don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第121章

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introduce　miracles　without　any　reason　or　object　except　that　they　think
some　such　miracle；　or　transformation　as　they　call　it；　will　come　in
well　to　astonish　stupid　people　and　draw　them　to　the　play。　All　this
tends　to　the　prejudice　of　the　truth　and　the　corruption　of　history；　nay
more；　to　the　reproach　of　the　wits　of　Spain；　for　foreigners　who
scrupulously　observe　the　laws　of　the　drama　look　upon　us　as　barbarous
and　ignorant；　when　they　see　the　absurdity　and　nonsense　of　the　plays　we
produce。　Nor　will　it　be　a　sufficient　excuse　to　say　that　the　chief
object　well…ordered　governments　have　in　view　when　they　permit　plays　to
be　performed　in　public　is　to　entertain　the　people　with　some　harmless
amusement　occasionally；　and　keep　it　from　those　evil　humours　which
idleness　is　apt　to　engender；　and　that；　as　this　may　be　attained　by
any　sort　of　play；　good　or　bad；　there　is　no　need　to　lay　down　laws；　or
bind　those　who　write　or　act　them　to　make　them　as　they　ought　to　be
made；　since；　as　I　say；　the　object　sought　for　may　be　secured　by　any
sort。　To　this　I　would　reply　that　the　same　end　would　be；　beyond　all
comparison；　better　attained　by　means　of　good　plays　than　by　those
that　are　not　so；　for　after　listening　to　an　artistic　and　properly
constructed　play；　the　hearer　will　come　away　enlivened　by　the　jests；
instructed　by　the　serious　parts；　full　of　admiration　at　the
incidents；　his　wits　sharpened　by　the　arguments；　warned　by　the
tricks；　all　the　wiser　for　the　examples；　inflamed　against　vice；　and
in　love　with　virtue；　for　in　all　these　ways　a　good　play　will
stimulate　the　mind　of　the　hearer　be　he　ever　so　boorish　or　dull；　and　of
all　impossibilities　the　greatest　is　that　a　play　endowed　with　all　these
qualities　will　not　entertain；　satisfy；　and　please　much　more　than　one
wanting　in　them；　like　the　greater　number　of　those　which　are　commonly
acted　now…a…days。　Nor　are　the　poets　who　write　them　to　be　blamed　for
this；　for　some　there　are　among　them　who　are　perfectly　well　aware　of
their　faults；　and　know　what　they　ought　to　do；　but　as　plays　have　become
a　salable　commodity；　they　say；　and　with　truth；　that　the　actors　will
not　buy　them　unless　they　are　after　this　fashion；　and　so　the　poet　tries
to　adapt　himself　to　the　requirements　of　the　actor　who　is　to　pay　him
for　his　work。　And　that　this　is　the　truth　may　be　seen　by　the
countless　plays　that　a　most　fertile　wit　of　these　kingdoms　has　written；
with　so　much　brilliancy；　so　much　grace　and　gaiety；　such　polished
versification；　such　choice　language；　such　profound　reflections；　and　in
a　word；　so　rich　in　eloquence　and　elevation　of　style；　that　he　has
filled　the　world　with　his　fame；　and　yet；　in　consequence　of　his
desire　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　actors；　they　have　not　all；　as　some
of　them　have；　come　as　near　perfection　as　they　ought。　Others　write
plays　with　such　heedlessness　that；　after　they　have　been　acted；　the
actors　have　to　fly　and　abscond；　afraid　of　being　punished；　as　they
often　have　been；　for　having　acted　something　offensive　to　some　king
or　other；　or　insulting　to　some　noble　family。　All　which　evils；　and　many
more　that　I　say　nothing　of；　would　be　removed　if　there　were　some
intelligent　and　sensible　person　at　the　capital　to　examine　all　plays
before　they　were　acted；　not　only　those　produced　in　the　capital　itself；
but　all　that　were　intended　to　be　acted　in　Spain；　without　whose
approval；　seal；　and　signature；　no　local　magistracy　should　allow　any
play　to　be　acted。　In　that　case　actors　would　take　care　to　send　their
plays　to　the　capital；　and　could　act　them　in　safety；　and　those　who
write　them　would　be　more　careful　and　take　more　pains　with　their
work；　standing　in　awe　of　having　to　submit　it　to　the　strict　examination
of　one　who　understood　the　matter；　and　so　good　plays　would　be
produced　and　the　objects　they　aim　at　happily　attained；　as　well　the
amusement　of　the　people；　as　the　credit　of　the　wits　of　Spain；　the
interest　and　safety　of　the　actors；　and　the　saving　of　trouble　in
inflicting　punishment　on　them。　And　if　the　same　or　some　other　person
were　authorised　to　examine　the　newly　written　books　of　chivalry；　no
doubt　some　would　appear　with　all　the　perfections　you　have　described；
enriching　our　language　with　the　gracious　and　precious　treasure　of
eloquence；　and　driving　the　old　books　into　obscurity　before　the　light
of　the　new　ones　that　would　come　out　for　the　harmless　entertainment；
not　merely　of　the　idle　but　of　the　very　busiest；　for　the　bow　cannot
be　always　bent；　nor　can　weak　human　nature　exist　without　some　lawful
amusement。〃
　　The　canon　and　the　curate　had　proceeded　thus　far　with　their
conversation；　when　the　barber；　coming　forward；　joined　them；　and　said
to　the　curate；　〃This　is　the　spot；　senor　licentiate；　that　I　said　was
a　good　one　for　fresh　and　plentiful　pasture　for　the　oxen；　while　we　take
our　noontide　rest。〃
　　〃And　so　it　seems；〃　returned　the　curate；　and　he　told　the　canon　what
he　proposed　to　do；　on　which　he　too　made　up　his　mind　to　halt　with　them；
attracted　by　the　aspect　of　the　fair　valley　that　lay　before　their　eyes；
and　to　enjoy　it　as　well　as　the　conversation　of　the　curate；　to　whom
he　had　begun　to　take　a　fancy；　and　also　to　learn　more　particulars　about
the　doings　of　Don　Quixote；　he　desired　some　of　his　servants　to　go　on　to
the　inn；　which　was　not　far　distant；　and　fetch　from　it　what　eatables
there　might　be　for　the　whole　party；　as　he　meant　to　rest　for　the
afternoon　where　he　was；　to　which　one　of　his　servants　replied　that
the　sumpter　mule；　which　by　this　time　ought　to　have　reached　the　inn；
carried　provisions　enough　to　make　it　unnecessary　to　get　anything
from　the　inn　except　barley。
　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　canon；　〃take　all　the　beasts　there；　and
bring　the　sumpter　mule　back。〃
　　While　this　was　going　on；　Sancho；　perceiving　that　he　could　speak　to
his　master　without　having　the　curate　and　the　barber；　of　whom　he　had
his　suspicions；　present　all　the　time；　approached　the　cage　in　which　Don
Quixote　was　placed；　and　said；　〃Senor；　to　ease　my　conscience　I　want
to　tell　you　the　state　of　the　case　as　to　your　enchantment；　and　that
is　that　these　two　here；　with　their　faces　covered；　are　the　curate　of
our　village　and　the　barber；　and　I　suspect　they　have　hit　upon　this　plan
of　carrying　you　off　in　this　fashion；　out　of　pure　envy　because　your
worship　surpasses　them　in　doing　famous　deeds；　and　if　this　be　the　truth
it　follows　that　you　are　not　enchanted；　but　hoodwinked　and　made　a
fool　of。　And　to　prove　this　I　want　to　ask　you　one　thing；　and　if　you
answer　me　as　I　believe　you　will　answer；　you　will　be　able　to　lay　your
finger　on　the　trick；　and　you　will　see　that　you　are　not　enchanted　but
gone　wrong　in　your　wits。〃
　　〃Ask　what　thou　wilt；　Sancho　my　son；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃for　I
will　satisfy　thee　and　answer　all　thou　requirest。　As　to　what　thou
sayest；　that　these　who　accompany　us　yonder　are　the　curate　and　the
barber；　our　neighbours　and　acquaintances；　it　is　very　possible　that
they　may　seem　to　he　those　same　persons；　but　that　they　are　so　in
reality　and　in　fact；　believe　it　not　on　any　account；　what　thou　art　to
believe　and　think　is　that；　if　they　look　like　them；　as　thou　sayest；
it　must　be　that　those　who　have　enchanted　me　have　taken　this　shape
and　likeness；　for　it　is　easy　for　enchanters　to　take　any　form　they
please；　and　they　may　have　taken　those　of　our　friends　in　order　to
make　thee　think　as　thou　dost；　and　lead　thee　into　a　labyrinth　of
fancies　from　which　thou　wilt　find　no　escape　though　thou　hadst　the　cord
of　Theseus；　and　they　may　also　have　done　it　to　make　me　uncertain　in
my　mind；　and　unable　to　conjecture　whence　this　evil　comes　to　me；　for　if
on　the　one　hand　thou　dost　tell　me　that　the　barber　and　curate　of　our
village　are　here　in　company　with　us；　and　on　the　other　I　find　myself
shut　up　in　a　cage；　and　know　in　my　heart　that　no　power　on　earth　that
was　not　supernatural　would　have　been　able　to　shut　me　in；　what
wouldst　thou　have　me　say　or　think；　but　that　my　enchantment　is　of　a
sort　that　transcends　all　I　have　ever　read　of　in　all　the　histories　that
deal　with　knights…errant　that　have　been　enchanted？　So　thou　mayest
set　thy　mind　at　rest　as　to　the　idea　that　they　are　what　thou　sayest；
for　they　are　as　much　so　as　I　am　a　Turk。　But　touching　thy　desire　to　ask
me　something；　say　on；　and　I　will　answer　thee；　though　thou　shouldst　ask
questions　from　this　till　to…morrow