don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第14章

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they　might　be；　and　such　a　good　knight　could　not　have　been　so
unfortunate　as　not　to　have　what　Platir　and　others　like　him　had　in
abundance。　And　so　I　could　not　bring　myself　to　believe　that　such　a
gallant　tale　had　been　left　maimed　and　mutilated；　and　I　laid　the
blame　on　Time；　the　devourer　and　destroyer　of　all　things；　that　had
either　concealed　or　consumed　it。
　　On　the　other　hand；　it　struck　me　that；　inasmuch　as　among　his　books
there　had　been　found　such　modern　ones　as　〃The　Enlightenment　of
Jealousy〃　and　the　〃Nymphs　and　Shepherds　of　Henares；〃　his　story　must
likewise　be　modern；　and　that　though　it　might　not　be　written；　it
might　exist　in　the　memory　of　the　people　of　his　village　and　of　those　in
the　neighbourhood。　This　reflection　kept　me　perplexed　and　longing　to
know　really　and　truly　the　whole　life　and　wondrous　deeds　of　our
famous　Spaniard；　Don　Quixote　of　La　Mancha；　light　and　mirror　of
Manchegan　chivalry；　and　the　first　that　in　our　age　and　in　these　so　evil
days　devoted　himself　to　the　labour　and　exercise　of　the　arms　of
knight…errantry；　righting　wrongs；　succouring　widows；　and　protecting
damsels　of　that　sort　that　used　to　ride　about；　whip　in　hand；　on　their
palfreys；　with　all　their　virginity　about　them；　from　mountain　to
mountain　and　valley　to　valley…　for；　if　it　were　not　for　some　ruffian；
or　boor　with　a　hood　and　hatchet；　or　monstrous　giant；　that　forced　them；
there　were　in　days　of　yore　damsels　that　at　the　end　of　eighty　years；　in
all　which　time　they　had　never　slept　a　day　under　a　roof；　went　to
their　graves　as　much　maids　as　the　mothers　that　bore　them。　I　say；　then；
that　in　these　and　other　respects　our　gallant　Don　Quixote　is　worthy
of　everlasting　and　notable　praise；　nor　should　it　be　withheld　even　from
me　for　the　labour　and　pains　spent　in　searching　for　the　conclusion　of
this　delightful　history；　though　I　know　well　that　if　Heaven；　chance　and
good　fortune　had　not　helped　me；　the　world　would　have　remained　deprived
of　an　entertainment　and　pleasure　that　for　a　couple　of　hours　or　so
may　well　occupy　him　who　shall　read　it　attentively。　The　discovery　of　it
occurred　in　this　way。
　　One　day；　as　I　was　in　the　Alcana　of　Toledo；　a　boy　came　up　to　sell
some　pamphlets　and　old　papers　to　a　silk　mercer；　and；　as　I　am　fond　of
reading　even　the　very　scraps　of　paper　in　the　streets；　led　by　this
natural　bent　of　mine　I　took　up　one　of　the　pamphlets　the　boy　had　for
sale；　and　saw　that　it　was　in　characters　which　I　recognised　as
Arabic；　and　as　I　was　unable　to　read　them　though　I　could　recognise
them；　I　looked　about　to　see　if　there　were　any　Spanish…speaking　Morisco
at　hand　to　read　them　for　me；　nor　was　there　any　great　difficulty　in
finding　such　an　interpreter；　for　even　had　I　sought　one　for　an　older
and　better　language　I　should　have　found　him。　In　short；　chance　provided
me　with　one；　who　when　I　told　him　what　I　wanted　and　put　the　book　into
his　hands；　opened　it　in　the　middle　and　after　reading　a　little　in　it
began　to　laugh。　I　asked　him　what　he　was　laughing　at；　and　he　replied
that　it　was　at　something　the　book　had　written　in　the　margin　by　way
of　a　note。　I　bade　him　tell　it　to　me；　and　he　still　laughing　said；　〃In
the　margin；　as　I　told　you；　this　is　written：　'This　Dulcinea　del
Toboso　so　often　mentioned　in　this　history；　had；　they　say；　the　best
hand　of　any　woman　in　all　La　Mancha　for　salting　pigs。'〃
　　When　I　heard　Dulcinea　del　Toboso　named；　I　was　struck　with　surprise
and　amazement；　for　it　occurred　to　me　at　once　that　these　pamphlets
contained　the　history　of　Don　Quixote。　With　this　idea　I　pressed　him
to　read　the　beginning；　and　doing　so；　turning　the　Arabic　offhand　into
Castilian；　he　told　me　it　meant；　〃History　of　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha；　written　by　Cide　Hamete　Benengeli；　an　Arab　historian。〃　It
required　great　caution　to　hide　the　joy　I　felt　when　the　title　of　the
book　reached　my　ears；　and　snatching　it　from　the　silk　mercer；　I
bought　all　the　papers　and　pamphlets　from　the　boy　for　half　a　real；
and　if　he　had　had　his　wits　about　him　and　had　known　how　eager　I　was　for
them；　he　might　have　safely　calculated　on　making　more　than　six　reals　by
the　bargain。　I　withdrew　at　once　with　the　Morisco　into　the　cloister
of　the　cathedral；　and　begged　him　to　turn　all　these　pamphlets　that
related　to　Don　Quixote　into　the　Castilian　tongue；　without　omitting
or　adding　anything　to　them；　offering　him　whatever　payment　he
pleased。　He　was　satisfied　with　two　arrobas　of　raisins　and　two
bushels　of　wheat；　and　promised　to　translate　them　faithfully　and　with
all　despatch；　but　to　make　the　matter　easier；　and　not　to　let　such　a
precious　find　out　of　my　hands；　I　took　him　to　my　house；　where　in　little
more　than　a　month　and　a　half　he　translated　the　whole　just　as　it　is　set
down　here。
　　In　the　first　pamphlet　the　battle　between　Don　Quixote　and　the
Biscayan　was　drawn　to　the　very　life；　they　planted　in　the　same　attitude
as　the　history　describes；　their　swords　raised；　and　the　one　protected
by　his　buckler；　the　other　by　his　cushion；　and　the　Biscayan's　mule　so
true　to　nature　that　it　could　be　seen　to　be　a　hired　one　a　bowshot
off。　The　Biscayan　had　an　inscription　under　his　feet　which　said；　〃Don
Sancho　de　Azpeitia；〃　which　no　doubt　must　have　been　his　name；　and　at
the　feet　of　Rocinante　was　another　that　said；　〃Don　Quixote。〃
Rocinante　was　marvellously　portrayed；　so　long　and　thin；　so　lank　and
lean；　with　so　much　backbone　and　so　far　gone　in　consumption；　that　he
showed　plainly　with　what　judgment　and　propriety　the　name　of
Rocinante　had　been　bestowed　upon　him。　Near　him　was　Sancho　Panza
holding　the　halter　of　his　ass；　at　whose　feet　was　another　label　that
said；　〃Sancho　Zancas；〃　and　according　to　the　picture；　he　must　have
had　a　big　belly；　a　short　body；　and　long　shanks；　for　which　reason；　no
doubt；　the　names　of　Panza　and　Zancas　were　given　him；　for　by　these
two　surnames　the　history　several　times　calls　him。　Some　other
trifling　particulars　might　be　mentioned；　but　they　are　all　of　slight
importance　and　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　true　relation　of　the
history；　and　no　history　can　be　bad　so　long　as　it　is　true。
　　If　against　the　present　one　any　objection　be　raised　on　the　score　of
its　truth；　it　can　only　be　that　its　author　was　an　Arab；　as　lying　is　a
very　common　propensity　with　those　of　that　nation；　though；　as　they
are　such　enemies　of　ours；　it　is　conceivable　that　there　were
omissions　rather　than　additions　made　in　the　course　of　it。　And　this
is　my　own　opinion；　for；　where　he　could　and　should　give　freedom　to
his　pen　in　praise　of　so　worthy　a　knight；　he　seems　to　me　deliberately
to　pass　it　over　in　silence；　which　is　ill　done　and　worse　contrived；　for
it　is　the　business　and　duty　of　historians　to　be　exact；　truthful；　and
wholly　free　from　passion；　and　neither　interest　nor　fear；　hatred　nor
love；　should　make　them　swerve　from　the　path　of　truth；　whose　mother
is　history；　rival　of　time；　storehouse　of　deeds；　witness　for　the
past；　example　and　counsel　for　the　present；　and　warning　for　the　future。
In　this　I　know　will　be　found　all　that　can　be　desired　in　the
pleasantest；　and　if　it　be　wanting　in　any　good　quality；　I　maintain　it
is　the　fault　of　its　hound　of　an　author　and　not　the　fault　of　the
subject。　To　be　brief；　its　Second　Part；　according　to　the　translation；
began　in　this　way：
　　With　trenchant　swords　upraised　and　poised　on　high；　it　seemed　as
though　the　two　valiant　and　wrathful　combatants　stood　threatening
heaven；　and　earth；　and　hell；　with　such　resolution　and　determination
did　they　bear　themselves。　The　fiery　Biscayan　was　the　first　to　strike　a
blow；　which　was　delivered　with　such　force　and　fury　that　had　not　the
sword　turned　in　its　course；　that　single　stroke　would　have　sufficed
to　put　an　end　to　the　bitter　struggle　and　to　all　the　adventures　of
our　knight；　but　that　good　fortune　which　reserved　him　for　greater
things；　turned　aside　the　sword　of　his　adversary；　so　that　although　it
smote　him　upon　the　left　shoulder；　it　did　him　no　more　harm　than　to
strip　all　that　side　of　its　armour；　carrying　away　a　great　part　of　his
helmet　with　half　of　his　ear；　all　which　with　fearful　ruin　fell　to　the
ground；　leaving　him　in　a　sorry　plight。
　　Good　God！　Who　is　there　that　could　properly　describe　the　rage　that
filled　the　heart　of　our　Manchegan　when　he　saw　himself　dealt　with　in
this　fashion？　All　that　can　be　said　is；　it　was　such　that　he　again
raised　himself　in　his　st