don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第9节

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species　that　have　as　yet　appeared；　and　he　who　has　not　read　it　may　be
sure　he　has　never　read　what　is　delightful。　Give　it　here；　gossip；　for　I
make　more　account　of　having　found　it　than　if　they　had　given　me　a
cassock　of　Florence　stuff。〃
　　He　put　it　aside　with　extreme　satisfaction；　and　the　barber　went　on；
〃These　that　come　next　are　'The　Shepherd　of　Iberia；'　'Nymphs　of
Henares；'　and　'The　Enlightenment　of　Jealousy。'〃
　　〃Then　all　we　have　to　do；〃　said　the　curate；　〃is　to　hand　them　over
to　the　secular　arm　of　the　housekeeper；　and　ask　me　not　why；　or　we　shall
never　have　done。〃
　　〃This　next　is　the　'Pastor　de　Filida。'〃
　　〃No　Pastor　that；〃　said　the　curate；　〃but　a　highly　polished
courtier；　let　it　be　preserved　as　a　precious　jewel。〃
　　〃This　large　one　here；〃　said　the　barber；　〃is　called　'The　Treasury
of　various　Poems。'〃
　　〃If　there　were　not　so　many　of　them；〃　said　the　curate；　〃they　would　be
more　relished：　this　book　must　be　weeded　and　cleansed　of　certain
vulgarities　which　it　has　with　its　excellences；　let　it　be　preserved
because　the　author　is　a　friend　of　mine；　and　out　of　respect　for　other
more　heroic　and　loftier　works　that　he　has　written。〃
　　〃This；〃　continued　the　barber；　〃is　the　'Cancionero'　of　Lopez　de
Maldonado。〃
　　〃The　author　of　that　book；　too；〃　said　the　curate；　〃is　a　great
friend　of　mine；　and　his　verses　from　his　own　mouth　are　the　admiration
of　all　who　hear　them；　for　such　is　the　sweetness　of　his　voice　that　he
enchants　when　he　chants　them：　it　gives　rather　too　much　of　its
eclogues；　but　what　is　good　was　never　yet　plentiful：　let　it　be　kept
with　those　that　have　been　set　apart。　But　what　book　is　that　next　it？〃
　　〃The　'Galatea'　of　Miguel　de　Cervantes；〃　said　the　barber。
　　〃That　Cervantes　has　been　for　many　years　a　great　friend　of　mine；
and　to　my　knowledge　he　has　had　more　experience　in　reverses　than　in
verses。　His　book　has　some　good　invention　in　it；　it　presents　us　with
something　but　brings　nothing　to　a　conclusion：　we　must　wait　for　the
Second　Part　it　promises：　perhaps　with　amendment　it　may　succeed　in
winning　the　full　measure　of　grace　that　is　now　denied　it；　and　in　the
mean　time　do　you；　senor　gossip；　keep　it　shut　up　in　your　own　quarters。〃
　　〃Very　good；〃　said　the　barber；　〃and　here　come　three　together；　the
'Araucana'　of　Don　Alonso　de　Ercilla；　the　'Austriada'　of　Juan　Rufo；
Justice　of　Cordova；　and　the　'Montserrate'　of　Christobal　de　Virues；　the
Valencian　poet。〃
　　〃These　three　books；〃　said　the　curate；　〃are　the　best　that　have　been
written　in　Castilian　in　heroic　verse；　and　they　may　compare　with　the
most　famous　of　Italy；　let　them　be　preserved　as　the　richest　treasures
of　poetry　that　Spain　possesses。〃
　　The　curate　was　tired　and　would　not　look　into　any　more　books；　and
so　he　decided　that；　〃contents　uncertified；〃　all　the　rest　should　be
burned；　but　just　then　the　barber　held　open　one；　called　〃The　Tears　of
Angelica。〃
　　〃I　should　have　shed　tears　myself；〃　said　the　curate　when　he　heard　the
title；　〃had　I　ordered　that　book　to　be　burned；　for　its　author　was　one
of　the　famous　poets　of　the　world；　not　to　say　of　Spain；　and　was　very
happy　in　the　translation　of　some　of　Ovid's　fables。〃

　　CHAPTER　VII
　　OF　THE　SECOND　SALLY　OF　OUR　WORTHY　KNIGHT　DON　QUIXOTE　OF　LA　MANCHA

　　　AT　this　instant　Don　Quixote　began　shouting　out；　〃Here；　here；
valiant　knights！　here　is　need　for　you　to　put　forth　the　might　of　your
strong　arms；　for　they　of　the　Court　are　gaining　the　mastery　in　the
tourney！〃　Called　away　by　this　noise　and　outcry；　they　proceeded　no
farther　with　the　scrutiny　of　the　remaining　books；　and　so　it　is　thought
that　〃The　Carolea；〃　〃The　Lion　of　Spain；〃　and　〃The　Deeds　of　the
Emperor；〃　written　by　Don　Luis　de　Avila；　went　to　the　fire　unseen　and
unheard；　for　no　doubt　they　were　among　those　that　remained；　and　perhaps
if　the　curate　had　seen　them　they　would　not　have　undergone　so　severe
a　sentence。
　　When　they　reached　Don　Quixote　he　was　already　out　of　bed；　and　was
still　shouting　and　raving；　and　slashing　and　cutting　all　round；　as　wide
awake　as　if　he　had　never　slept。
　　They　closed　with　him　and　by　force　got　him　back　to　bed；　and　when　he
had　become　a　little　calm；　addressing　the　curate；　he　said　to　him；　〃Of　a
truth；　Senor　Archbishop　Turpin；　it　is　a　great　disgrace　for　us　who　call
ourselves　the　Twelve　Peers；　so　carelessly　to　allow　the　knights　of
the　Court　to　gain　the　victory　in　this　tourney；　we　the　adventurers
having　carried　off　the　honour　on　the　three　former　days。〃
　　〃Hush；　gossip；〃　said　the　curate；　〃please　God；　the　luck　may　turn；　and
what　is　lost　to…day　may　be　won　to…morrow；　for　the　present　let　your
worship　have　a　care　of　your　health；　for　it　seems　to　me　that　you　are
over…fatigued；　if　not　badly　wounded。〃
　　〃Wounded　no；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃but　bruised　and　battered　no
doubt；　for　that　bastard　Don　Roland　has　cudgelled　me　with　the　trunk
of　an　oak　tree；　and　all　for　envy；　because　he　sees　that　I　alone　rival
him　in　his　achievements。　But　I　should　not　call　myself　Reinaldos　of
Montalvan　did　he　not　pay　me　for　it　in　spite　of　all　his　enchantments　as
soon　as　I　rise　from　this　bed。　For　the　present　let　them　bring　me
something　to　eat；　for　that；　I　feel；　is　what　will　be　more　to　my
purpose；　and　leave　it　to　me　to　avenge　myself。〃
　　They　did　as　he　wished；　they　gave　him　something　to　eat；　and　once　more
he　fell　asleep；　leaving　them　marvelling　at　his　madness。
　　That　night　the　housekeeper　burned　to　ashes　all　the　books　that　were
in　the　yard　and　in　the　whole　house；　and　some　must　have　been　consumed
that　deserved　preservation　in　everlasting　archives；　but　their　fate　and
the　laziness　of　the　examiner　did　not　permit　it；　and　so　in　them　was
verified　the　proverb　that　the　innocent　suffer　for　the　guilty。
　　One　of　the　remedies　which　the　curate　and　the　barber　immediately
applied　to　their　friend's　disorder　was　to　wall　up　and　plaster　the　room
where　the　books　were；　so　that　when　he　got　up　he　should　not　find　them
（possibly　the　cause　being　removed　the　effect　might　cease）；　and　they
might　say　that　a　magician　had　carried　them　off；　room　and　all；　and　this
was　done　with　all　despatch。　Two　days　later　Don　Quixote　got　up；　and　the
first　thing　he　did　was　to　go　and　look　at　his　books；　and　not　finding
the　room　where　he　had　left　it；　he　wandered　from　side　to　side　looking
for　it。　He　came　to　the　place　where　the　door　used　to　be；　and　tried　it
with　his　hands；　and　turned　and　twisted　his　eyes　in　every　direction
without　saying　a　word；　but　after　a　good　while　he　asked　his　housekeeper
whereabouts　was　the　room　that　held　his　books。
　　The　housekeeper；　who　had　been　already　well　instructed　in　what　she
was　to　answer；　said；　〃What　room　or　what　nothing　is　it　that　your
worship　is　looking　for？　There　are　neither　room　nor　books　in　this　house
now；　for　the　devil　himself　has　carried　all　away。〃
　　〃It　was　not　the　devil；〃　said　the　niece；　〃but　a　magician　who　came
on　a　cloud　one　night　after　the　day　your　worship　left　this；　and
dismounting　from　a　serpent　that　he　rode　he　entered　the　room；　and
what　he　did　there　I　know　not；　but　after　a　little　while　he　made　off；
flying　through　the　roof；　and　left　the　house　full　of　smoke；　and　when　we
went　to　see　what　he　had　done　we　saw　neither　book　nor　room：　but　we
remember　very　well；　the　housekeeper　and　I；　that　on　leaving；　the　old
villain　said　in　a　loud　voice　that；　for　a　private　grudge　he　owed　the
owner　of　the　books　and　the　room；　he　had　done　mischief　in　that　house
that　would　be　discovered　by…and…by：　he　said　too　that　his　name　was
the　Sage　Munaton。〃
　　〃He　must　have　said　Friston；〃　said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃I　don't　know　whether　he　called　himself　Friston　or　Friton；〃　said　the
housekeeper；　〃I　only　know　that　his　name　ended　with　'ton。'〃
　　〃So　it　does；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　he　is　a　sage　magician；　a
great　enemy　of　mine；　who　has　a　spite　against　me　because　he　knows　by
his　arts　and　lore　that　in　process　of　time　I　am　to　engage　in　single
combat　with　a　knight　whom　he　befriends　and　that　I　am　to　conquer；　and
he　will　be　unable　to　prevent　it；　and　for　this　reason　he　endeavours
to　do　me　all　the　ill　turns　that　he　can；　but　I　promise　him　it　will　be
hard　for　him　to　oppose　or　avoid　what　is　decreed　by　Heaven。〃
　　〃Who　doubts　that？〃　said　the　niece；　〃but；　uncle；　who　mixes　you　up
in　these　quarrels？　Would　it　not　be　better　to　remain　at　peace　in　your
own　house　instead　of　roaming　the　world　looking　for　better　bread　than
ever　came　of　wheat；　never　reflecting　that　many　go　for　wool　and　come
back　shorn？〃
　　〃Oh；　niece　of　mine；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃how　much　astray　art
thou　in　thy　reckoning：　ere　they　shear　me　I　shall　have　plucked　away　and
stripped　off　the　beards　of　all　who　dare　to　touch　only　the　tip　of　a
hair　of　mine。〃
　　The　two　were　unwilling　to　make　any　further　answer；　as　they　saw
that　his　anger　was　kindling。
　　In　short；　then；　he　remained　at　home　fifteen　days　very　quietly
without　showing　any　signs　of　a　desire　to　take　up　with　his　former
delusions；　and　during　this　time　he　held　lively　discussions　with　his
two　gossips；　the　curate　and　the　barber；　on　the　point　he　maintained；
that　knights…errant　were　what　the　world　stood　most　in　need　of；　and
that　in　him　was　to　be　accomplished　the　revival　of　knight…errantry。　The
curate　sometimes　contradicted　him；　sometimes　agreed　with　him；　for　if
he　had　not　observed　this　precaution　he　would　have　been　unable　to　bring
him　to　reason。
　　Meanwhile　Don　Quixote　worked　upon　a　farm　labourer