don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第118章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


knights　who　compass　the　destruction　of　the　worthy　by　base　means。
Nevertheless；　virtue　is　of　herself　so　mighty；　that；　in　spite　of　all
the　magic　that　Zoroaster　its　first　inventor　knew；　she　will　come
victorious　out　of　every　trial；　and　shed　her　light　upon　the　earth　as
the　sun　does　upon　the　heavens。　Forgive　me；　fair　ladies；　if；　through
inadvertence；　I　have　in　aught　offended　you；　for　intentionally　and
wittingly　I　have　never　done　so　to　any；　and　pray　to　God　that　he　deliver
me　from　this　captivity　to　which　some　malevolent　enchanter　has
consigned　me；　and　should　I　find　myself　released　therefrom；　the　favours
that　ye　have　bestowed　upon　me　in　this　castle　shall　be　held　in　memory
by　me；　that　I　may　acknowledge；　recognise；　and　requite　them　as　they
deserve。〃
　　While　this　was　passing　between　the　ladies　of　the　castle　and　Don
Quixote；　the　curate　and　the　barber　bade　farewell　to　Don　Fernando　and
his　companions；　to　the　captain；　his　brother；　and　the　ladies；　now　all
made　happy；　and　in　particular　to　Dorothea　and　Luscinda。　They　all
embraced　one　another；　and　promised　to　let　each　other　know　how　things
went　with　them；　and　Don　Fernando　directed　the　curate　where　to　write　to
him；　to　tell　him　what　became　of　Don　Quixote；　assuring　him　that　there
was　nothing　that　could　give　him　more　pleasure　than　to　hear　of　it；
and　that　he　too；　on　his　part；　would　send　him　word　of　everything　he
thought　he　would　like　to　know；　about　his　marriage；　Zoraida's
baptism；　Don　Luis's　affair；　and　Luscinda's　return　to　her　home。　The
curate　promised　to　comply　with　his　request　carefully；　and　they
embraced　once　more；　and　renewed　their　promises。
　　The　landlord　approached　the　curate　and　handed　him　some　papers；
saying　he　had　discovered　them　in　the　lining　of　the　valise　in　which　the
novel　of　〃The　Ill…advised　Curiosity〃　had　been　found；　and　that　he　might
take　them　all　away　with　him　as　their　owner　had　not　since　returned；
for；　as　he　could　not　read；　he　did　not　want　them　himself。　The　curate
thanked　him；　and　opening　them　he　saw　at　the　beginning　of　the
manuscript　the　words；　〃Novel　of　Rinconete　and　Cortadillo；〃　by　which　he
perceived　that　it　was　a　novel；　and　as　that　of　〃The　Ill…advised
Curiosity〃　had　been　good　he　concluded　this　would　be　so　too；　as　they
were　both　probably　by　the　same　author；　so　he　kept　it；　intending　to
read　it　when　he　had　an　opportunity。　He　then　mounted　and　his　friend　the
barber　did　the　same；　both　masked；　so　as　not　to　be　recognised　by　Don
Quixote；　and　set　out　following　in　the　rear　of　the　cart。　The　order　of
march　was　this：　first　went　the　cart　with　the　owner　leading　it；　at　each
side　of　it　marched　the　officers　of　the　Brotherhood；　as　has　been
said；　with　their　muskets；　then　followed　Sancho　Panza　on　his　ass；
leading　Rocinante　by　the　bridle；　and　behind　all　came　the　curate　and
the　barber　on　their　mighty　mules；　with　faces　covered；　as　aforesaid；
and　a　grave　and　serious　air；　measuring　their　pace　to　suit　the　slow
steps　of　the　oxen。　Don　Quixote　was　seated　in　the　cage；　with　his
hands　tied　and　his　feet　stretched　out；　leaning　against　the　bars　as
silent　and　as　patient　as　if　he　were　a　stone　statue　and　not　a　man　of
flesh。　Thus　slowly　and　silently　they　made；　it　might　be；　two　leagues；
until　they　reached　a　valley　which　the　carter　thought　a　convenient
place　for　resting　and　feeding　his　oxen；　and　he　said　so　to　the
curate；　but　the　barber　was　of　opinion　that　they　ought　to　push　on　a
little　farther；　as　at　the　other　side　of　a　hill　which　appeared　close　by
he　knew　there　was　a　valley　that　had　more　grass　and　much　better　than
the　one　where　they　proposed　to　halt；　and　his　advice　was　taken　and　they
continued　their　journey。
　　Just　at　that　moment　the　curate；　looking　back；　saw　coming　on　behind
them　six　or　seven　mounted　men；　well　found　and　equipped；　who　soon
overtook　them；　for　they　were　travelling；　not　at　the　sluggish；
deliberate　pace　of　oxen；　but　like　men　who　rode　canons'　mules；　and　in
haste　to　take　their　noontide　rest　as　soon　as　possible　at　the　inn　which
was　in　sight　not　a　league　off。　The　quick　travellers　came　up　with　the
slow；　and　courteous　salutations　were　exchanged；　and　one　of　the　new
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