don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第182章

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certain　sign；　and　to　whisper；　or　seem　to　do　so；　in　his　ear。　Thus
prepared；　before　entering　any　village　whither　he　was　bound　with　his
show　and　his　ape；　he　used　to　inform　himself　at　the　nearest　village；　or
from　the　most　likely　person　he　could　find；　as　to　what　particular
things　had　happened　there；　and　to　whom；　and　bearing　them　well　in　mind；
the　first　thing　be　did　was　to　exhibit　his　show；　sometimes　one　story；
sometimes　another；　but　all　lively；　amusing；　and　familiar。　As　soon　as
the　exhibition　was　over　he　brought　forward　the　accomplishments　of
his　ape；　assuring　the　public　that　he　divined　all　the　past　and　the
present；　but　as　to　the　future　he　had　no　skill。　For　each　question
answered　he　asked　two　reals；　and　for　some　he　made　a　reduction；　just　as
he　happened　to　feel　the　pulse　of　the　questioners；　and　when　now　and
then　he　came　to　houses　where　things　that　he　knew　of　had　happened　to
the　people　living　there；　even　if　they　did　not　ask　him　a　question；
not　caring　to　pay　for　it；　he　would　make　the　sign　to　the　ape　and　then
declare　that　it　had　said　so　and　so；　which　fitted　the　case　exactly。
In　this　way　he　acquired　a　prodigious　name　and　all　ran　after　him；　on
other　occasions；　being　very　crafty；　he　would　answer　in　such　a　way　that
the　answers　suited　the　questions；　and　as　no　one　cross…questioned　him
or　pressed　him　to　tell　how　his　ape　divined；　he　made　fools　of　them
all　and　filled　his　pouch。　The　instant　he　entered　the　inn　he　knew　Don
Quixote　and　Sancho；　and　with　that　knowledge　it　was　easy　for　him　to
astonish　them　and　all　who　were　there；　but　it　would　have　cost　him
dear　had　Don　Quixote　brought　down　his　hand　a　little　lower　when　he
cut　off　King　Marsilio's　head　and　destroyed　all　his　horsemen；　as
related　in　the　preceeding　chapter。
　　So　much　for　Master　Pedro　and　his　ape；　and　now　to　return　to　Don
Quixote　of　La　Mancha。　After　he　had　left　the　inn　he　determined　to
visit；　first　of　all；　the　banks　of　the　Ebro　and　that　neighbourhood；
before　entering　the　city　of　Saragossa；　for　the　ample　time　there　was
still　to　spare　before　the　jousts　left　him　enough　for　all。　With　this
object　in　view　he　followed　the　road　and　travelled　along　it　for　two
days；　without　meeting　any　adventure　worth　committing　to　writing
until　on　the　third　day；　as　he　was　ascending　a　hill；　he　heard　a　great
noise　of　drums；　trumpets；　and　musket…shots。　At　first　he　imagined
some　regiment　of　soldiers　was　passing　that　way；　and　to　see　them　he
spurred　Rocinante　and　mounted　the　hill。　On　reaching　the　top　he　saw
at　the　foot　of　it　over　two　hundred　men；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　armed
with　weapons　of　various　sorts；　lances；　crossbows；　partisans；　halberds；
and　pikes；　and　a　few　muskets　and　a　great　many　bucklers。　He　descended
the　slope　and　approached　the　band　near　enough　to　see　distinctly　the
flags；　make　out　the　colours　and　distinguish　the　devices　they　bore；
especially　one　on　a　standard　or　ensign　of　white　satin；　on　which
there　was　painted　in　a　very　life…like　style　an　ass　like　a　little　sard；
with　its　head　up；　its　mouth　open　and　its　tongue　out；　as　if　it　were
in　the　act　and　attitude　of　braying；　and　round　it　were　inscribed　in
large　characters　these　two　lines…

　　　　　　　　　They　did　not　bray　in　vain；
　　　　　　　　　Our　alcaldes　twain。

From　this　device　Don　Quixote　concluded　that　these　people　must　be
from　the　braying　town；　and　he　said　so　to　Sancho；　explaining　to　him
what　was　written　on　the　standard。　At　the　same　time　be　observed　that
the　man　who　had　told　them　about　the　matter　was　wrong　in　saying　that
the　two　who　brayed　were　regidors；　for　according　to　the　lines　of　the
standard　they　were　alcaldes。　To　which　Sancho　replied；　〃Senor；
there's　nothing　to　stick　at　in　that；　for　maybe　the　regidors　who　brayed
then　came　to　he　alcaldes　of　their　town　afterwards；　and　so　they　may
go　by　both　titles；　moreover；　it　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　truth　of
the　story　whether　the　brayers　were　alcaldes　or　regidors；　provided　at
any　rate　they　did　bray；　for　an　alcalde　is　just　as　likely　to　bray　as
a　regidor。〃　They　perceived；　in　short；　clearly　that　the　town　which
had　been　twitted　had　turned　out　to　do　battle　with　some　other　that
had　jeered　it　more　than　was　fair　or　neighbourly。
　　Don　Quixote　proceeded　to　join　them；　not　a　little　to　Sancho's
uneasiness；　for　he　never　relished　mixing　himself　up　in　expeditions
of　that　sort。　The　members　of　the　troop　received　him　into　the　midst
of　them；　taking　him　to　he　some　one　who　was　on　their　side。　Don　Quixote；
putting　up　his　visor；　advanced　with　an　easy　bearing　and　demeanour　to
the　standard　with　the　ass；　and　all　the　chief　men　of　the　army
gathered　round　him　to　look　at　him；　staring　at　him　with　the　usual
amazement　that　everybody　felt　on　seeing　him　for　the　first　time。　Don
Quixote；　seeing　them　examining　him　so　attentively；　and　that　none　of
them　spoke　to　him　or　put　any　question　to　him；　determined　to　take
advantage　of　their　silence；　so；　breaking　his　own；　he　lifted　up　his
voice　and　said；　〃Worthy　sirs；　I　entreat　you　as　earnestly　as　I　can
not　to　interrupt　an　argument　I　wish　to　address　to　you；　until　you
find　it　displeases　or　wearies　you；　and　if　that　come　to　pass；　on　the
slightest　hint　you　give　me　I　will　put　a　seal　upon　my　lips　and　a　gag
upon　my　tongue。〃
　　They　all　bade　him　say　what　he　liked；　for　they　would　listen　to　him
willingly。
　　With　this　permission　Don　Quixote　went　on　to　say；　〃I；　sirs；　am　a
knight…errant　whose　calling　is　that　of　arms；　and　whose　profession　is
to　protect　those　who　require　protection；　and　give　help　to　such　as
stand　in　need　of　it。　Some　days　ago　I　became　acquainted　with　your
misfortune　and　the　cause　which　impels　you　to　take　up　arms　again　and
again　to　revenge　yourselves　upon　your　enemies；　and　having　many　times
thought　over　your　business　in　my　mind；　I　find　that；　according　to　the
laws　of　combat；　you　are　mistaken　in　holding　yourselves　insulted；　for　a
private　individual　cannot　insult　an　entire　community；　unless　it　be
by　defying　it　collectively　as　a　traitor；　because　he　cannot　tell　who　in
particular　is　guilty　of　the　treason　for　which　he　defies　it。　Of　this　we
have　an　example　in　Don　Diego　Ordonez　de　Lara；　who　defied　the　whole
town　of　Zamora；　because　he　did　not　know　that　Vellido　Dolfos　alone
had　committed　the　treachery　of　slaying　his　king；　and　therefore　he
defied　them　all；　and　the　vengeance　and　the　reply　concerned　all；
though；　to　be　sure；　Senor　Don　Diego　went　rather　too　far；　indeed　very
much　beyond　the　limits　of　a　defiance；　for　he　had　no　occasion　to　defy
the　dead；　or　the　waters；　or　the　fishes；　or　those　yet　unborn；　and　all
the　rest　of　it　as　set　forth；　but　let　that　pass；　for　when　anger
breaks　out　there's　no　father；　governor；　or　bridle　to　check　the　tongue。
The　case　being；　then；　that　no　one　person　can　insult　a　kingdom；
province；　city；　state；　or　entire　community；　it　is　clear　there　is　no
reason　for　going　out　to　avenge　the　defiance　of　such　an　insult；
inasmuch　as　it　is　not　one。　A　fine　thing　it　would　be　if　the　people　of
the　clock　town　were　to　be　at　loggerheads　every　moment　with　everyone
who　called　them　by　that　name；　…or　the　Cazoleros；　Berengeneros；
Ballenatos；　Jaboneros；　or　the　bearers　of　all　the　other　names　and
titles　that　are　always　in　the　mouth　of　the　boys　and　common　people！
It　would　be　a　nice　business　indeed　if　all　these　illustrious　cities
were　to　take　huff　and　revenge　themselves　and　go　about　perpetually
making　trombones　of　their　swords　in　every　petty　quarrel！　No；　no；　God
forbid！　There　are　four　things　for　which　sensible　men　and
well…ordered　States　ought　to　take　up　arms；　draw　their　swords；　and　risk
their　persons；　lives；　and　properties。　The　first　is　to　defend　the
Catholic　faith；　the　second；　to　defend　one's　life；　which　is　in
accordance　with　natural　and　divine　law；　the　third；　in　defence　of　one's
honour；　family；　and　property；　the　fourth；　in　the　service　of　one's　king
in　a　just　war；　and　if　to　these　we　choose　to　add　a　fifth　（which　may
be　included　in　the　second）；　in　defence　of　one's　country。　To　these
five；　as　it　were　capital　causes；　there　may　be　added　some　others　that
may　be　just　and　reasonable；　and　make　it　a　duty　to　take　up　arms；　but　to
take　them　up　for　trifles　and　things　to　laugh　at　and　he　amused　by
rather　than　offended；　looks　as　though　he　who　did　so　was　altogether
wanting　in　common　sense。　Moreover；　to　take　an　unjust　revenge　（and
there　cannot　be　any　just　one）