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第163章

don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第163章

小说: don quixote(堂·吉珂德) 字数: 每页4000字

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  〃So far;〃 said Don Lorenzo to himself; 〃I should not take you to
be a madman; but let us go on。〃 So he said to him; 〃Your worship has
apparently attended the schools; what sciences have you studied?〃
  〃That of knight…errantry;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃which is as good as
that of poetry; and even a finger or two above it。〃
  〃I do not know what science that is;〃 said Don Lorenzo; 〃and until
now I have never heard of it。〃
  〃It is a science;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃that comprehends in itself all
or most of the sciences in the world; for he who professes it must
be a jurist; and must know the rules of justice; distributive and
equitable; so as to give to each one what belongs to him and is due to
him。 He must be a theologian; so as to be able to give a clear and
distinctive reason for the Christian faith he professes; wherever it
may be asked of him。 He must be a physician; and above all a
herbalist; so as in wastes and solitudes to know the herbs that have
the property of healing wounds; for a knight…errant must not go
looking for some one to cure him at every step。 He must be an
astronomer; so as to know by the stars how many hours of the night
have passed; and what clime and quarter of the world he is in。 He must
know mathematics; for at every turn some occasion for them will
present itself to him; and; putting it aside that he must be adorned
with all the virtues; cardinal and theological; to come down to
minor particulars; he must; I say; be able to swim as well as Nicholas
or Nicolao the Fish could; as the story goes; he must know how to shoe
a horse; and repair his saddle and bridle; and; to return to higher
matters; he must be faithful to God and to his lady; he must be pure
in thought; decorous in words; generous in works; valiant in deeds;
patient in suffering; compassionate towards the needy; and; lastly; an
upholder of the truth though its defence should cost him his life。
Of all these qualities; great and small; is a true knight…errant
made up; judge then; Senor Don Lorenzo; whether it be a contemptible
science which the knight who studies and professes it has to learn;
and whether it may not compare with the very loftiest that are
taught in the schools。〃
  〃If that be so;〃 replied Don Lorenzo; 〃this science; I protest;
surpasses all。〃
  〃How; if that be so?〃 said Don Quixote。
  〃What I mean to say;〃 said Don Lorenzo; 〃is; that I doubt whether
there are now; or ever were; any knights…errant; and adorned with such
virtues。〃
  〃Many a time;〃 replied Don Quixote; 〃have I said what I now say once
more; that the majority of the world are of opinion that there never
were any knights…errant in it; and as it is my opinion that; unless
heaven by some miracle brings home to them the truth that there were
and are; all the pains one takes will be in vain (as experience has
often proved to me); I will not now stop to disabuse you of the
error you share with the multitude。 All I shall do is to pray to
heaven to deliver you from it; and show you how beneficial and
necessary knights…errant were in days of yore; and how useful they
would be in these days were they but in vogue; but now; for the sins
of the people; sloth and indolence; gluttony and luxury are
triumphant。〃
  〃Our guest has broken out on our hands;〃 said Don Lorenzo to himself
at this point; 〃but; for all that; he is a glorious madman; and I
should be a dull blockhead to doubt it。〃
  Here; being summoned to dinner; they brought their colloquy to a
close。 Don Diego asked his son what he had been able to make out as to
the wits of their guest。 To which he replied; 〃All the doctors and
clever scribes in the world will not make sense of the scrawl of his
madness; he is a madman full of streaks; full of lucid intervals。〃
  They went in to dinner; and the repast was such as Don Diego said on
the road he was in the habit of giving to his guests; neat; plentiful;
and tasty; but what pleased Don Quixote most was the marvellous
silence that reigned throughout the house; for it was like a
Carthusian monastery。
  When the cloth had been removed; grace said and their hands
washed; Don Quixote earnestly pressed Don Lorenzo to repeat to him his
verses for the poetical tournament; to which he replied; 〃Not to be
like those poets who; when they are asked to recite their verses;
refuse; and when they are not asked for them vomit them up; I will
repeat my gloss; for which I do not expect any prize; having
composed it merely as an exercise of ingenuity。〃
  〃A discerning friend of mine;〃 said Don Quixote; 〃was of opinion
that no one ought to waste labour in glossing verses; and the reason
he gave was that the gloss can never come up to the text; and that
often or most frequently it wanders away from the meaning and
purpose aimed at in the glossed lines; and besides; that the laws of
the gloss were too strict; as they did not allow interrogations; nor
'said he;' nor 'I say;' nor turning verbs into nouns; or altering
the construction; not to speak of other restrictions and limitations
that fetter gloss…writers; as you no doubt know。〃
  〃Verily; Senor Don Quixote;〃 said Don Lorenzo; 〃I wish I could catch
your worship tripping at a stretch; but I cannot; for you slip through
my fingers like an eel。〃
  〃I don't understand what you say; or mean by slipping;〃 said Don
Quixote。
  〃I will explain myself another time;〃 said Don Lorenzo; 〃for the
present pray attend to the glossed verses and the gloss; which run
thus:

     Could 'was' become an 'is' for me;
       Then would I ask no more than this;
       Or could; for me; the time that is
     Become the time that is to be!…

                   GLOSS

     Dame Fortune once upon a day
       To me was bountiful and kind;
       But all things change; she changed her mind;
     And what she gave she took away。
     O Fortune; long I've sued to thee;
       The gifts thou gavest me restore;
       For; trust me; I would ask no more;
     Could 'was' become an 'is' for me。

     No other prize I seek to gain;
       No triumph; glory; or success;
       Only the long…lost happiness;
     The memory whereof is pain。
     One taste; methinks; of bygone bliss
       The heart…consuming fire might stay;
       And; so it come without delay;
     Then would I ask no more than this。

     I ask what cannot be; alas!
       That time should ever be; and then
       Come back to us; and be again;
     No power on earth can bring to pass;
     For fleet of foot is he; I wis;
       And idly; therefore; do we pray
       That what for aye hath left us may
     Become for us the time that is。

     Perplexed; uncertain; to remain
       'Twixt hope and fear; is death; not life;
       'Twere better; sure; to end the strife;
     And dying; seek release from pain。
     And yet; thought were the best for me。
       Anon the thought aside I fling;
       And to the present fondly cling;
     And dread the time that is to be。〃

  When Don Lorenzo had finished reciting his gloss; Don Quixote
stood up; and in a loud voice; almost a shout; exclaimed as he grasped
Don Lorenzo's right hand in his; 〃By the highest heavens; noble youth;
but you are the best poet on earth; and deserve to be crowned with
laurel; not by Cyprus or by Gaeta… as a certain poet; God forgive him;
said… but by the Academies of Athens; if they still flourished; and by
those that flourish now; Paris; Bologna; Salamanca。 Heaven grant
that the judges who rob you of the first prize… that Phoebus may
pierce them with his arrows; and the Muses never cross the
thresholds of their doors。 Repeat me some of your long…measure verses;
senor; if you will be so good; for I want thoroughly to feel the pulse
of your rare genius。〃
  Is there any need to say that Don Lorenzo enjoyed hearing himself
praised by Don Quixote; albeit he looked upon him as a madman? power
of flattery; how far…reaching art thou; and how wide are the bounds of
thy pleasant jurisdiction! Don Lorenzo gave a proof of it; for he
complied with Don Quixote's request and entreaty; and repeated to
him this sonnet on the fable or story of Pyramus and Thisbe。

                       SONNET

     The lovely maid; s

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