don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第132章

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　　〃'I　know　I　am　cured；'　returned　the　licentiate；　'and　that　I　shall　not
have　to　go　stations　again。'
　　〃'You　cured！'　said　the　madman；　'well；　we　shall　see；　God　be　with　you；
but　I　swear　to　you　by　Jupiter；　whose　majesty　I　represent　on　earth；
that　for　this　crime　alone；　which　Seville　is　committing　to…day　in
releasing　you　from　this　house；　and　treating　you　as　if　you　were　in　your
senses；　I　shall　have　to　inflict　such　a　punishment　on　it　as　will　be
remembered　for　ages　and　ages；　amen。　Dost　thou　not　know；　thou　miserable
little　licentiate；　that　I　can　do　it；　being；　as　I　say；　Jupiter　the
Thunderer；　who　hold　in　my　hands　the　fiery　bolts　with　which　I　am　able
and　am　wont　to　threaten　and　lay　waste　the　world？　But　in　one　way　only
will　I　punish　this　ignorant　town；　and　that　is　by　not　raining　upon
it；　nor　on　any　part　of　its　district　or　territory；　for　three　whole
years；　to　be　reckoned　from　the　day　and　moment　when　this　threat　is
pronounced。　Thou　free；　thou　cured；　thou　in　thy　senses！　and　I　mad；　I
disordered；　I　bound！　I　will　as　soon　think　of　sending　rain　as　of
hanging　myself。
　　〃Those　present　stood　listening　to　the　words　and　exclamations　of
the　madman；　but　our　licentiate；　turning　to　the　chaplain　and　seizing
him　by　the　hands；　said　to　him；　'Be　not　uneasy；　senor；　attach　no
importance　to　what　this　madman　has　said；　for　if　he　is　Jupiter　and　will
not　send　rain；　I；　who　am　Neptune；　the　father　and　god　of　the　waters；
will　rain　as　often　as　it　pleases　me　and　may　be　needful。'
　　〃The　governor　and　the　bystanders　laughed；　and　at　their　laughter
the　chaplain　was　half　ashamed；　and　he　replied；　'For　all　that；　Senor
Neptune；　it　will　not　do　to　vex　Senor　Jupiter；　remain　where　you　are；
and　some　other　day；　when　there　is　a　better　opportunity　and　more
time；　we　will　come　back　for　you。'　So　they　stripped　the　licentiate；　and
he　was　left　where　he　was；　and　that's　the　end　of　the　story。〃
　　〃So　that's　the　story；　master　barber；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃which
came　in　so　pat　to　the　purpose　that　you　could　not　help　telling　it？
Master　shaver；　master　shaver！　how　blind　is　he　who　cannot　see　through　a
sieve。　Is　it　possible　that　you　do　not　know　that　comparisons　of　wit
with　wit；　valour　with　valour；　beauty　with　beauty；　birth　with　birth；
are　always　odious　and　unwelcome？　I；　master　barber；　am　not　Neptune；　the
god　of　the　waters；　nor　do　I　try　to　make　anyone　take　me　for　an　astute
man；　for　I　am　not　one。　My　only　endeavour　is　to　convince　the　world　of
the　mistake　it　makes　in　not　reviving　in　itself　the　happy　time　when　the
order　of　knight…errantry　was　in　the　field。　But　our　depraved　age　does
not　deserve　to　enjoy　such　a　blessing　as　those　ages　enjoyed　when
knights…errant　took　upon　their　shoulders　the　defence　of　kingdoms；
the　protection　of　damsels；　the　succour　of　orphans　and　minors；　the
chastisement　of　the　proud；　and　the　recompense　of　the　humble。　With
the　knights　of　these　days；　for　the　most　part；　it　is　the　damask；
brocade；　and　rich　stuffs　they　wear；　that　rustle　as　they　go；　not　the
chain　mail　of　their　armour；　no　knight　now…a…days　sleeps　in　the　open
field　exposed　to　the　inclemency　of　heaven；　and　in　full　panoply　from
head　to　foot；　no　one　now　takes　a　nap；　as　they　call　it；　without　drawing
his　feet　out　of　the　stirrups；　and　leaning　upon　his　lance；　as　the
knights…errant　used　to　do；　no　one　now；　issuing　from　the　wood；
penetrates　yonder　mountains；　and　then　treads　the　barren；　lonely
shore　of　the　sea…　mostly　a　tempestuous　and　stormy　one…　and　finding
on　the　beach　a　little　bark　without　oars；　sail；　mast；　or　tackling　of
any　kind；　in　the　intrepidity　of　his　heart　flings　himself　into　it　and
commits　himself　to　the　wrathful　billows　of　the　deep　sea；　that　one
moment　lift　him　up　to　heaven　and　the　next　plunge　him　into　the
depths；　and　opposing　his　breast　to　the　irresistible　gale；　finds
himself；　when　he　least　expects　it；　three　thousand　leagues　and　more
away　from　the　place　where　he　embarked；　and　leaping　ashore　in　a
remote　and　unknown　land　has　adventures　that　deserve　to　be　written；　not
on　parchment；　but　on　brass。　But　now　sloth　triumphs　over　energy；
indolence　over　exertion；　vice　over　virtue；　arrogance　over　courage；　and
theory　over　practice　in　arms；　which　flourished　and　shone　only　in　the
golden　ages　and　in　knights…errant。　For　tell　me；　who　was　more
virtuous　and　more　valiant　than　the　famous　Amadis　of　Gaul？　Who　more
discreet　than　Palmerin　of　England？　Who　more　gracious　and　easy　than
Tirante　el　Blanco？　Who　more　courtly　than　Lisuarte　of　Greece？　Who
more　slashed　or　slashing　than　Don　Belianis？　Who　more　intrepid　than
Perion　of　Gaul？　Who　more　ready　to　face　danger　than　Felixmarte　of
Hircania？　Who　more　sincere　than　Esplandian？　Who　more　impetuous　than
Don　Cirongilio　of　Thrace？　Who　more　bold　than　Rodamonte？　Who　more
prudent　than　King　Sobrino？　Who　more　daring　than　Reinaldos？　Who　more
invincible　than　Roland？　and　who　more　gallant　and　courteous　than
Ruggiero；　from　whom　the　dukes　of　Ferrara　of　the　present　day　are
descended；　according　to　Turpin　in　his　'Cosmography。'　All　these
knights；　and　many　more　that　I　could　name；　senor　curate；　were
knights…errant；　the　light　and　glory　of　chivalry。　These；　or　such　as
these；　I　would　have　to　carry　out　my　plan；　and　in　that　case　his　Majesty
would　find　himself　well　served　and　would　save　great　expense；　and　the
Turk　would　be　left　tearing　his　beard。　And　so　I　will　stay　where　I　am；
as　the　chaplain　does　not　take　me　away；　and　if　Jupiter；　as　the　barber
has　told　us；　will　not　send　rain；　here　am　I；　and　I　will　rain　when　I
please。　I　say　this　that　Master　Basin　may　know　that　I　understand　him。〃
　　〃Indeed；　Senor　Don　Quixote；〃　said　the　barber；　〃I　did　not　mean　it
in　that　way；　and；　so　help　me　God；　my　intention　was　good；　and　your
worship　ought　not　to　be　vexed。〃
　　〃As　to　whether　I　ought　to　be　vexed　or　not；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃I
myself　am　the　best　judge。〃
　　Hereupon　the　curate　observed；　〃I　have　hardly　said　a　word　as　yet；　and
I　would　gladly　be　relieved　of　a　doubt；　arising　from　what　Don　Quixote
has　said；　that　worries　and　works　my　conscience。〃
　　〃The　senor　curate　has　leave　for　more　than　that；〃　returned　Don
Quixote；　〃so　he　may　declare　his　doubt；　for　it　is　not　pleasant　to
have　a　doubt　on　one's　conscience。〃
　　〃Well　then；　with　that　permission；〃　said　the　curate；　〃I　say　my
doubt　is　that；　all　I　can　do；　I　cannot　persuade　myself　that　the　whole
pack　of　knights…errant　you；　Senor　Don　Quixote；　have　mentioned；　were
really　and　truly　persons　of　flesh　and　blood；　that　ever　lived　in　the
world；　on　the　contrary；　I　suspect　it　to　be　all　fiction；　fable；　and
falsehood；　and　dreams　told　by　men　awakened　from　sleep；　or　rather　still
half　asleep。〃
　　〃That　is　another　mistake；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃into　which　many
have　fallen　who　do　not　believe　that　there　ever　were　such　knights　in
the　world；　and　I　have　often；　with　divers　people　and　on　divers
occasions；　tried　to　expose　this　almost　universal　error　to　the　light　of
truth。　Sometimes　I　have　not　been　successful　in　my　purpose；　sometimes　I
have；　supporting　it　upon　the　shoulders　of　the　truth；　which　truth　is　so
clear　that　I　can　almost　say　I　have　with　my　own　eyes　seen　Amadis　of
Gaul；　who　was　a　man　of　lofty　stature；　fair　complexion；　with　a　handsome
though　black　beard；　of　a　countenance　between　gentle　and　stern　in
expression；　sparing　of　words；　slow　to　anger；　and　quick　to　put　it
away　from　him；　and　as　I　have　depicted　Amadis；　so　I　could；　I　think；
portray　and　describe　all　the　knights…errant　that　are　in　all　the
histories　in　the　world；　for　by　the　perception　I　have　that　they　were
what　their　histories　describe；　and　by　the　deeds　they　did　and　the
dispositions　they　displayed；　it　is　possible；　with　the　aid　of　sound
philosophy；　to　deduce　their　features；　complexion；　and　stature。〃
　　〃How　big；　in　your　worship's　opinion；　may　the　giant　Morgante　have
been；　Senor　Don　Quixote？〃　asked　the　barber。
　　〃With　regard　to　giants；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃opinions　differ　as　to
whether　there　ever　were　any　or　not　in　the　world；　but　the　Holy
Scripture；　which　cannot　err　by　a　jot　from　the　truth；　shows　us　that
there　were；　when　it　gives　us　the　history　of　that　big　Philistine；
Goliath；　who　was　seven　cubits　and　a　half　in　height；　which　is　a　huge
size。　Likewise；　in　the　island　of　Sicily；　there　have　been　found
leg…bones　and　arm…bones　so　large　that　their　size　makes　it　plain　that
their　owners　were　gian