don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第160章

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for　I　trust　to　my　master's　good　sense　to　see　that　I　have　got　no
curds　or　milk；　or　anything　of　the　sort；　and　that　if　I　had　it　is　in
my　stomach　I　would　put　it　and　not　in　the　helmet。〃
　　〃May　he　so；〃　said　Don　Quixote。　All　this　the　gentleman　was　observing；
and　with　astonishment；　more　especially　when；　after　having　wiped
himself　clean；　his　head；　face；　beard；　and　helmet；　Don　Quixote　put　it
on；　and　settling　himself　firmly　in　his　stirrups；　easing　his　sword　in
the　scabbard；　and　grasping　his　lance；　he　cried；　〃Now；　come　who　will；
here　am　I；　ready　to　try　conclusions　with　Satan　himself　in　person！〃

　　By　this　time　the　cart　with　the　flags　had　come　up；　unattended　by
anyone　except　the　carter　on　a　mule；　and　a　man　sitting　in　front。　Don
Quixote　planted　himself　before　it　and　said；　〃Whither　are　you　going；
brothers？　What　cart　is　this？　What　have　you　got　in　it？　What　flags　are
those？〃
　　To　this　the　carter　replied；　〃The　cart　is　mine；　what　is　in　it　is　a
pair　of　wild　caged　lions；　which　the　governor　of　Oran　is　sending　to
court　as　a　present　to　his　Majesty；　and　the　flags　are　our　lord　the
King's；　to　show　that　what　is　here　is　his　property。〃
　　〃And　are　the　lions　large？〃　asked　Don　Quixote。
　　〃So　large；〃　replied　the　man　who　sat　at　the　door　of　the　cart；　〃that
larger；　or　as　large；　have　never　crossed　from　Africa　to　Spain；　I　am　the
keeper；　and　I　have　brought　over　others；　but　never　any　like　these。　They
are　male　and　female；　the　male　is　in　that　first　cage　and　the　female
in　the　one　behind；　and　they　are　hungry　now；　for　they　have　eaten
nothing　to…day；　so　let　your　worship　stand　aside；　for　we　must　make
haste　to　the　place　where　we　are　to　feed　them。〃
　　Hereupon；　smiling　slightly；　Don　Quixote　exclaimed；　〃Lion…whelps　to
me！　to　me　whelps　of　lions；　and　at　such　a　time！　Then；　by　God！　those
gentlemen　who　send　them　here　shall　see　if　I　am　a　man　to　be
frightened　by　lions。　Get　down；　my　good　fellow；　and　as　you　are　the
keeper　open　the　cages；　and　turn　me　out　those　beasts；　and　in　the
midst　of　this　plain　I　will　let　them　know　who　Don　Quixote　of　La
Mancha　is；　in　spite　and　in　the　teeth　of　the　enchanters　who　send　them
to　me。〃
　　〃So；　so；〃　said　the　gentleman　to　himself　at　this；　〃our　worthy
knight　has　shown　of　what　sort　he　is；　the　curds；　no　doubt；　have
softened　his　skull　and　brought　his　brains　to　a　head。〃
　　At　this　instant　Sancho　came　up　to　him；　saying；　〃Senor；　for　God's
sake　do　something　to　keep　my　master；　Don　Quixote；　from　tackling
these　lions；　for　if　he　does　they'll　tear　us　all　to　pieces　here。〃
　　〃Is　your　master　then　so　mad；〃　asked　the　gentleman；　〃that　you　believe
and　are　afraid　he　will　engage　such　fierce　animals？〃
　　〃He　is　not　mad；〃　said　Sancho；　〃but　he　is　venturesome。〃
　　〃I　will　prevent　it；〃　said　the　gentleman；　and　going　over　to　Don
Quixote；　who　was　insisting　upon　the　keeper's　opening　the　cages；　he
said　to　him；　〃Sir　knight；　knights…errant　should　attempt　adventures
which　encourage　the　hope　of　a　successful　issue；　not　those　which
entirely　withhold　it；　for　valour　that　trenches　upon　temerity　savours
rather　of　madness　than　of　courage；　moreover；　these　lions　do　not　come
to　oppose　you；　nor　do　they　dream　of　such　a　thing；　they　are　going　as
presents　to　his　Majesty；　and　it　will　not　be　right　to　stop　them　or
delay　their　journey。〃
　　〃Gentle　sir；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃you　go　and　mind　your　tame
partridge　and　your　bold　ferret；　and　leave　everyone　to　manage　his　own
business；　this　is　mine；　and　I　know　whether　these　gentlemen　the　lions
come　to　me　or　not；〃　and　then　turning　to　the　keeper　he　exclaimed；　〃By
all　that's　good；　sir　scoundrel；　if　you　don't　open　the　cages　this
very　instant；　I'll　pin　you　to　the　cart　with　this　lance。〃
　　The　carter；　seeing　the　determination　of　this　apparition　in　armour；
said　to　him；　〃Please　your　worship；　for　charity's　sake；　senor；　let　me
unyoke　the　mules　and　place　myself　in　safety　along　with　them　before　the
lions　are　turned　out；　for　if　they　kill　them　on　me　I　am　ruined　for
life；　for　all　I　possess　is　this　cart　and　mules。〃
　　〃O　man　of　little　faith；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃get　down　and
unyoke；　you　will　soon　see　that　you　are　exerting　yourself　for
nothing；　and　that　you　might　have　spared　yourself　the　trouble。〃
　　The　carter　got　down　and　with　all　speed　unyoked　the　mules；　and　the
keeper　called　out　at　the　top　of　his　voice；　〃I　call　all　here　to　witness
that　against　my　will　and　under　compulsion　I　open　the　cages　and　let　the
lions　loose；　and　that　I　warn　this　gentleman　that　he　will　be
accountable　for　all　the　harm　and　mischief　which　these　beasts　may　do；
and　for　my　salary　and　dues　as　well。　You；　gentlemen；　place　yourselves
in　safety　before　I　open；　for　I　know　they　will　do　me　no　harm。〃
　　Once　more　the　gentleman　strove　to　persuade　Don　Quixote　not　to　do
such　a　mad　thing；　as　it　was　tempting　God　to　engage　in　such　a　piece
of　folly。　To　this；　Don　Quixote　replied　that　he　knew　what　he　was　about。
The　gentleman　in　return　entreated　him　to　reflect；　for　he　knew　he　was
under　a　delusion。
　　〃Well；　senor；〃　answered　Don　Quixote；　〃if　you　do　not　like　to　be　a
spectator　of　this　tragedy；　as　in　your　opinion　it　will　be；　spur　your
flea…bitten　mare；　and　place　yourself　in　safety。〃
　　Hearing　this；　Sancho　with　tears　in　his　eyes　entreated　him　to　give　up
an　enterprise　compared　with　which　the　one　of　the　windmills；　and　the
awful　one　of　the　fulling　mills；　and；　in　fact；　all　the　feats　he　had
attempted　in　the　whole　course　of　his　life；　were　cakes　and　fancy　bread。
〃Look　ye；　senor；〃　said　Sancho；　〃there's　no　enchantment　here；　nor
anything　of　the　sort；　for　between　the　bars　and　chinks　of　the　cage　I
have　seen　the　paw　of　a　real　lion；　and　judging　by　that　I　reckon　the
lion　such　a　paw　could　belong　to　must　be　bigger　than　a　mountain。〃
　　〃Fear　at　any　rate；〃　replied　Don　Quixote；　〃will　make　him　look
bigger　to　thee　than　half　the　world。　Retire；　Sancho；　and　leave　me；
and　if　I　die　here　thou　knowest　our　old　compact；　thou　wilt　repair　to
Dulcinea…　I　say　no　more。〃　To　these　he　added　some　further　words　that
banished　all　hope　of　his　giving　up　his　insane　project。　He　of　the　green
gaban　would　have　offered　resistance；　but　he　found　himself
ill…matched　as　to　arms；　and　did　not　think　it　prudent　to　come　to
blows　with　a　madman；　for　such　Don　Quixote　now　showed　himself　to　be
in　every　respect；　and　the　latter；　renewing　his　commands　to　the
keeper　and　repeating　his　threats；　gave　warning　to　the　gentleman　to
spur　his　mare；　Sancho　his　Dapple；　and　the　carter　his　mules；　all
striving　to　get　away　from　the　cart　as　far　as　they　could　before　the
lions　broke　loose。　Sancho　was　weeping　over　his　master's　death；　for
this　time　he　firmly　believed　it　was　in　store　for　him　from　the　claws　of
the　lions；　and　he　cursed　his　fate　and　called　it　an　unlucky　hour　when
he　thought　of　taking　service　with　him　again；　but　with　all　his　tears
and　lamentations　he　did　not　forget　to　thrash　Dapple　so　as　to　put　a
good　space　between　himself　and　the　cart。　The　keeper；　seeing　that　the
fugitives　were　now　some　distance　off；　once　more　entreated　and　warned
him　as　before；　but　he　replied　that　he　heard　him；　and　that　he　need
not　trouble　himself　with　any　further　warnings　or　entreaties；　as　they
would　be　fruitless；　and　bade　him　make　haste。
　　During　the　delay　that　occurred　while　the　keeper　was　opening　the
first　cage；　Don　Quixote　was　considering　whether　it　would　not　be　well
to　do　battle　on　foot；　instead　of　on　horseback；　and　finally　resolved　to
fight　on　foot；　fearing　that　Rocinante　might　take　fright　at　the　sight
of　the　lions；　he　therefore　sprang　off　his　horse；　flung　his　lance
aside；　braced　his　buckler　on　his　arm；　and　drawing　his　sword；
advanced　slowly　with　marvellous　intrepidity　and　resolute　courage；　to
plant　himself　in　front　of　the　cart；　commending　himself　with　all　his
heart　to　God　and　to　his　lady　Dulcinea。
　　It　is　to　be　observed；　that　on　coming　to　this　passage；　the　author
of　this　veracious　history　breaks　out　into　exclamations。　〃O　doughty　Don
Quixote！　high…mettled　past　extolling！　Mirror；　wherein　all　the　heroes
of　the　world　may　see　themselves！　Second　modern　Don　Manuel　de　Leon；
once　the　glory　and　honour　of　Spanish　knighthood！　In　what　words　shall　I
describe　this　dread　exploit；　by　what　language　shall　I　make　it　credible
to　ages　to　come；　what　eulogies　are　there　unmeet　for　thee；　though
they　be　hyperboles　piled　on　hyperboles！　On　foot；　alone；　undaunted