don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第143章

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closed　helmet；　which　Don　Quixote　said　he　must　by　all　means　take。
Samson　offered　him　one；　as　he　knew　a　friend　of　his　who　had　it　would
not　refuse　it　to　him；　though　it　was　more　dingy　with　rust　and　mildew
than　bright　and　clean　like　burnished　steel。
　　The　curses　which　both　housekeeper　and　niece　poured　out　on　the
bachelor　were　past　counting；　they　tore　their　hair；　they　clawed　their
faces；　and　in　the　style　of　the　hired　mourners　that　were　once　in
fashion；　they　raised　a　lamentation　over　the　departure　of　their
master　and　uncle；　as　if　it　had　been　his　death。　Samson's　intention　in
persuading　him　to　sally　forth　once　more　was　to　do　what　the　history
relates　farther　on；　all　by　the　advice　of　the　curate　and　barber；　with
whom　he　had　previously　discussed　the　subject。　Finally；　then；　during
those　three　days；　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　provided　themselves　with　what
they　considered　necessary；　and　Sancho　having　pacified　his　wife；　and
Don　Quixote　his　niece　and　housekeeper；　at　nightfall；　unseen　by
anyone　except　the　bachelor；　who　thought　fit　to　accompany　them　half　a
league　out　of　the　village；　they　set　out　for　El　Toboso；　Don　Quixote
on　his　good　Rocinante　and　Sancho　on　his　old　Dapple；　his　alforjas
furnished　with　certain　matters　in　the　way　of　victuals；　and　his　purse
with　money　that　Don　Quixote　gave　him　to　meet　emergencies。　Samson
embraced　him；　and　entreated　him　to　let　him　hear　of　his　good　or　evil
fortunes；　so　that　he　might　rejoice　over　the　former　or　condole　with　him
over　the　latter；　as　the　laws　of　friendship　required。　Don　Quixote
promised　him　he　would　do　so；　and　Samson　returned　to　the　village；　and
the　other　two　took　the　road　for　the　great　city　of　El　Toboso。

　　CHAPTER　VIII
　　WHEREIN　IS　RELATED　WHAT　BEFELL　DON　QUIXOTE　ON　HIS　WAY　TO　SEE　HIS
LADY　DULCINEA　DEL　TOBOSO

　　〃BLESSED　be　Allah　the　all…powerful！〃　says　Hamete　Benengeli　on
beginning　this　eighth　chapter；　〃blessed　be　Allah！〃　he　repeats　three
times；　and　he　says　he　utters　these　thanksgivings　at　seeing　that　he　has
now　got　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　fairly　afield；　and　that　the　readers
of　his　delightful　history　may　reckon　that　the　achievements　and　humours
of　Don　Quixote　and　his　squire　are　now　about　to　begin；　and　he　urges
them　to　forget　the　former　chivalries　of　the　ingenious　gentleman　and　to
fix　their　eyes　on　those　that　are　to　come；　which　now　begin　on　the
road　to　El　Toboso；　as　the　others　began　on　the　plains　of　Montiel；　nor
is　it　much　that　he　asks　in　consideration　of　all　he　promises；　and　so　he
goes　on　to　say：
　　Don　Quixote　and　Sancho　were　left　alone；　and　the　moment　Samson　took
his　departure；　Rocinante　began　to　neigh；　and　Dapple　to　sigh；　which；　by
both　knight　and　squire；　was　accepted　as　a　good　sign　and　a　very　happy
omen；　though；　if　the　truth　is　to　be　told；　the　sighs　and　brays　of
Dapple　were　louder　than　the　neighings　of　the　hack；　from　which　Sancho
inferred　that　his　good　fortune　was　to　exceed　and　overtop　that　of　his
master；　building；　perhaps；　upon　some　judicial　astrology　that　he　may
have　known；　though　the　history　says　nothing　about　it；　all　that　can
be　said　is；　that　when　he　stumbled　or　fell；　he　was　heard　to　say　he
wished　he　had　not　come　out；　for　by　stumbling　or　falling　there　was
nothing　to　be　got　but　a　damaged　shoe　or　a　broken　rib；　and；　fool　as
he　was；　he　was　not　much　astray　in　this。
　　Said　Don　Quixote；　〃Sancho；　my　friend；　night　is　drawing　on　upon　us　as
we　go；　and　more　darkly　than　will　allow　us　to　reach　El　Toboso　by
daylight；　for　there　I　am　resolved　to　go　before　I　engage　in　another
adventure；　and　there　I　shall　obtain　the　blessing　and　generous
permission　of　the　peerless　Dulcinea；　with　which　permission　I　expect
and　feel　assured　that　I　shall　conclude　and　bring　to　a　happy
termination　every　perilous　adventure；　for　nothing　in　life　makes
knights…errant　more　valorous　than　finding　themselves　favoured　by　their
ladies。〃
　　〃So　I　believe；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃but　I　think　it　will　be　difficult
for　your　worship　to　speak　with　her　or　see　her；　at　any　rate　where　you
will　be　able　to　receive　her　blessing；　unless；　indeed；　she　throws　it
over　the　wall　of　the　yard　where　I　saw　her　the　time　before；　when　I　took
her　the　letter　that　told　of　the　follies　and　mad　things　your　worship
was　doing　in　the　heart　of　Sierra　Morena。〃
　　〃Didst　thou　take　that　for　a　yard　wall；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃where　or　at　which　thou　sawest　that　never　sufficiently　extolled
grace　and　beauty？　It　must　have　been　the　gallery；　corridor；　or
portico　of　some　rich　and　royal　palace。〃
　　〃It　might　have　been　all　that；〃　returned　Sancho；　〃but　to　me　it　looked
like　a　wall；　unless　I　am　short　of　memory。〃
　　〃At　all　events；　let　us　go　there；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for；　so
that　I　see　her；　it　is　the　same　to　me　whether　it　be　over　a　wall；　or
at　a　window；　or　through　the　chink　of　a　door；　or　the　grate　of　a　garden；
for　any　beam　of　the　sun　of　her　beauty　that　reaches　my　eyes　will　give
light　to　my　reason　and　strength　to　my　heart；　so　that　I　shall　be
unmatched　and　unequalled　in　wisdom　and　valour。〃
　　〃Well；　to　tell　the　truth；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃when　I　saw　that
sun　of　the　lady　Dulcinea　del　Toboso；　it　was　not　bright　enough　to　throw
out　beams　at　all；　it　must　have　been；　that　as　her　grace　was　sifting
that　wheat　I　told　you　of；　the　thick　dust　she　raised　came　before　her
face　like　a　cloud　and　dimmed　it。〃
　　〃What！　dost　thou　still　persist；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃in
saying；　thinking；　believing；　and　maintaining　that　my　lady　Dulcinea　was
sifting　wheat；　that　being　an　occupation　and　task　entirely　at
variance　with　what　is　and　should　be　the　employment　of　persons　of
distinction；　who　are　constituted　and　reserved　for　other　avocations　and
pursuits　that　show　their　rank　a　bowshot　off？　Thou　hast　forgotten；　O
Sancho；　those　lines　of　our　poet　wherein　he　paints　for　us　how；　in　their
crystal　abodes；　those　four　nymphs　employed　themselves　who　rose　from
their　loved　Tagus　and　seated　themselves　in　a　verdant　meadow　to
embroider　those　tissues　which　the　ingenious　poet　there　describes　to
us；　how　they　were　worked　and　woven　with　gold　and　silk　and　pearls；
and　something　of　this　sort　must　have　been　the　employment　of　my　lady
when　thou　sawest　her；　only　that　the　spite　which　some　wicked
enchanter　seems　to　have　against　everything　of　mine　changes　all　those
things　that　give　me　pleasure；　and　turns　them　into　shapes　unlike
their　own；　and　so　I　fear　that　in　that　history　of　my　achievements　which
they　say　is　now　in　print；　if　haply　its　author　was　some　sage　who　is
an　enemy　of　mine；　he　will　have　put　one　thing　for　another；　mingling　a
thousand　lies　with　one　truth；　and　amusing　himself　by　relating
transactions　which　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　sequence　of　a　true
history。　O　envy；　root　of　all　countless　evils；　and　cankerworm　of　the
virtues！　All　the　vices；　Sancho；　bring　some　kind　of　pleasure　with　them；
but　envy　brings　nothing　but　irritation；　bitterness；　and　rage。〃
　　〃So　I　say　too；〃　replied　Sancho；　〃and　I　suspect　in　that　legend　or
history　of　us　that　the　bachelor　Samson　Carrasco　told　us　he　saw；　my
honour　goes　dragged　in　the　dirt；　knocked　about；　up　and　down；
sweeping　the　streets；　as　they　say。　And　yet；　on　the　faith　of　an
honest　man；　I　never　spoke　ill　of　any　enchanter；　and　I　am　not　so　well
off　that　I　am　to　be　envied；　to　be　sure；　I　am　rather　sly；　and　I　have
a　certain　spice　of　the　rogue　in　me；　but　all　is　covered　by　the　great
cloak　of　my　simplicity；　always　natural　and　never　acted；　and　if　I　had
no　other　merit　save　that　I　believe；　as　I　always　do；　firmly　and　truly
in　God；　and　all　the　holy　Roman　Catholic　Church　holds　and　believes；　and
that　I　am　a　mortal　enemy　of　the　Jews；　the　historians　ought　to　have
mercy　on　me　and　treat　me　well　in　their　writings。　But　let　them　say　what
they　like；　naked　was　I　born；　naked　I　find　myself；　I　neither　lose　nor
gain；　nay；　while　I　see　myself　put　into　a　book　and　passed　on　from
hand　to　hand　over　the　world；　I　don't　care　a　fig；　let　them　say　what
they　like　of　me。〃
　　〃That；　Sancho；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃reminds　me　of　what　happened
to　a　famous　poet　of　our　own　day；　who；　having　written　a　bitter　satire
against　all　the　courtesan　ladies；　did　not　insert　or　name　in　it　a
certain　lady　of　whom　it　was　questionable　whether　she　was　one　or　not。
She；　seeing　she　was　not　in　the　list　of　the　poet；　asked　him　what　he　had
seen　in　her　that　he　did　not　include　her　in　the