don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第95部分

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comers；　who　was；　in　fact；　a　canon　of　Toledo　and　master　of　the　others
who　accompanied　him；　observing　the　regular　order　of　the　procession；
the　cart；　the　officers；　Sancho；　Rocinante；　the　curate　and　the
barber；　and　above　all　Don　Quixote　caged　and　confined；　could　not　help
asking　what　was　the　meaning　of　carrying　the　man　in　that　fashion；
though；　from　the　badges　of　the　officers；　he　already　concluded　that
he　must　be　some　desperate　highwayman　or　other　malefactor　whose
punishment　fell　within　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Holy　Brotherhood。　One
of　the　officers　to　whom　he　had　put　the　question；　replied；　〃Let　the
gentleman　himself　tell　you　the　meaning　of　his　going　this　way；　senor；
for　we　do　not　know。〃
　　Don　Quixote　overheard　the　conversation　and　said；　〃Haply；
gentlemen；　you　are　versed　and　learned　in　matters　of　errant　chivalry？
Because　if　you　are　I　will　tell　you　my　misfortunes；　if　not；　there　is　no
good　in　my　giving　myself　the　trouble　of　relating　them；〃　but　here　the
curate　and　the　barber；　seeing　that　the　travellers　were　engaged　in
conversation　with　Don　Quixote；　came　forward；　in　order　to　answer　in
such　a　way　as　to　save　their　stratagem　from　being　discovered。
　　The　canon；　replying　to　Don　Quixote；　said；　〃In　truth；　brother；　I　know
more　about　books　of　chivalry　than　I　do　about　Villalpando's　elements　of
logic；　so　if　that　be　all；　you　may　safely　tell　me　what　you　please。〃
　　〃In　God's　name；　then；　senor；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃if　that　be　so；　I
would　have　you　know　that　I　am　held　enchanted　in　this　cage　by　the
envy　and　fraud　of　wicked　enchanters；　for　virtue　is　more　persecuted
by　the　wicked　than　loved　by　the　good。　I　am　a　knight…errant；　and　not
one　of　those　whose　names　Fame　has　never　thought　of　immortalising　in
her　record；　but　of　those　who；　in　defiance　and　in　spite　of　envy　itself；
and　all　the　magicians　that　Persia；　or　Brahmans　that　India；　or
Gymnosophists　that　Ethiopia　ever　produced；　will　place　their　names　in
the　temple　of　immortality；　to　serve　as　examples　and　patterns　for
ages　to　come；　whereby　knights…errant　may　see　the　footsteps　in　which
they　must　tread　if　they　would　attain　the　summit　and　crowning　point
of　honour　in　arms。〃
　　〃What　Senor　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha　says；〃　observed　the　curate；　〃is
the　truth；　for　he　goes　enchanted　in　this　cart；　not　from　any　fault　or
sins　of　his；　but　because　of　the　malevolence　of　those　to　whom　virtue　is
odious　and　valour　hateful。　This；　senor；　is　the　Knight　of　the　Rueful
Countenance；　if　you　have　ever　heard　him　named；　whose　valiant
achievements　and　mighty　deeds　shall　be　written　on　lasting　brass　and
imperishable　marble；　notwithstanding　all　the　efforts　of　envy　to
obscure　them　and　malice　to　hide　them。〃
　　When　the　canon　heard　both　the　prisoner　and　the　man　who　was　at
liberty　talk　in　such　a　strain　he　was　ready　to　cross　himself　in　his
astonishment；　and　could　not　make　out　what　had　befallen　him；　and　all
his　attendants　were　in　the　same　state　of　amazement。
　　At　this　point　Sancho　Panza；　who　had　drawn　near　to　hear　the
conversation；　said；　in　order　to　make　everything　plain；　〃Well；　sirs；
you　may　like　or　dislike　what　I　am　going　to　say；　but　the　fact　of　the
matter　is；　my　master；　Don　Quixote；　is　just　as　much　enchanted　as　my
mother。　He　is　in　his　full　senses；　he　eats　and　he　drinks；　and　he　has
his　calls　like　other　men　and　as　he　had　yesterday；　before　they　caged
him。　And　if　that's　the　case；　what　do　they　mean　by　wanting　me　to
believe　that　he　is　enchanted？　For　I　have　heard　many　a　one　say　that
enchanted　people　neither　eat；　nor　sleep；　nor　talk；　and　my　master；　if
you　don't　stop　him；　will　talk　more　than　thirty　lawyers。〃　Then
turning　to　the　curate　he　exclaimed；　〃Ah；　senor　curate；　senor　curate！
do　you　think　I　don't　know　you？　Do　you　think　I　don't　guess　and　see
the　drift　of　these　new　enchantments？　Well　then；　I　can　tell　you　I
know　you；　for　all　your　face　is　covered；　and　I　can　tell　you　I　am　up
to　you；　however　you　may　hide　your　tricks。　After　all；　where　envy　reigns
virtue　cannot　live；　and　where　there　is　niggardliness　there　can　be　no
liberality。　Ill　betide　the　devil！　if　it　had　not　been　for　your
worship　my　master　would　be　married　to　the　Princess　Micomicona　this
minute；　and　I　should　be　a　count　at　least；　for　no　less　was　to　be
expected；　as　well　from　the　goodness　of　my　master；　him　of　the　Rueful
Countenance；　as　from　the　greatness　of　my　services。　But　I　see　now　how
true　it　is　what　they　say　in　these　parts；　that　the　wheel　of　fortune
turns　faster　than　a　mill…wheel；　and　that　those　who　were　up　yesterday
are　down　to…day。　I　am　sorry　for　my　wife　and　children；　for　when　they
might　fairly　and　reasonably　expect　to　see　their　father　return　to
them　a　governor　or　viceroy　of　some　island　or　kingdom；　they　will　see
him　come　back　a　horse…boy。　I　have　said　all　this；　senor　curate；　only　to
urge　your　paternity　to　lay　to　your　conscience　your　ill…treatment　of　my
master；　and　have　a　care　that　God　does　not　call　you　to　account　in
another　life　for　making　a　prisoner　of　him　in　this　way；　and　charge
against　you　all　the　succours　and　good　deeds　that　my　lord　Don　Quixote
leaves　undone　while　he　is　shut　up。
　　〃Trim　those　lamps　there！〃　exclaimed　the　barber　at　this；　〃so　you
are　of　the　same　fraternity　as　your　master；　too；　Sancho？　By　God；　I
begin　to　see　that　you　will　have　to　keep　him　company　in　the　cage；　and
be　enchanted　like　him　for　having　caught　some　of　his　humour　and
chivalry。　It　was　an　evil　hour　when　you　let　yourself　be　got　with
child　by　his　promises；　and　that　island　you　long　so　much　for　found
its　way　into　your　head。〃
　　〃I　am　not　with　child　by　anyone；〃　returned　Sancho；　〃nor　am　I　a　man　to
let　myself　be　got　with　child；　if　it　was　by　the　King　himself。　Though
I　am　poor　I　am　an　old　Christian；　and　I　owe　nothing　to　nobody；　and　if　I
long　for　an　island；　other　people　long　for　worse。　Each　of　us　is　the　son
of　his　own　works；　and　being　a　man　I　may　come　to　be　pope；　not　to　say
governor　of　an　island；　especially　as　my　master　may　win　so　many　that　he
will　not　know　whom　to　give　them　to。　Mind　how　you　talk；　master
barber；　for　shaving　is　not　everything；　and　there　is　some　difference
between　Peter　and　Peter。　I　say　this　because　we　all　know　one　another；
and　it　will　not　do　to　throw　false　dice　with　me；　and　as　to　the
enchantment　of　my　master；　God　knows　the　truth；　leave　it　as　it　is；　it
only　makes　it　worse　to　stir　it。〃
　　The　barber　did　not　care　to　answer　Sancho　lest　by　his　plain
speaking　he　should　disclose　what　the　curate　and　he　himself　were　trying
so　hard　to　conceal；　and　under　the　same　apprehension　the　curate　had
asked　the　canon　to　ride　on　a　little　in　advance；　so　that　he　might
tell　him　the　mystery　of　this　man　in　the　cage；　and　other　things　that
would　amuse　him。　The　canon　agreed；　and　going　on　ahead　with　his
servants；　listened　with　attention　to　the　account　of　the　character；
life；　madness；　and　ways　of　Don　Quixote；　given　him　by　the　curate；　who
described　to　him　briefly　the　beginning　and　origin　of　his　craze；　and
told　him　the　whole　story　of　his　adventures　up　to　his　being　confined　in
the　cage；　together　with　the　plan　they　had　of　taking　him　home　to　try　if
by　any　means　they　could　discover　a　cure　for　his　madness。　The　canon　and
his　servants　were　surprised　anew　when　they　heard　Don　Quixote's　strange
story；　and　when　it　was　finished　he　said；　〃To　tell　the　truth；　senor
curate；　I　for　my　part　consider　what　they　call　books　of　chivalry　to
be　mischievous　to　the　State；　and　though；　led　by　idle　and　false
taste；　I　have　read　the　beginnings　of　almost　all　that　have　been
printed；　I　never　could　manage　to　read　any　one　of　them　from　beginning
to　end；　for　it　seems　to　me　they　are　all　more　or　less　the　same　thing；
and　one　has　nothing　more　in　it　than　another；　this　no　more　than　that。
And　in　my　opinion　this　sort　of　writing　and　composition　is　of　the
same　species　as　the　fables　they　call　the　Milesian；　nonsensical　tales
that　aim　solely　at　giving　amusement　and　not　instruction；　exactly　the
opposite　of　the　apologue　fables　which　amuse　and　instruct　at　the　same
time。　And　though　it　may　be　the　chief　object　of　such　books　to　amuse；
I　do　not　know　how　they　can　succeed；　when　they　are　so　full　of　such
monstrous　nonsense。　For　the　enjoyment　the　mind　feels　must　come　from
the　beauty　and　harmony　which　it　perceives　or　contemplates　in　the
things　that　the　eye　or　the　imagination　brings　before　it；　and　nothing
that　has　any　ugliness　or　disproportion　about　it　can　give　any　pleasure。
What　beauty；　then；　or　what　proportion　of　the　parts　to　the　whole；　or　of
the　whole　to　the　parts；　can　there　be　in　a　book　or　fable　where　a　lad　of
sixteen　cuts　down　a　giant　as　tall　as　a　tower　and　makes　two　halves　of
him　as　if　he　was　an　almond　cake？　And　when　they　want　to　give　us　a
picture　of　a　battle；　after　having　told　us　that　there　are　a　million
of　combatants　on　the　side　of　the　enemy；　let　the　hero　of　the　book　be
opposed　to　them；　and　we　have　perforce　to　believe；　whether　we　like　it
or　not；　that　the　said　knight　wins　the　victory　by　the　single　might　of
his　strong　arm。　And　then；　what　shall　we　say　of　the　facility　with　which
a　born　queen　or　empress　will　give　herself　over　into　the　arms　of　some
unknown　wandering　knight？　What　mind；　that　is　not　wholly　barbarous
and　uncultured；　can　find　pleasure　in　reading　of　how　a　great　tower　full
of　knights　sails　away　across　the　sea　like　a　ship　with　a　fair　wind；　and
will　be　to…night　in　Lombardy　and　to…morrow　morning　in　the　land　of
Prester　John　of　the　Indies；　or　some　other　that　Ptolemy　never　described
nor　Marco　Polo　saw？　And　if；　in　answer　to　this；　I　am　told　that　the
authors　of　books　of　the　kind　write　them　as　fiction；　and　therefore
are　not　bound　to　regard　niceties　of　truth；　I　would　reply　that
fiction　is　all　the　better　the　more　it　looks　like　truth；　and　gives
the　more　pleasure　the　more　probability　and　possibility　there　is
about　it。　Plots　in　fiction　should　be　wedded　to　the　understanding　of
the　reader；　and　be　constructed　in　such　a　way　that；　reconciling
impossibilities；　smoothing　over　difficulties；　keeping　the　mind　on
the　alert；　they　may　surprise；　interest；　divert；　and　entertain；　so　that
wonder　and　delight　joined　may　keep　pace　one　with　the　other；　all
which　he　will　fail　to　effect　who　shuns　verisimilitude　and　truth　to
nature；　wherein　lies　the　perfection　of　writing。　I　have　never　yet
seen　any　book　of　chivalry　that　puts　together　a　connected　plot　complete
in　all　its　numbers；　so　that　the　middle　agrees　with　the　beginning；