don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第118节

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these；　I　would　have　to　carry　out　my　plan；　and　in　that　case　his　Majesty
would　find　himself　well　served　and　would　save　great　expense；　and　the
Turk　would　be　left　tearing　his　beard。　And　so　I　will　stay　where　I　am；
as　the　chaplain　does　not　take　me　away；　and　if　Jupiter；　as　the　barber
has　told　us；　will　not　send　rain；　here　am　I；　and　I　will　rain　when　I
please。　I　say　this　that　Master　Basin　may　know　that　I　understand　him。〃
　　〃Indeed；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　the　barber；　〃I　did　not　mean　it
in　that　way；　and；　so　help　me　God；　my　intention　was　good；　and　your
worship　ought　not　to　be　vexed。〃
　　〃As　to　whether　I　ought　to　be　vexed　or　not；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃I
myself　am　the　best　judge。〃
　　Hereupon　the　curate　observed；　〃I　have　hardly　said　a　word　as　yet；　and
I　would　gladly　be　relieved　of　a　doubt；　arising　from　what　Don　Quixote
has　said；　that　worries　and　works　my　conscience。〃
　　〃The　senor　curate　has　leave　for　more　than　that；〃　returned　Don
Quixote；　〃so　he　may　declare　his　doubt；　for　it　is　not　pleasant　to
have　a　doubt　on　one's　conscience。〃
　　〃Well　then；　with　that　permission；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　say　my
doubt　is　that；　all　I　can　do；　I　cannot　persuade　myself　that　the　whole
pack　of　knights…errant　you；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　have　mentioned；　were
really　and　truly　persons　of　flesh　and　blood；　that　ever　lived　in　the
world；　on　the　contrary；　I　suspect　it　to　be　all　fiction；　fable；　and
falsehood；　and　dreams　told　by　men　awakened　from　sleep；　or　rather　still
half　asleep。〃
　　〃That　is　another　mistake；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃into　which　many
have　fallen　who　do　not　believe　that　there　ever　were　such　knights　in
the　world；　and　I　have　often；　with　divers　people　and　on　divers
occasions；　tried　to　expose　this　almost　universal　error　to　the　light　of
truth。　Sometimes　I　have　not　been　successful　in　my　purpose；　sometimes　I
have；　supporting　it　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　truth；　which　truth　is　so
clear　that　I　can　almost　say　I　have　with　my　own　eyes　seen　Amadis　of
Gaul；　who　was　a　man　of　lofty　stature；　fair　complexion；　with　a　handsome
though　black　beard；　of　a　countenance　between　gentle　and　stern　in
expression；　sparing　of　words；　slow　to　anger；　and　quick　to　put　it
away　from　him；　and　as　I　have　depicted　Amadis；　so　I　could；　I　think；
portray　and　describe　all　the　knights…errant　that　are　in　all　the
histories　in　the　world；　for　by　the　perception　I　have　that　they　were
what　their　histories　describe；　and　by　the　deeds　they　did　and　the
dispositions　they　displayed；　it　is　possible；　with　the　aid　of　sound
philosophy；　to　deduce　their　features；　complexion；　and　stature。〃
　　〃How　big；　in　your　worship's　opinion；　may　the　giant　Morgante　have
been；　Senor　Don　Quixote？〃　asked　the　barber。
　　〃With　regard　to　giants；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃opinions　differ　as　to
whether　there　ever　were　any　or　not　in　the　world；　but　the　Holy
Scripture；　which　cannot　err　by　a　jot　from　the　truth；　shows　us　that
there　were；　when　it　gives　us　the　history　of　that　big　Philistine；
Goliath；　who　was　seven　cubits　and　a　half　in　height；　which　is　a　huge
size。　Likewise；　in　the　island　of　Sicily；　there　have　been　found
leg…bones　and　arm…bones　so　large　that　their　size　makes　it　plain　that
their　owners　were　giants；　and　as　tall　as　great　towers；　geometry　puts
this　fact　beyond　a　doubt。　But；　for　all　that；　I　cannot　speak　with
certainty　as　to　the　size　of　Morgante；　though　I　suspect　he　cannot
have　been　very　tall；　and　I　am　inclined　to　be　of　this　opinion　because　I
find　in　the　history　in　which　his　deeds　are　particularly　mentioned；
that　he　frequently　slept　under　a　roof　and　as　he　found　houses　to
contain　him；　it　is　clear　that　his　bulk　could　not　have　been　anything
excessive。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　the　curate；　and　yielding　to　the　enjoyment　of
hearing　such　nonsense；　he　asked　him　what　was　his　notion　of　the
features　of　Reinaldos　of　Montalban；　and　Don　Roland　and　the　rest　of　the
Twelve　Peers　of　France；　for　they　were　all　knights…errant。
　　〃As　for　Reinaldos；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃I　venture　to　say　that　he
was　broad…faced；　of　ruddy　complexion；　with　roguish　and　somewhat
prominent　eyes；　excessively　punctilious　and　touchy；　and　given　to　the
society　of　thieves　and　scapegraces。　With　regard　to　Roland；　or
Rotolando；　or　Orlando　（for　the　histories　call　him　by　all　these　names）；
I　am　of　opinion；　and　hold；　that　he　was　of　middle　height；
broad…shouldered；　rather　bow…legged；　swarthy…complexioned；
red…bearded；　with　a　hairy　body　and　a　severe　expression　of　countenance；
a　man　of　few　words；　but　very　polite　and　well…bred。〃
　　〃If　Roland　was　not　a　more　graceful　person　than　your　worship　has
described；〃　said　the　curate；　〃it　is　no　wonder　that　the　fair　Lady
Angelica　rejected　him　and　left　him　for　the　gaiety；　liveliness；　and
grace　of　that　budding…bearded　little　Moor　to　whom　she　surrendered
herself；　and　she　showed　her　sense　in　falling　in　love　with　the　gentle
softness　of　Medoro　rather　than　the　roughness　of　Roland。〃
　　〃That　Angelica；　senor　curate；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃was　a　giddy
damsel；　flighty　and　somewhat　wanton；　and　she　left　the　world　as　full　of
her　vagaries　as　of　the　fame　of　her　beauty。　She　treated　with　scorn　a
thousand　gentlemen；　men　of　valour　and　wisdom；　and　took　up　with　a
smooth…faced　sprig　of　a　page；　without　fortune　or　fame；　except　such
reputation　for　gratitude　as　the　affection　he　bore　his　friend　got　for
him。　The　great　poet　who　sang　her　beauty；　the　famous　Ariosto；　not
caring　to　sing　her　adventures　after　her　contemptible　surrender
（which　probably　were　not　over　and　above　creditable）；　dropped　her　where
he　says：

　　　　　How　she　received　the　sceptre　of　Cathay；
　　　　　Some　bard　of　defter　quill　may　sing　some　day；

and　this　was　no　doubt　a　kind　of　prophecy；　for　poets　are　also　called
vates；　that　is　to　say　diviners；　and　its　truth　was　made　plain；　for
since　then　a　famous　Andalusian　poet　has　lamented　and　sung　her　tears；
and　another　famous　and　rare　poet；　a　Castilian；　has　sung　her　beauty。〃
　　〃Tell　me；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　the　barber　here；　〃among　all　those
who　praised　her；　has　there　been　no　poet　to　write　a　satire　on　this　Lady
Angelica？〃
　　〃I　can　well　believe；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃that　if　Sacripante　or
Roland　had　been　poets　they　would　have　given　the　damsel　a　trimming；　for
it　is　naturally　the　way　with　poets　who　have　been　scorned　and
rejected　by　their　ladies；　whether　fictitious　or　not；　in　short　by　those
whom　they　select　as　the　ladies　of　their　thoughts；　to　avenge　themselves
in　satires　and　libels…　a　vengeance；　to　be　sure；　unworthy　of　generous
hearts；　but　up　to　the　present　I　have　not　heard　of　any　defamatory　verse
against　the　Lady　Angelica；　who　turned　the　world　upside　down。〃
　　〃Strange；〃　said　the　curate；　but　at　this　moment　they　heard　the
housekeeper　and　the　niece；　who　had　previously　withdrawn　from　the
conversation；　exclaiming　aloud　in　the　courtyard；　and　at　the　noise　they
all　ran　out。


　　CHAPTER　II
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　NOTABLE　ALTERCATION　WHICH　SANCHO　PANZA　HAD
WITH　DON　QUIXOTE'S　NIECE；　AND　HOUSEKEEPER；　TOGETHER　WITH　OTHER　DROLL
MATTERS

　　THE　history　relates　that　the　outcry　Don　Quixote；　the　curate；　and　the
barber　heard　came　from　the　niece　and　the　housekeeper　exclaiming　to
Sancho；　who　was　striving　to　force　his　way　in　to　see　Don　Quixote
while　they　held　the　door　against　him；　〃What　does　the　vagabond　want
in　this　house？　Be　off　to　your　own；　brother；　for　it　is　you；　and　no
one　else；　that　delude　my　master；　and　lead　him　astray；　and　take　him
tramping　about　the　country。〃
　　To　which　Sancho　replied；　〃Devil's　own　housekeeper！　it　is　I　who　am
deluded；　and　led　astray；　and　taken　tramping　about　the　country；　and　not
thy　master！　He　has　carried　me　all　over　the　world；　and　you　are　mightily
mistaken。　He　enticed　me　away　from　home　by　a　trick；　promising　me　an
island；　which　I　am　still　waiting　for。〃
　　〃May　evil　islands　choke　thee；　thou　detestable　Sancho；〃　said　the
niece；　〃What　are　islands？　Is　it　something　to　eat；　glutton　and
gormandiser　that　thou　art？〃
　　〃It　is　not　something　to　eat；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃but　something　to
govern　and　rule；　and　better　than　four　cities　or　four　judgeships　at
court。〃
　　〃For　all　that；〃　said　the　housekeeper；　〃you　don't　enter　here；　you　bag
of　mischief　and　sack　of　knavery；　go　govern　your　house　and　dig　your
seed…patch；　and　give　over　looking　for　islands　or　shylands。〃
　　The　curate　and　the　barber　listened　with　great　amusement　to　the　words
of　the　three；　but　Don　Quixote；　uneasy　lest　Sancho　should　blab　and
blurt　out　a　whole　heap　of　mischievous　stupidities；　and　touch　upon
points　that　might　not　be　altogether　to　his　credit；　called　to　him　and
made　the　other　two　hold　their　tongues　and　let　him　come　in。　Sancho
entered；　and　the　curate　and　the　barber　took　their　leave　of　Don
Quixote；　of　whose　recovery　they　despaired　when　they　saw　how　wedded
he　was　to　his　crazy　ideas；　and　how　saturated　with　the　nonsense　of
his　unlucky　chivalry；　and　said　the　curate　to　the　barber；　〃You　will
see；　gossip；　that　when　we　are　least　thinking　of　it；　our　gentleman　will
be　off　once　more　for　another　flight。〃
　　〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；〃　returned　the　barber；　〃but　I　do　not　wonder
so　much　at　the　madness　of　the　knight　as　at　the　simplicity　of　the
squire；　who　has　such　a　firm　belief　in　all　that　about　the　island；
that　I　suppose　all　the　exposures　that　could　be　imagined　would　not
get　it　out　of　his　head。〃
　　〃God　help　them；〃　said　the　curate；　〃and　let　us　be　on　the　look