don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第116节

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bestows　on　all　sort　of　books；　as　prince　so　inclined　to　favor　good
arts；　chiefly　those　who　by　their　nobleness　do　not　submit　to　the
service　and　bribery　of　the　vulgar；　I　have　determined　bringing　to　light
The　Ingenious　Gentleman　Don　Quixote　of　la　Mancha；　in　shelter　of　Your
Excellency's　glamorous　name；　to　whom；　with　the　obeisance　I　owe　to　such
grandeur；　I　pray　to　receive　it　agreeably　under　his　protection；　so　that
in　this　shadow；　though　deprived　of　that　precious　ornament　of
elegance　and　erudition　that　clothe　the　works　composed　in　the　houses　of
those　who　know；　it　dares　appear　with　assurance　in　the　judgment　of　some
who；　trespassing　the　bounds　of　their　own　ignorance；　use　to　condemn
with　more　rigour　and　less　justice　the　writings　of　others。　It　is　my
earnest　hope　that　Your　Excellency's　good　counsel　in　regard　to　my
honourable　purpose；　will　not　disdain　the　littleness　of　so　humble　a
service。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Miguel　de　Cervantes
XFIR驗MZ　



　　CHAPTER　I
　　OF　THE　INTERVIEW　THE　CURATE　AND　THE　BARBER　HAD　WITH　DON　QUIXOTE
ABOUT　HIS　MALADY

　　CIDE　HAMETE　BENENGELI；　in　the　Second　Part　of　this　history；　and　third
sally　of　Don　Quixote；　says　that　the　curate　and　the　barber　remained
nearly　a　month　without　seeing　him；　lest　they　should　recall　or　bring
back　to　his　recollection　what　had　taken　place。　They　did　not；
however；　omit　to　visit　his　niece　and　housekeeper；　and　charge　them　to
be　careful　to　treat　him　with　attention；　and　give　him　comforting　things
to　eat；　and　such　as　were　good　for　the　heart　and　the　brain；　whence；
it　was　plain　to　see；　all　his　misfortune　proceeded。　The　niece　and
housekeeper　replied　that　they　did　so；　and　meant　to　do　so　with　all
possible　care　and　assiduity；　for　they　could　perceive　that　their　master
was　now　and　then　beginning　to　show　signs　of　being　in　his　right　mind。
This　gave　great　satisfaction　to　the　curate　and　the　barber；　for　they
concluded　they　had　taken　the　right　course　in　carrying　him　off
enchanted　on　the　ox…cart；　as　has　been　described　in　the　First　Part　of
this　great　as　well　as　accurate　history；　in　the　last　chapter　thereof。
So　they　resolved　to　pay　him　a　visit　and　test　the　improvement　in　his
condition；　although　they　thought　it　almost　impossible　that　there　could
be　any；　and　they　agreed　not　to　touch　upon　any　point　connected　with
knight…errantry　so　as　not　to　run　the　risk　of　reopening　wounds　which
were　still　so　tender。
　　They　came　to　see　him　consequently；　and　found　him　sitting　up　in　bed
in　a　green　baize　waistcoat　and　a　red　Toledo　cap；　and　so　withered　and
dried　up　that　he　looked　as　if　he　had　been　turned　into　a　mummy。　They
were　very　cordially　received　by　him；　they　asked　him　after　his
health；　and　he　talked　to　them　about　himself　very　naturally　and　in　very
well…chosen　language。　In　the　course　of　their　conversation　they　fell　to
discussing　what　they　call　State…craft　and　systems　of　government；
correcting　this　abuse　and　condemning　that；　reforming　one　practice
and　abolishing　another；　each　of　the　three　setting　up　for　a　new
legislator；　a　modern　Lycurgus；　or　a　brand…new　Solon；　and　so　completely
did　they　remodel　the　State；　that　they　seemed　to　have　thrust　it　into
a　furnace　and　taken　out　something　quite　different　from　what　they　had
put　in；　and　on　all　the　subjects　they　dealt　with；　Don　Quixote　spoke
with　such　good　sense　that　the　pair　of　examiners　were　fully　convinced
that　he　was　quite　recovered　and　in　his　full　senses。
　　The　niece　and　housekeeper　were　present　at　the　conversation　and　could
not　find　words　enough　to　express　their　thanks　to　God　at　seeing　their
master　so　clear　in　his　mind；　the　curate；　however；　changing　his
original　plan；　which　was　to　avoid　touching　upon　matters　of　chivalry；
resolved　to　test　Don　Quixote's　recovery　thoroughly；　and　see　whether　it
were　genuine　or　not；　and　so；　from　one　subject　to　another；　he　came　at
last　to　talk　of　the　news　that　had　come　from　the　capital；　and；　among
other　things；　he　said　it　was　considered　certain　that　the　Turk　was
coming　down　with　a　powerful　fleet；　and　that　no　one　knew　what　his
purpose　was；　or　when　the　great　storm　would　burst；　and　that　all
Christendom　was　in　apprehension　of　this；　which　almost　every　year　calls
us　to　arms；　and　that　his　Majesty　had　made　provision　for　the　security
of　the　coasts　of　Naples　and　Sicily　and　the　island　of　Malta。
　　To　this　Don　Quixote　replied；　〃His　Majesty　has　acted　like　a　prudent
warrior　in　providing　for　the　safety　of　his　realms　in　time；　so　that　the
enemy　may　not　find　him　unprepared；　but　if　my　advice　were　taken　I　would
recommend　him　to　adopt　a　measure　which　at　present；　no　doubt；　his
Majesty　is　very　far　from　thinking　of。〃
　　The　moment　the　curate　heard　this　he　said　to　himself；　〃God　keep
thee　in　his　hand；　poor　Don　Quixote；　for　it　seems　to　me　thou　art
precipitating　thyself　from　the　height　of　thy　madness　into　the　profound
abyss　of　thy　simplicity。〃
　　But　the　barber；　who　had　the　same　suspicion　as　the　curate；　asked
Don　Quixote　what　would　be　his　advice　as　to　the　measures　that　he　said
ought　to　be　adopted；　for　perhaps　it　might　prove　to　be　one　that　would
have　to　be　added　to　the　list　of　the　many　impertinent　suggestions
that　people　were　in　the　habit　of　offering　to　princes。
　　〃Mine；　master　shaver；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃will　not　be　impertinent；
but；　on　the　contrary；　pertinent。〃
　　〃I　don't　mean　that；〃　said　the　barber；　〃but　that　experience　has　shown
that　all　or　most　of　the　expedients　which　are　proposed　to　his　Majesty
are　either　impossible；　or　absurd；　or　injurious　to　the　King　and　to
the　kingdom。〃
　　〃Mine；　however；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃is　neither　impossible　nor
absurd；　but　the　easiest；　the　most　reasonable；　the　readiest　and　most
expeditious　that　could　suggest　itself　to　any　projector's　mind。〃
　　〃You　take　a　long　time　to　tell　it；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　the
curate。
　　〃I　don't　choose　to　tell　it　here；　now；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　have
it　reach　the　ears　of　the　lords　of　the　council　to…morrow　morning；　and
some　other　carry　off　the　thanks　and　rewards　of　my　trouble。〃
　　〃For　my　part；〃　said　the　barber；　〃I　give　my　word　here　and　before
God　that　I　will　not　repeat　what　your　worship　says；　to　King；　Rook　or
earthly　man…　an　oath　I　learned　from　the　ballad　of　the　curate；　who；
in　the　prelude；　told　the　king　of　the　thief　who　had　robbed　him　of　the
hundred　gold　crowns　and　his　pacing　mule。〃
　　〃I　am　not　versed　in　stories；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　know　the　oath
is　a　good　one；　because　I　know　the　barber　to　be　an　honest　fellow。〃
　　〃Even　if　he　were　not；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　will　go　bail　and　answer
for　him　that　in　this　matter　he　will　be　as　silent　as　a　dummy；　under
pain　of　paying　any　penalty　that　may　be　pronounced。〃
　　〃And　who　will　be　security　for　you；　senor　curate？〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃My　profession；〃　replied　the　curate；　〃which　is　to　keep　secrets。〃
　　〃Ods　body！〃　said　Don　Quixote　at　this；　〃what　more　has　his　Majesty
to　do　but　to　command；　by　public　proclamation；　all　the　knights…errant
that　are　scattered　over　Spain　to　assemble　on　a　fixed　day　in　the
capital；　for　even　if　no　more　than　half　a　dozen　come；　there　may　be
one　among　them　who　alone　will　suffice　to　destroy　the　entire　might　of
the　Turk。　Give　me　your　attention　and　follow　me。　Is　it；　pray；　any　new
thing　for　a　single　knight…errant　to　demolish　an　army　of　two　hundred
thousand　men；　as　if　they　all　had　but　one　throat　or　were　made　of
sugar　paste？　Nay；　tell　me；　how　many　histories　are　there　filled　with
these　marvels？　If　only　（in　an　evil　hour　for　me：　I　don't　speak　for
anyone　else）　the　famous　Don　Belianis　were　alive　now；　or　any　one　of　the
innumerable　progeny　of　Amadis　of　Gaul！　If　any　these　were　alive
today；　and　were　to　come　face　to　face　with　the　Turk；　by　my　faith；　I
would　not　give　much　for　the　Turk's　chance。　But　God　will　have　regard
for　his　people；　and　will　provide　some　one；　who；　if　not　so　valiant　as
the　knights…errant　of　yore；　at　least　will　not　be　inferior　to　them　in
spirit；　but　God　knows　what　I　mean；　and　I　say　no　more。〃
　　〃Alas！〃　exclaimed　the　niece　at　this；　〃may　I　die　if　my　master　does
not　want　to　turn　knight…errant　again；〃　to　which　Don　Quixote　replied；
〃A　knight…errant　I　shall　die；　and　let　the　Turk　come　down　or　go　up　when
he　likes；　and　in　as　strong　force　as　he　can；　once　more　I　say；　God　knows
what　I　mean。〃　But　here　the　barber　said；　〃I　ask　your　worships　to　give
me　leave　to　tell　a　short　story　of　something　that　happened　in
Seville；　which　comes　so　pat　to　the　purpose　just　now　that　I　should　like
greatly　to　tell　it。〃　Don　Quixote　gave　him　leave；　and　the　rest　prepared
to　listen；　and　he　began　thus：
　　〃In　the　madhouse　at　Seville　there　was　a　man　whom　his　relations　had
placed　there　as　being　out　of　his　mind。　He　was　a　graduate　of　Osuna　in
canon　law；　but　even　if　he　had　been　of　Salamanca；　it　was　the　opinion　of
most　people　that　he　would　have　been　mad　all　the　same。　This　graduate；
after　some　years　of　confinement；　took　it　into　his　head　that　he　was
sane　and　in　his　full　senses；　and　under　this　impression　wrote　to　the
Archbishop；　entreating　him　earnestly；　and　in　very　correct　language；　to
have　him　released　from　the　misery　in　which　he　was　living；　for　by　God's
mercy　he　had　now　recovered　his　lost　reason；　though　his　relations；　in
order　to　enjoy　his　property；　kept　him　there；　and；　in　spite　of　the
truth；　would　make　him　out　to　be　mad　until　his　dying　day。　The
Archbishop；　moved　by　repeated　s