don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第150章

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angels；　good　and　bad；　to　help　them；　and　if　this　reflection　will　not
make　you　keep　quiet；　perhaps　it　will　to　know　for　certain　that　among
all　these；　though　they　look　like　kings；　princes；　and　emperors；　there
is　not　a　single　knight…errant。〃
　　〃Now　indeed　thou　hast　hit　the　point；　Sancho；〃　said　Don　Quixote；
〃which　may　and　should　turn　me　from　the　resolution　I　had　already
formed。　I　cannot　and　must　not　draw　sword；　as　I　have　many　a　time　before
told　thee；　against　anyone　who　is　not　a　dubbed　knight；　it　is　for
thee；　Sancho；　if　thou　wilt；　to　take　vengeance　for　the　wrong　done　to
thy　Dapple；　and　I　will　help　thee　from　here　by　shouts　and　salutary
counsels。〃
　　〃There　is　no　occasion　to　take　vengeance　on　anyone；　senor；〃　replied
Sancho；　〃for　it　is　not　the　part　of　good　Christians　to　revenge
wrongs；　and　besides；　I　will　arrange　it　with　my　ass　to　leave　his
grievance　to　my　good…will　and　pleasure；　and　that　is　to　live　in　peace
as　long　as　heaven　grants　me　life。〃
　　〃Well；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃if　that　be　thy　determination；　good
Sancho；　sensible　Sancho；　Christian　Sancho；　honest　Sancho；　let　us　leave
these　phantoms　alone　and　turn　to　the　pursuit　of　better　and　worthier
adventures；　for；　from　what　I　see　of　this　country；　we　cannot　fail　to
find　plenty　of　marvellous　ones　in　it。〃
　　He　at　once　wheeled　about；　Sancho　ran　to　take　possession　of　his
Dapple；　Death　and　his　flying　squadron　returned　to　their　cart　and
pursued　their　journey；　and　thus　the　dread　adventure　of　the　cart　of
Death　ended　happily；　thanks　to　the　advice　Sancho　gave　his　master；
who　had；　the　following　day；　a　fresh　adventure；　of　no　less　thrilling
interest　than　the　last；　with　an　enamoured　knight…errant。
　　

CHAPTER　XII
　　OF　THE　STRANGE　ADVENTURE　WHICH　BEFELL　THE　VALIANT　DON　QUIXOTE　WITH
THE　BOLD　KNIGHT　OF　THE　MIRRORS

　　THE　night　succeeding　the　day　of　the　encounter　with　Death；　Don
Quixote　and　his　squire　passed　under　some　tall　shady　trees；　and　Don
Quixote　at　Sancho's　persuasion　ate　a　little　from　the　store　carried
by　Dapple；　and　over　their　supper　Sancho　said　to　his　master；　〃Senor；
what　a　fool　I　should　have　looked　if　I　had　chosen　for　my　reward　the
spoils　of　the　first　adventure　your　worship　achieved；　instead　of　the
foals　of　the　three　mares。　After　all；　'a　sparrow　in　the　hand　is
better　than　a　vulture　on　the　wing。'〃
　　〃At　the　same　time；　Sancho；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃if　thou　hadst
let　me　attack　them　as　I　wanted；　at　the　very　least　the　emperor's　gold
crown　and　Cupid's　painted　wings　would　have　fallen　to　thee　as　spoils；
for　I　should　have　taken　them　by　force　and　given　them　into　thy　hands。〃
　　〃The　sceptres　and　crowns　of　those　play…actor　emperors；〃　said　Sancho；
〃were　never　yet　pure　gold；　but　only　brass　foil　or　tin。〃
　　〃That　is　true；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃for　it　would　not　be　right　that
the　accessories　of　the　drama　should　be　real；　instead　of　being　mere
fictions　and　semblances；　like　the　drama　itself；　towards　which；　Sancho…
and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　towards　those　who　represent　and
produce　it…　I　would　that　thou　wert　favourably　disposed；　for　they　are
all　instruments　of　great　good　to　the　State；　placing　before　us　at　every
step　a　mirror　in　which　we　may　see　vividly　displayed　what　goes　on　in
human　life；　nor　is　there　any　similitude　that　shows　us　more
faithfully　what　we　are　and　ought　to　be　than　the　play　and　the
players。　Come；　tell　me；　hast　thou　not　seen　a　play　acted　in　which
kings；　emperors；　pontiffs；　knights；　ladies；　and　divers　other
personages　were　introduced？　One　plays　the　villain；　another　the
knave；　this　one　the　merchant；　that　the　soldier；　one　the　sharp…witted
fool；　another　the　foolish　lover；　and　when　the　play　is　over；　and　they
have　put　off　the　dresses　they　wore　in　it；　all　the　actors　become
equal。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　have　seen　that；〃　said　Sancho。
　　〃Well　then；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃the　same　thing　happens　in　the　comedy
and　life　of　this　world；　where　some　play　emperors；　others　popes；　and；
in　short；　all　the　characters　that　can　be　brought　into　a　play；　but　when
it　is　over；　that　is　to　say　when　life　ends；　death　strips　them　all　of
the　garments　that　distinguish　one　from　the　other；　and　all　are　equal　in
the　grave。〃
　　〃A　fine　comparison！〃　said　Sancho；　〃though　not　so　new　but　that　I　have
heard　it　many　and　many　a　time；　as　well　as　that　other　one　of　the　game
of　chess；　how；　so　long　as　the　game　lasts；　each　piece　has　its　own
particular　office；　and　when　the　game　is　finished　they　are　all　mixed；
jumbled　up　and　shaken　together；　and　stowed　away　in　the　bag；　which　is
much　like　ending　life　in　the　grave。〃
　　〃Thou　art　growing　less　doltish　and　more　shrewd　every　day；　Sancho；〃
said　Don　Quixote。
　　〃Ay；〃　said　Sancho；　〃it　must　be　that　some　of　your　worship's
shrewdness　sticks　to　me；　land　that；　of　itself；　is　barren　and　dry；　will
come　to　yield　good　fruit　if　you　dung　it　and　till　it；　what　I　mean　is
that　your　worship's　conversation　has　been　the　dung　that　has　fallen
on　the　barren　soil　of　my　dry　wit；　and　the　time　I　have　been　in　your
service　and　society　has　been　the　tillage；　and　with　the　help　of　this
I　hope　to　yield　fruit　in　abundance　that　will　not　fall　away　or　slide
from　those　paths　of　good　breeding　that　your　worship　has　made　in　my
parched　understanding。〃
　　Don　Quixote　laughed　at　Sancho's　affected　phraseology；　and
perceived　that　what　he　said　about　his　improvement　was　true；　for　now
and　then　he　spoke　in　a　way　that　surprised　him；　though　always；　or
mostly；　when　Sancho　tried　to　talk　fine　and　attempted　polite
language；　he　wound　up　by　toppling　over　from　the　summit　of　his
simplicity　into　the　abyss　of　his　ignorance；　and　where　he　showed　his
culture　and　his　memory　to　the　greatest　advantage　was　in　dragging　in
proverbs；　no　matter　whether　they　had　any　bearing　or　not　upon　the
subject　in　hand；　as　may　have　been　seen　already　and　will　be　noticed
in　the　course　of　this　history。
　　In　conversation　of　this　kind　they　passed　a　good　part　of　the　night；
but　Sancho　felt　a　desire　to　let　down　the　curtains　of　his　eyes；　as　he
used　to　say　when　he　wanted　to　go　to　sleep；　and　stripping　Dapple　he
left　him　at　liberty　to　graze　his　fill。　He　did　not　remove　Rocinante's
saddle；　as　his　master's　express　orders　were；　that　so　long　as　they　were
in　the　field　or　not　sleeping　under　a　roof　Rocinante　was　not　to　be
stripped…　the　ancient　usage　established　and　observed　by　knights…errant
being　to　take　off　the　bridle　and　hang　it　on　the　saddle…bow；　but　to
remove　the　saddle　from　the　horse…　never！　Sancho　acted　accordingly；　and
gave　him　the　same　liberty　he　had　given　Dapple；　between　whom　and
Rocinante　there　was　a　friendship　so　unequalled　and　so　strong；　that
it　is　handed　down　by　tradition　from　father　to　son；　that　the　author
of　this　veracious　history　devoted　some　special　chapters　to　it；
which；　in　order　to　preserve　the　propriety　and　decorum　due　to　a　history
so　heroic；　he　did　not　insert　therein；　although　at　times　he　forgets
this　resolution　of　his　and　describes　how　eagerly　the　two　beasts
would　scratch　one　another　when　they　were　together　and　how；　when　they
were　tired　or　full；　Rocinante　would　lay　his　neck　across　Dapple's；
stretching　half　a　yard　or　more　on　the　other　side；　and　the　pair　would
stand　thus；　gazing　thoughtfully　on　the　ground；　for　three　days；　or　at
least　so　long　as　they　were　left　alone；　or　hunger　did　not　drive　them　to
go　and　look　for　food。　I　may　add　that　they　say　the　author　left　it　on
record　that　he　likened　their　friendship　to　that　of　Nisus　and　Euryalus；
and　Pylades　and　Orestes；　and　if　that　be　so；　it　may　be　perceived；　to
the　admiration　of　mankind；　how　firm　the　friendship　must　have　been
between　these　two　peaceful　animals；　shaming　men；　who　preserve
friendships　with　one　another　so　badly。　This　was　why　it　was　said…

　　　　　　　For　friend　no　longer　is　there　friend；
　　　　　　　The　reeds　turn　lances　now。

And　some　one　else　has　sung…

　　　　　　　Friend　to　friend　the　bug；　&c。

And　let　no　one　fancy　that　the　author　was　at　all　astray　when　he
compared　the　friendship　of　these　animals　to　that　of　men；　for　men
have　received　many　lessons　from　beasts；　and　learned　many　important
things；　as；　for　example；　the　clyster　from　the　stork；　vomit　and
gratitude　from　the　dog；　watchfulness　from　the　crane；　foresight　from
the　ant；　modesty　from　the　elephant；　and　loyalty　from　the　horse。
　　Sancho　at　last　fell　asleep　at　the　foot　of　a　cork　tree；　while　Don
Quixote　dozed　a