don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第140章

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answer　the　numberless　silly　petitions　they　present　every　day；　for
one　of　the　greatest　among　the　many　troubles　kings　have　is　being
obliged　to　listen　to　all　and　answer　all；　and　therefore　I　should　be
sorry　that　any　affairs　of　mine　should　worry　him。〃
　　Whereupon　the　housekeeper　said；　〃Tell　us；　senor；　at　his　Majesty's
court　are　there　no　knights？〃
　　〃There　are；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃and　plenty　of　them；　and　it　is
right　there　should　be；　to　set　off　the　dignity　of　the　prince；　and　for
the　greater　glory　of　the　king's　majesty。〃
　　〃Then　might　not　your　worship；〃　said　she；　〃be　one　of　those　that；
without　stirring　a　step；　serve　their　king　and　lord　in　his　court？〃
　　〃Recollect；　my　friend；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃all　knights　cannot　be
courtiers；　nor　can　all　courtiers　be　knights…errant；　nor　need　they
be。　There　must　be　all　sorts　in　the　world；　and　though　we　may　be　all
knights；　there　is　a　great　difference　between　one　and　another；　for
the　courtiers；　without　quitting　their　chambers；　or　the　threshold　of
the　court；　range　the　world　over　by　looking　at　a　map；　without　its
costing　them　a　farthing；　and　without　suffering　heat　or　cold；　hunger　or
thirst；　but　we；　the　true　knights…errant；　measure　the　whole　earth
with　our　own　feet；　exposed　to　the　sun；　to　the　cold；　to　the　air；　to　the
inclemencies　of　heaven；　by　day　and　night；　on　foot　and　on　horseback；
nor　do　we　only　know　enemies　in　pictures；　but　in　their　own　real　shapes；
and　at　all　risks　and　on　all　occasions　we　attack　them；　without　any
regard　to　childish　points　or　rules　of　single　combat；　whether　one　has
or　has　not　a　shorter　lance　or　sword；　whether　one　carries　relics　or　any
secret　contrivance　about　him；　whether　or　not　the　sun　is　to　be
divided　and　portioned　out；　and　other　niceties　of　the　sort　that　are
observed　in　set　combats　of　man　to　man；　that　you　know　nothing　about；
but　I　do。　And　you　must　know　besides；　that　the　true　knight…errant；
though　he　may　see　ten　giants；　that　not　only　touch　the　clouds　with
their　heads　but　pierce　them；　and　that　go；　each　of　them；　on　two　tall
towers　by　way　of　legs；　and　whose　arms　are　like　the　masts　of　mighty
ships；　and　each　eye　like　a　great　mill…wheel；　and　glowing　brighter　than
a　glass　furnace；　must　not　on　any　account　be　dismayed　by　them。　On　the
contrary；　he　must　attack　and　fall　upon　them　with　a　gallant　bearing　and
a　fearless　heart；　and；　if　possible；　vanquish　and　destroy　them；　even
though　they　have　for　armour　the　shells　of　a　certain　fish；　that　they
say　are　harder　than　diamonds；　and　in　place　of　swords　wield　trenchant
blades　of　Damascus　steel；　or　clubs　studded　with　spikes　also　of
steel；　such　as　I　have　more　than　once　seen。　All　this　I　say；
housekeeper；　that　you　may　see　the　difference　there　is　between　the
one　sort　of　knight　and　the　other；　and　it　would　be　well　if　there　were
no　prince　who　did　not　set　a　higher　value　on　this　second；　or　more
properly　speaking　first；　kind　of　knights…errant；　for；　as　we　read　in
their　histories；　there　have　been　some　among　them　who　have　been　the
salvation；　not　merely　of　one　kingdom；　but　of　many。〃
　　〃Ah；　senor；〃　here　exclaimed　the　niece；　〃remember　that　all　this　you
are　saying　about　knights…errant　is　fable　and　fiction；　and　their
histories；　if　indeed　they　were　not　burned；　would　deserve；　each　of
them；　to　have　a　sambenito　put　on　it；　or　some　mark　by　which　it　might　be
known　as　infamous　and　a　corrupter　of　good　manners。〃
　　〃By　the　God　that　gives　me　life；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou　wert　not
my　full　niece；　being　daughter　of　my　own　sister；　I　would　inflict　a
chastisement　upon　thee　for　the　blasphemy　thou　hast　uttered　that　all
the　world　should　ring　with。　What！　can　it　be　that　a　young　hussy　that
hardly　knows　how　to　handle　a　dozen　lace…bobbins　dares　to　wag　her
tongue　and　criticise　the　histories　of　knights…errant？　What　would　Senor
Amadis　say　if　he　heard　of　such　a　thing？　He；　however；　no　doubt　would
forgive　thee；　for　he　was　the　most　humble…minded　and　courteous　knight
of　his　time；　and　moreover　a　great　protector　of　damsels；　but　some　there
are　that　might　have　heard　thee；　and　it　would　not　have　been　well　for
thee　in　that　case；　for　they　are　not　all　courteous　or　mannerly；　some
are　ill…conditioned　scoundrels；　nor　is　it　everyone　that　calls
himself　a　gentleman；　that　is　so　in　all　respects；　some　are　gold；　others
pinchbeck；　and　all　look　like　gentlemen；　but　not　all　can　stand　the
touchstone　of　truth。　There　are　men　of　low　rank　who　strain　themselves
to　bursting　to　pass　for　gentlemen；　and　high　gentlemen　who；　one　would
fancy；　were　dying　to　pass　for　men　of　low　rank；　the　former　raise
themselves　by　their　ambition　or　by　their　virtues；　the　latter　debase
themselves　by　their　lack　of　spirit　or　by　their　vices；　and　one　has　need
of　experience　and　discernment　to　distinguish　these　two　kinds　of
gentlemen；　so　much　alike　in　name　and　so　different　in　conduct。〃
　　〃God　bless　me！〃　said　the　niece；　〃that　you　should　know　so　much；
uncle…　enough；　if　need　be；　to　get　up　into　a　pulpit　and　go　preach　in
the　streets　…and　yet　that　you　should　fall　into　a　delusion　so　great　and
a　folly　so　manifest　as　to　try　to　make　yourself　out　vigorous　when　you
are　old；　strong　when　you　are　sickly；　able　to　put　straight　what　is
crooked　when　you　yourself　are　bent　by　age；　and；　above　all；　a　caballero
when　you　are　not　one；　for　though　gentlefolk　may　he　so；　poor　men　are
nothing　of　the　kind！〃
　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　what　you　say；　niece；〃　returned
Don　Quixote；　〃and　I　could　tell　you　somewhat　about　birth　that　would
astonish　you；　but；　not　to　mix　up　things　human　and　divine；　I　refrain。
Look　you；　my　dears；　all　the　lineages　in　the　world　（attend　to　what　I　am
saying）　can　be　reduced　to　four　sorts；　which　are　these：　those　that
had　humble　beginnings；　and　went　on　spreading　and　extending
themselves　until　they　attained　surpassing　greatness；　those　that　had
great　beginnings　and　maintained　them；　and　still　maintain　and　uphold
the　greatness　of　their　origin；　those；　again；　that　from　a　great
beginning　have　ended　in　a　point　like　a　pyramid；　having　reduced　and
lessened　their　original　greatness　till　it　has　come　to　nought；　like　the
point　of　a　pyramid；　which；　relatively　to　its　base　or　foundation；　is
nothing；　and　then　there　are　those…　and　it　is　they　that　are　the　most
numerous…　that　have　had　neither　an　illustrious　beginning　nor　a
remarkable　mid…course；　and　so　will　have　an　end　without　a　name；　like　an
ordinary　plebeian　line。　Of　the　first；　those　that　had　an　humble
origin　and　rose　to　the　greatness　they　still　preserve；　the　Ottoman
house　may　serve　as　an　example；　which　from　an　humble　and　lowly
shepherd；　its　founder；　has　reached　the　height　at　which　we　now　see
it。　For　examples　of　the　second　sort　of　lineage；　that　began　with
greatness　and　maintains　it　still　without　adding　to　it；　there　are　the
many　princes　who　have　inherited　the　dignity；　and　maintain　themselves
in　their　inheritance；　without　increasing　or　diminishing　it；　keeping
peacefully　within　the　limits　of　their　states。　Of　those　that　began
great　and　ended　in　a　point；　there　are　thousands　of　examples；　for　all
the　Pharaohs　and　Ptolemies　of　Egypt；　the　Caesars　of　Rome；　and　the
whole　herd　（if　I　may　such　a　word　to　them）　of　countless　princes；
monarchs；　lords；　Medes；　Assyrians；　Persians；　Greeks；　and　barbarians；
all　these　lineages　and　lordships　have　ended　in　a　point　and　come　to
nothing；　they　themselves　as　well　as　their　founders；　for　it　would　be
impossible　now　to　find　one　of　their　descendants；　and；　even　should　we
find　one；　it　would　be　in　some　lowly　and　humble　condition。　Of
plebeian　lineages　I　have　nothing　to　say；　save　that　they　merely　serve
to　swell　the　number　of　those　that　live；　without　any　eminence　to
entitle　them　to　any　fame　or　praise　beyond　this。　From　all　I　have　said　I
would　have　you　gather；　my　poor　innocents；　that　great　is　the
confusion　among　lineages；　and　that　only　those　are　seen　to　be　great　and
illustrious　that　show　themselves　so　by　the　virtue；　wealth；　and
generosity　of　their　possessors。　I　have　said　virtue；　wealth；　and
generosity；　because　a　great　man　who　is　vicious　will　be　a　great　example
of　vice；　and　a　rich　man　who　is　not　generous　will　be　merely　a　miserly
beggar；　for　the　possessor　of　wealth　is　not　made　happy　by　possessing
it；　but　by　spending　it；　and　not　by　spending　as　he　pleases；　but　by
knowing　how　to　spend　it　well。　The　poor　gentleman　has　no　way　of　s