Notary whom Don Quixote required that hee would take a Certificat or declaration which this Knight Don Alvaro Tarfe would declare unto him for so much as it did highly concern his honour and reputation Now the Tenor of the Declaration was that the said Gentleman did in no sort know Don-Quixote who was there present and that hee was not the man whose name they had lately imprinted in an History entituled The second part of Don-Quixote de la Mancha composed by Abellaneda born at Tordesillas To conclude the Judge ingrossed all according to the form of Law The Declaration was made in form and manner as all Notaries are accustomed to bee in such and the like cases By which means Don-Quixote and Sancho rested very glad and well appaid as if such a Declaration had been of very great moment and consequence unto them and as if their actions and speeches had not apparently shewed the difference and odds that was between the two Don-Quixotes and the two Sancho's Divers complements anâ— many offices and offers of courtesie did mutually enterpasse between Don Alvaro and Don-Quixote wherein our heroik Knight de la Mancha declared so much wisedome and such discretion that he resolved Don Alvaro of the doubt wherein he was for hee perswaded himself that hee was Enchanted since with his own hands he felt and touched two Don-Quixotes so different and contrary one to another Mid-day being past and the heat allayed they departed from that place all together They had not gone above half a league but they met with two severall paths the one led to Don-Quixotes Village and the other to the place where Don Alvaro was going During which little space Don-Quixote related at large unto him the disaster of his over-throw the enchantment and the remedy of Dulcinia All which things bred and caused a new admiration in the minde of Don Alvaro who kept on his way and Don-Quixote his Our Knight passed that night among the Trees to the end hee might give Sancho means and leisure to fulfill his penance which hee accomplished even as hee had done the fore-passed night more at the charges of the hedges shrubs and trees there growing then of his back and shoulders For hee kept them so safe and well that the lashes which hee gave himself would not have caused a fly to stir had shee taken up her stand there Don-Quixote thus abused lost not one stroke with mis-reckoning and found that those of the foregoing night joyned unto these were just the summe of three thousand nine and twenty It seemed the Sunne rose that morning earlier then his wont to behold this sacrifice and they perceiving that it was bright day went on their Journey discoursing of
this deplored and my kinsfolke condoled them being very little able with their wealth to redresse them for the goods of fortune are but of small vertue to remedie the disasters of Heaven There dwelt in the same Citie a Heaven wherein love had placed all the glorie that I could desire so great is the beauty of Luscinda a damzel as noble and rich as I but more fortunate and lesse constant then my honourable desires expected I loved honoured and adored this Luscinda almost from my very infancy and shee affected mee likewise with all the integritie and good will which with her so young yeeres did accord Our parents knew our mutuall amitie for which they were nothing agrieved perceiving very well that although wee continued it yet could it have none other end but that of Matrimonie a thing which the equalitie of our blood and substance did of it selfe almost invite us to Our age and affection increased in such sort as it seemed fit for Luscinda's father for certaine good respects to deny mee the entrance of his house any longer imitating in a manner therein Tisbi so much solemnized by the Poets her parents which hindrance served only to add flame to flame and desire to desire for although it set silence to our tongues yet would they not impose it to our Pens which are wont to expresse to whom it pleased the most hidden secrecies of our souls with more libertie then the tongue for the presence of the beloved doth often distract trouble and strike dumb the boldest tongue and firmest resolution O Heavens how many Letters have I written unto her What cheerfull and honest answers have I received How many Ditties and amorous Verses have I composed wherein my soul declared and published her passions declined her inflamed desires entertained her remembrance and recreated her will In effect perceiving my self to be forced and that my soul consumed with a perpetuall desire to behold her I resolved to put my desires in execution and finish in an instant that which I deemed most expedient for the better atchieving of my desired and deserved reward which was as I did indeed to demaund her of her father for my lawfull Spouse To which he made answer That he ' did gratifie the good will which I shewed by honouring him and desire to honour my self with pawns that were his But seeing my Father yet lived the motion of that matter properly most concerned him For if it were not done with his good liking and pleasure Luscinda was not a woman to be taken or given by stealth I rendred him thanks for his good will his words seeming unto me very reasonable as that my father should agree unto them as soon as I should explain the matter and therefore departed presently to acquaint him with my desires who at the time which I entred into a chamber wherein he was stood with a letter open in his hand and espying me e're I could break my minde unto him gave it me saying By that Letter Cardenio you may gather the desire that Duke Ricardo bears to doe you any pleasure or favour This Duke Ricardo as I think you know Sirs already is a Grandee of Spain whose Dukedome is seated in the best part of all Andaluzia I took the Letter and read it which appeared so urgent as I my self accounted it would be ill done if my father did not accomplish the contents thereof which were indeed that he should presently addresse me to his Court to the end I might be companion and not servant to his eldest sonne and that hee would incharge himself with the advancing of me to such preferments as might be answerable unto the value and estimation hee made of my person I past over the whole Letter and was strucken dumb at the reading thereof but chiefly hearing my Father to say Cardenio thou must depart within two dayes to accomplish the Dukes desire and omit not to render Almighty God thanks which doth thus open the way by which thou mayest attain in fine to that which I know thou doest merit And to these words added certain others of Fatherly counsell and direction The term of my departure arrived and I spoke to my Luscinda on a certain night and recounted unto her all that passed and likewise to her father intreating him to overslip a few dayes and defer the bestowing of his daughter else-where untill I went to understand Duke Ricardo his will which he promised me and shee confirmed it with a thousand oaths and promises Finally I came to Duke Ricardo's Court and was so friendly received and entertained by him as even very then envie began to exercise her accustomed Function being forthwith emulated by the ancient Servitors perswading themselves that the tokens the Duke shewed to doe me favours could not but turn to their prejudice But hee that rejoyced most at mine arrivall was a second sonne of the Dukes called Fernando who was young gallant very comely liberall and amorous who within a while after my coming held me so deerly as every one wondred thereat And though the elder loved me well and did me favour yet was it in no respect comparable to that wherewithall Don Fernando loved and treated me It therefore befell that as there is no secresie amongst friends so great but they will communicate it the one to the other and the familiarity which I had with Don Fernando was now past the limits of favour and turned into dearest amitie He revealed unto me all his thoughts but chiefly one of his Love which did not a little molest him For he was enamoured on a Farmers daughter that was his Fathers Vassall whose parents were marvellous rich and shee her self so bautifull warie discret and honest as never a one that knew her could absolutely determine wherein or in which of all her perfections shee did most excell or was most accomplished And those good parts of the beautifull Countrey-maide reduced Don-Fernando his desires to such an exigent as hee resolved that hee might the better gaine her good will and conquer her integritie to passe her a promise of marriage for otherwise hee should labour to effect that which was impossible and but strive against the streame I as one bound thereunto by our friendship did thwart and disswade him from his purpose with the best reasons and most efficacious words I might and seeing all could not prevaile I determined to acquaint the Duke Ricardo his father therewithall But Don Fernando being very crafty and discreete suspected and feared as much because hee considered that in the law of a faithfull servant I was bound not to conceale a thing that would turne so much to the prejudice of the Duke my Lord and therefore both to divert and deceive mee at once that hee could finde no meanes so good to deface the remembrance of that beautie out of his minde which held his heart in such subjection then to absent himselfe for certaine moneths and hee would likewise
have that absence to be this That both of us should depart together and come to my fathers house under prettence as he would informe the Duke that he went to see and cheapâ—n certain great horses that were in the City wherein I was borne a place of breeding the best horses in the world Scarce had I heard him say this when borne away by the naturall propension each one hath to his Countrey and my love joyn'd although his designment had not been so good yet would I have ratified it as one of the most expedient that could be imagined because I saw occasion and oportunity so fairly offered to return and see again my Luscinda And thereof set on by this thought and desire I approved his opinion and did quicken his purpose perswading him to prosecute it with all possible speed for absence would in the end work her effect in despight of the most forcible and urgent thoughts And when he said this to me he had already under the title of a husband as it was afterward known reaped the fruits of his longed desires from his beautifull Countrâ—y-Maid and did only await an oportunity to reveal it without his own detriment fearfull of the Duke his fathers indignation when he should understand his erroâ—r It afterward hapned that as love in young men is not for the most part Love but last the which as it ever proposeth to it self as his last end and period is delight so as soon as it obteineth the same it likewise decayeth and maketh forcibly to retire that which was tearmed Love for it cannot transgresse the limits which Nature hath assigned it which boundings are meares Nature hath in no wise allotted to true and sincere affection I would say that as soon as Don Fernando had injoyed his Countrey-Lasse his desires weakned and his importunities waxed cold and if at the first he â—eigned an excuse to absent himself that he might with more facility compasse them he did now in very good earnest procure to depart to the end hee might not put them in execution The Duke gave him licence to depart and commanded me to accompany him Wee came to my Citie where my Father entertained him according 〈◊〉 talling I saw Luscinda and then again were reviv'd although indeed they were neither dead nor mortified my desires and acquainted Don Fernando alas to my totall ruine with them because I thought it was not lawfull by the law of amity to keep any thing concealed from him There I dilated to him on the Beauty Wit and Discretion of Luscinda in so ample manner as my prayses stirred in him a desire to view a Damzell so greatly adorned and inriched with so rare endowments And this his desire I through my misfortune satisfied shewing her unto him by the light of a candle at a window where wee two were wont to paâ—le together where he beheld her to bee such as was sufficient to blot out of his memory all the beauties which ever hee had viewed before Hee stood mute beside himself and ravished and moreover rested so greatly enamoured as you may perceive in the discourse of this my doâ—efull narration And to inflame his desires the more a thing which I fearfully avoyded and only discovered to heaven fortune so disposed that hee found after me one of her Letters wherein she requested that I would demand her of her father for wife which was so discreete honest and amorously penned as he said after reading it that in Luscinda alone were included all the graces of Beauty and Understanding joyntly which were divided and separate in all the other women of the world Yet in good sooth I will here confesse the truth that although I saw cleerely how deservedly Luscinda was thus extold by Don Fernando yet did not her prayses please mee so much pronounced by him and therefore began to feare and suspect him because he let no moment overslip us without making some mention of Luscinda and would still himselfe begin the Discourse were the occasion ever so far fetched a thing which rowsed in mee I cannot tell what jealousie not that I did feare any traverse in Luscindaes loyalty but yet for all my Fates made mee the very thing which they most assured mee and Don Fernando procured to read all the papers I sent to Luscinda or shee to mee under pretext that hee tooke extraordinary delight to note the witty conceits of us both It therefore fell out that Luscinda having demanded of mee a booke of Chivalry to read wherein shee took marveilous delight and was that of Amadis du Gaule Scarce had Don-Quixote well heard him make mention of bookes of Knighthood when hee replyed to him If you had good sir but once told mee at the beginning of your historicall narration that your Lady Luscinda was affected to the reading of Knightly Adventures you needed not to have used any amplification to indeer or make plaine unto mee the eminencie of her wit which certainly could not in any wise bee so excellent and perspicuous as you have figured it if shee wanted the propension and feeling you have rehearsed to the perusing of so pleasing discourses so that henceforth with mee you neede not spend any more words to explane and manifest the height of her beauty worths and understanding for by this only notice I have received of her devotion to bookes of Knighthood I doe confirme her for the most faire and accomplished woman for all perfections in the world and I would to God good Sir that you had also sent her together with Amadis the Histories of the good Don Rugel of Grecia for I am certaine the Lady Luscinda would have taken great delight in Darayda and Garaya and in the witty conceits of the Sheepheard Darinel and in those admirable verses of his Bucolicks sung and rehearsed by him with such grace discretion and libertie But a time may come wherein this fault may bee recompenced if it shall please you to come with mee to my Village for there I may give you three hundred Bookes which are my Soules greatest contentment and the entertainment of my life although I doe now verily beleeve that none of them are left thanks bee to the malice of evill and envious Enchanters And I beseech you to pardon me this transgression of our agreement at the first promised not to interrupt your Discourses for when I heare any motion made of Chivalry or Knights Errant it is no more in my power to omit to speake of them then in the Sunne-beames to leave off warming or in the Moones to render things humid And therefore I intreate pardon and that you will prosecute your History as that which most imports us Whilest Don-Quixotes spoke those words Cardenio hanged his head on his breast giving manifest tokens that hee was exceeding sad And although Don-Quixote requested him twice to follow on with his Discourse yet neither did he lift up his head or answere a word till at last after hee