don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第122章

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me　something；　say　on；　and　I　will　answer　thee；　though　thou　shouldst　ask
questions　from　this　till　to…morrow　morning。〃
　　〃May　Our　Lady　be　good　to　me！〃　said　Sancho；　lifting　up　his　voice；
〃and　is　it　possible　that　your　worship　is　so　thick　of　skull　and　so
short　of　brains　that　you　cannot　see　that　what　I　say　is　the　simple
truth；　and　that　malice　has　more　to　do　with　your　imprisonment　and
misfortune　than　enchantment？　But　as　it　is　so；　I　will　prove　plainly
to　you　that　you　are　not　enchanted。　Now　tell　me；　so　may　God　deliver　you
from　this　affliction；　and　so　may　you　find　yourself　when　you　least
expect　it　in　the　arms　of　my　lady　Dulcinea…〃
　　〃Leave　off　conjuring　me；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃and　ask　what　thou
wouldst　know；　I　have　already　told　thee　I　will　answer　with　all　possible
precision。〃
　　〃That　is　what　I　want；〃　said　Sancho；　〃and　what　I　would　know；　and　have
you　tell　me；　without　adding　or　leaving　out　anything；　but　telling　the
whole　truth　as　one　expects　it　to　be　told；　and　as　it　is　told；　by　all
who　profess　arms；　as　your　worship　professes　them；　under　the　title　of
knights…errant…〃
　　〃I　tell　thee　I　will　not　lie　in　any　particular；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃finish　thy　question；　for　in　truth　thou　weariest　me　with　all　these
asseverations；　requirements；　and　precautions；　Sancho。〃
　　〃Well；　I　rely　on　the　goodness　and　truth　of　my　master；〃　said
Sancho；　〃and　so；　because　it　bears　upon　what　we　are　talking　about；　I
would　ask；　speaking　with　all　reverence；　whether　since　your　worship　has
been　shut　up　and；　as　you　think；　enchanted　in　this　cage；　you　have
felt　any　desire　or　inclination　to　go　anywhere；　as　the　saying　is？〃
　　〃I　do　not　understand　'going　anywhere；'〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃explain
thyself　more　clearly；　Sancho；　if　thou　wouldst　have　me　give　an　answer
to　the　point。〃
　　〃Is　it　possible；〃　said　Sancho；　〃that　your　worship　does　not
understand　'going　anywhere'？　Why；　the　schoolboys　know　that　from　the
time　they　were　babes。　Well　then；　you　must　know　I　mean　have　you　had　any
desire　to　do　what　cannot　be　avoided？〃
　　〃Ah！　now　I　understand　thee；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃yes；
often；　and　even　this　minute；　get　me　out　of　this　strait；　or　all　will
not　go　right。〃

　　CHAPTER　XLIX
　　WHICH　TREATS　OF　THE　SHREWD　CONVERSATION　WHICH　SANCHO　PANZA　HELD　WITH
HIS　MASTER　DON　QUIXOTE

　　〃AHA；　I　have　caught　you；〃　said　Sancho；　〃this　is　what　in　my　heart　and
soul　I　was　longing　to　know。　Come　now；　senor；　can　you　deny　what　is
commonly　said　around　us；　when　a　person　is　out　of　humour；　'I　don't　know
what　ails　so…and…so；　that　he　neither　eats；　nor　drinks；　nor　sleeps；　nor
gives　a　proper　answer　to　any　question；　one　would　think　he　was
enchanted'？　From　which　it　is　to　be　gathered　that　those　who　do　not　eat；
or　drink；　or　sleep；　or　do　any　of　the　natural　acts　I　am　speaking　of…
that　such　persons　are　enchanted；　but　not　those　that　have　the　desire
your　worship　has；　and　drink　when　drink　is　given　them；　and　eat　when
there　is　anything　to　eat；　and　answer　every　question　that　is　asked
them。〃
　　〃What　thou　sayest　is　true；　Sancho；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃but　I　have
already　told　thee　there　are　many　sorts　of　enchantments；　and　it　may
be　that　in　the　course　of　time　they　have　been　changed　one　for
another；　and　that　now　it　may　be　the　way　with　enchanted　people　to　do
all　that　I　do；　though　they　did　not　do　so　before；　so　it　is　vain　to
argue　or　draw　inferences　against　the　usage　of　the　time。　I　know　and
feel　that　I　am　enchanted；　and　that　is　enough　to　ease　my　conscience；
for　it　would　weigh　heavily　on　it　if　I　thought　that　I　was　not
enchanted；　and　that　in　a　aint…hearted　and　cowardly　way　I　allowed
myself　to　lie　in　this　cage；　defrauding　multitudes　of　the　succour　I
might　afford　to　those　in　need　and　distress；　who　at　this　very　moment
may　be　in　sore　want　of　my　aid　and　protection。〃
　　〃Still　for　all　that；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃I　say　that；　for　your
greater　and　fuller　satisfaction；　it　would　be　well　if　your　worship　were
to　try　to　get　out　of　this　prison　（and　I　promise　to　do　all　in　my
power　to　help；　and　even　to　take　you　out　of　it）；　and　see　if　you　could
once　more　mount　your　good　Rocinante；　who　seems　to　be　enchanted　too；　he
is　so　melancholy　and　dejected；　and　then　we　might　try　our　chance　in
looking　for　adventures　again；　and　if　we　have　no　luck　there　will　be
time　enough　to　go　back　to　the　cage；　in　which；　on　the　faith　of　a　good
and　loyal　squire；　I　promise　to　shut　myself　up　along　with　your　worship；
if　so　be　you　are　so　unfortunate；　or　I　so　stupid；　as　not　to　be　able
to　carry　out　my　plan。〃
　　〃I　am　content　to　do　as　thou　sayest；　brother　Sancho；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　〃and　when　thou　seest　an　opportunity　for　effecting　my
release　I　will　obey　thee　absolutely；　but　thou　wilt　see；　Sancho；　how
mistaken　thou　art　in　thy　conception　of　my　misfortune。〃
　　The　knight…errant　and　the　ill…errant　squire　kept　up　their
conversation　till　they　reached　the　place　where　the　curate；　the
canon；　and　the　barber；　who　had　already　dismounted；　were　waiting　for
them。　The　carter　at　once　unyoked　the　oxen　and　left　them　to　roam　at
large　about　the　pleasant　green　spot；　the　freshness　of　which　seemed
to　invite；　not　enchanted　people　like　Don　Quixote；　but　wide…awake；
sensible　folk　like　his　squire；　who　begged　the　curate　to　allow　his
master　to　leave　the　cage　for　a　little；　for　if　they　did　not　let　him
out；　the　prison　might　not　be　as　clean　as　the　propriety　of　such　a
gentleman　as　his　master　required。　The　curate　understood　him；　and
said　he　would　very　gladly　comply　with　his　request；　only　that　he　feared
his　master；　finding　himself　at　liberty；　would　take　to　his　old
courses　and　make　off　where　nobody　could　ever　find　him　again。
　　〃I　will　answer　for　his　not　running　away；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃And　I　also；〃　said　the　canon；　〃especially　if　he　gives　me　his　word　as
a　knight　not　to　leave　us　without　our　consent。〃
　　Don　Quixote；　who　was　listening　to　all　this；　said；　〃I　give　it；…
moreover　one　who　is　enchanted　as　I　am　cannot　do　as　he　likes　with
himself；　for　he　who　had　enchanted　him　could　prevent　his　moving　from
one　place　for　three　ages；　and　if　he　attempted　to　escape　would　bring
him　back　flying。〃…　And　that　being　so；　they　might　as　well　release
him；　particularly　as　it　would　be　to　the　advantage　of　all；　for；　if　they
did　not　let　him　out；　he　protested　he　would　be　unable　to　avoid
offending　their　nostrils　unless　they　kept　their　distance。
　　The　canon　took　his　hand；　tied　together　as　they　both　were；　and　on　his
word　and　promise　they　unbound　him；　and　rejoiced　beyond　measure　he
was　to　find　himself　out　of　the　cage。　The　first　thing　he　did　was　to
stretch　himself　all　over；　and　then　he　went　to　where　Rocinante　was
standing　and　giving　him　a　couple　of　slaps　on　the　haunches　said；　〃I
still　trust　in　God　and　in　his　blessed　mother；　O　flower　and　mirror　of
steeds；　that　we　shall　soon　see　ourselves；　both　of　us；　as　we　wish　to
be；　thou　with　thy　master　on　thy　back；　and　I　mounted　upon　thee；
following　the　calling　for　which　God　sent　me　into　the　world。〃　And　so
saying；　accompanied　by　Sancho；　he　withdrew　to　a　retired　spot；　from
which　he　came　back　much　relieved　and　more　eager　than　ever　to　put　his
squire's　scheme　into　execution。
　　The　canon　gazed　at　him；　wondering　at　the　extraordinary　nature　of　his
madness；　and　that　in　all　his　remarks　and　replies　he　should　show　such
excellent　sense；　and　only　lose　his　stirrups；　as　has　been　already　said；
when　the　subject　of　chivalry　was　broached。　And　so；　moved　by
compassion；　he　said　to　him；　as　they　all　sat　on　the　green　grass
awaiting　the　arrival　of　the　provisions：
　　〃Is　it　possible；　gentle　sir；　that　the　nauseous　and　idle　reading　of
books　of　chivalry　can　have　had　such　an　effect　on　your　worship　as　to
upset　your　reason　so　that　you　fancy　yourself　enchanted；　and　the
like；　all　as　far　from　the　truth　as　falsehood　itself　is？　How　can
there　be　any　human　understanding　that　can　persuade　itself　there　ever
was　all　that　infinity　of　Amadises　in　the　world；　or　all　that
multitude　of　famous　knights；　all　those　emperors　of　Trebizond；　all
those　Felixmartes　of　Hircania；　all　those　palfreys；　and　damsels…errant；
and　serpents；　and　monsters；　and　giants；　and　marvellous　adventures；　and
enchantments　of　every　kind；　and　battles；　and　prodigious　encounters；
splendid　costumes；　love…sick　princesses；　squires　made　counts；　droll
dwarfs；　love　letters；　billings　and　cooings；　swashbuckler　women；　and；
in　a　w