don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第13章

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Caballero；　we　are　not　devilish　or　unnatural；　but　two　brothers　of　St。
Benedict　following　our　road；　nor　do　we　know　whether　or　not　there　are
any　captive　princesses　coming　in　this　coach。〃
　　〃No　soft　words　with　me；　for　I　know　you；　lying　rabble；〃　said　Don
Quixote；　and　without　waiting　for　a　reply　he　spurred　Rocinante　and　with
levelled　lance　charged　the　first　friar　with　such　fury　and
determination；　that；　if　the　friar　had　not　flung　himself　off　the
mule；　he　would　have　brought　him　to　the　ground　against　his　will；　and
sore　wounded；　if　not　killed　outright。　The　second　brother；　seeing　how
his　comrade　was　treated；　drove　his　heels　into　his　castle　of　a　mule　and
made　off　across　the　country　faster　than　the　wind。
　　Sancho　Panza；　when　he　saw　the　friar　on　the　ground；　dismounting
briskly　from　his　ass；　rushed　towards　him　and　began　to　strip　off　his
gown。　At　that　instant　the　friars　muleteers　came　up　and　asked　what　he
was　stripping　him　for。　Sancho　answered　them　that　this　fell　to　him
lawfully　as　spoil　of　the　battle　which　his　lord　Don　Quixote　had　won。
The　muleteers；　who　had　no　idea　of　a　joke　and　did　not　understand　all
this　about　battles　and　spoils；　seeing　that　Don　Quixote　was　some
distance　off　talking　to　the　travellers　in　the　coach；　fell　upon　Sancho；
knocked　him　down；　and　leaving　hardly　a　hair　in　his　beard；　belaboured
him　with　kicks　and　left　him　stretched　breathless　and　senseless　on
the　ground；　and　without　any　more　delay　helped　the　friar　to　mount；　who；
trembling；　terrified；　and　pale；　as　soon　as　he　found　himself　in　the
saddle；　spurred　after　his　companion；　who　was　standing　at　a　distance
looking　on；　watching　the　result　of　the　onslaught；　then；　not　caring
to　wait　for　the　end　of　the　affair　just　begun；　they　pursued　their
journey　making　more　crosses　than　if　they　had　the　devil　after　them。
　　Don　Quixote　was；　as　has　been　said；　speaking　to　the　lady　in　the
coach：　〃Your　beauty；　lady　mine；〃　said　he；　〃may　now　dispose　of　your
person　as　may　be　most　in　accordance　with　your　pleasure；　for　the
pride　of　your　ravishers　lies　prostrate　on　the　ground　through　this
strong　arm　of　mine；　and　lest　you　should　be　pining　to　know　the　name
of　your　deliverer；　know　that　I　am　called　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；
knight…errant　and　adventurer；　and　captive　to　the　peerless　and
beautiful　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso：　and　in　return　for　the　service
you　have　received　of　me　I　ask　no　more　than　that　you　should　return　to
El　Toboso；　and　on　my　behalf　present　yourself　before　that　lady　and　tell
her　what　I　have　done　to　set　you　free。〃
　　One　of　the　squires　in　attendance　upon　the　coach；　a　Biscayan；　was
listening　to　all　Don　Quixote　was　saying；　and；　perceiving　that　he　would
not　allow　the　coach　to　go　on；　but　was　saying　it　must　return　at　once　to
El　Toboso；　he　made　at　him；　and　seizing　his　lance　addressed　him　in
bad　Castilian　and　worse　Biscayan　after　his　fashion；　〃Begone；
caballero；　and　ill　go　with　thee；　by　the　God　that　made　me；　unless
thou　quittest　coach；　slayest　thee　as　art　here　a　Biscayan。〃
　　Don　Quixote　understood　him　quite　well；　and　answered　him　very
quietly；　〃If　thou　wert　a　knight；　as　thou　art　none；　I　should　have
already　chastised　thy　folly　and　rashness；　miserable　creature。〃　To
which　the　Biscayan　returned；　〃I　no　gentleman！　…I　swear　to　God　thou
liest　as　I　am　Christian：　if　thou　droppest　lance　and　drawest　sword；
soon　shalt　thou　see　thou　art　carrying　water　to　the　cat：　Biscayan　on
land；　hidalgo　at　sea；　hidalgo　at　the　devil；　and　look；　if　thou　sayest
otherwise　thou　liest。〃
　　〃'〃You　will　see　presently；〃　said　Agrajes；'〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　and
throwing　his　lance　on　the　ground　he　drew　his　sword；　braced　his　buckler
on　his　arm；　and　attacked　the　Biscayan；　bent　upon　taking　his　life。
　　The　Biscayan；　when　he　saw　him　coming　on；　though　he　wished　to
dismount　from　his　mule；　in　which；　being　one　of　those　sorry　ones　let
out　for　hire；　he　had　no　confidence；　had　no　choice　but　to　draw　his
sword；　it　was　lucky　for　him；　however；　that　he　was　near　the　coach；　from
which　he　was　able　to　snatch　a　cushion　that　served　him　for　a　shield；
and　they　went　at　one　another　as　if　they　had　been　two　mortal　enemies。
The　others　strove　to　make　peace　between　them；　but　could　not；　for　the
Biscayan　declared　in　his　disjointed　phrase　that　if　they　did　not　let
him　finish　his　battle　he　would　kill　his　mistress　and　everyone　that
strove　to　prevent　him。　The　lady　in　the　coach；　amazed　and　terrified
at　what　she　saw；　ordered　the　coachman　to　draw　aside　a　little；　and
set　herself　to　watch　this　severe　struggle；　in　the　course　of　which
the　Biscayan　smote　Don　Quixote　a　mighty　stroke　on　the　shoulder　over
the　top　of　his　buckler；　which；　given　to　one　without　armour；　would　have
cleft　him　to　the　waist。　Don　Quixote；　feeling　the　weight　of　this
prodigious　blow；　cried　aloud；　saying；　〃O　lady　of　my　soul；　Dulcinea；
flower　of　beauty；　come　to　the　aid　of　this　your　knight；　who；　in
fulfilling　his　obligations　to　your　beauty；　finds　himself　in　this
extreme　peril。〃　To　say　this；　to　lift　his　sword；　to　shelter　himself
well　behind　his　buckler；　and　to　assail　the　Biscayan　was　the　work　of　an
instant；　determined　as　he　was　to　venture　all　upon　a　single　blow。　The
Biscayan；　seeing　him　come　on　in　this　way；　was　convinced　of　his　courage
by　his　spirited　bearing；　and　resolved　to　follow　his　example；　so　he
waited　for　him　keeping　well　under　cover　of　his　cushion；　being　unable
to　execute　any　sort　of　manoeuvre　with　his　mule；　which；　dead　tired
and　never　meant　for　this　kind　of　game；　could　not　stir　a　step。
　　On；　then；　as　aforesaid；　came　Don　Quixote　against　the　wary
Biscayan；　with　uplifted　sword　and　a　firm　intention　of　splitting　him　in
half；　while　on　his　side　the　Biscayan　waited　for　him　sword　in　hand；　and
under　the　protection　of　his　cushion；　and　all　present　stood
trembling；　waiting　in　suspense　the　result　of　blows　such　as
threatened　to　fall；　and　the　lady　in　the　coach　and　the　rest　of　her
following　were　making　a　thousand　vows　and　offerings　to　all　the
images　and　shrines　of　Spain；　that　God　might　deliver　her　squire　and　all
of　them　from　this　great　peril　in　which　they　found　themselves。　But　it
spoils　all；　that　at　this　point　and　crisis　the　author　of　the　history
leaves　this　battle　impending；　giving　as　excuse　that　he　could　find
nothing　more　written　about　these　achievements　of　Don　Quixote　than　what
has　been　already　set　forth。　It　is　true　the　second　author　of　this
work　was　unwilling　to　believe　that　a　history　so　curious　could　have
been　allowed　to　fall　under　the　sentence　of　oblivion；　or　that　the
wits　of　La　Mancha　could　have　been　so　undiscerning　as　not　to　preserve
in　their　archives　or　registries　some　documents　referring　to　this
famous　knight；　and　this　being　his　persuasion；　he　did　not　despair　of
finding　the　conclusion　of　this　pleasant　history；　which；　heaven
favouring　him；　he　did　find　in　a　way　that　shall　be　related　in　the
Second　Part。

　　CHAPTER　IX
　　IN　WHICH　IS　CONCLUDED　AND　FINISHED　THE　TERRIFIC　BATTLE　BETWEEN　THE
GALLANT　BISCAYAN　AND　THE　VALIANT　MANCHEGAN

　　IN　THE　First　Part　of　this　history　we　left　the　valiant　Biscayan　and
the　renowned　Don　Quixote　with　drawn　swords　uplifted；　ready　to
deliver　two　such　furious　slashing　blows　that　if　they　had　fallen　full
and　fair　they　would　at　least　have　split　and　cleft　them　asunder　from
top　to　toe　and　laid　them　open　like　a　pomegranate；　and　at　this　so
critical　point　the　delightful　history　came　to　a　stop　and　stood　cut
short　without　any　intimation　from　the　author　where　what　was　missing
was　to　be　found。
　　This　distressed　me　greatly；　because　the　pleasure　derived　from　having
read　such　a　small　portion　turned　to　vexation　at　the　thought　of　the
poor　chance　that　presented　itself　of　finding　the　large　part　that；　so
it　seemed　to　me；　was　missing　of　such　an　interesting　tale。　It
appeared　to　me　to　be　a　thing　impossible　and　contrary　to　all
precedent　that　so　good　a　knight　should　have　been　without　some　sage
to　undertake　the　task　of　writing　his　marvellous　achievements；　a
thing　that　was　never　wanting　to　any　of　those　knights…errant　who；
they　say；　went　after　adventures；　for　every　one　of　them　had　one　or
two　sages　as　if　made　on　purpose；　who　not　only　recorded　their　deeds　but
described　their　most　trifling　thoughts　and　follies；　however　secret
they　might　be；　and　such　a　good　knight　could　not　have　been　so
unfortunate　as　not　to　have　what　Platir　an