don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第183章

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wanting　in　common　sense。　Moreover；　to　take　an　unjust　revenge　（and
there　cannot　be　any　just　one）　is　directly　opposed　to　the　sacred　law
that　we　acknowledge；　wherein　we　are　commanded　to　do　good　to　our
enemies　and　to　love　them　that　hate　us；　a　command　which；　though　it
seems　somewhat　difficult　to　obey；　is　only　so　to　those　who　have　in　them
less　of　God　than　of　the　world；　and　more　of　the　flesh　than　of　the
spirit；　for　Jesus　Christ；　God　and　true　man；　who　never　lied；　and
could　not　and　cannot　lie；　said；　as　our　law…giver；　that　his　yoke　was
easy　and　his　burden　light；　he　would　not；　therefore；　have　laid　any
command　upon　us　that　it　was　impossible　to　obey。　Thus；　sirs；　you　are
bound　to　keep　quiet　by　human　and　divine　law。〃
　　〃The　devil　take　me；〃　said　Sancho　to　himself　at　this；　〃but　this
master　of　mine　is　a　tologian；　or；　if　not；　faith；　he's　as　like　one　as
one　egg　is　like　another。〃
　　Don　Quixote　stopped　to　take　breath；　and；　observing　that　silence
was　still　preserved；　had　a　mind　to　continue　his　discourse；　and　would
have　done　so　had　not　Sancho　interposed　with　his　smartness；　for　he；
seeing　his　master　pause；　took　the　lead；　saying；　〃My　lord　Don　Quixote
of　La　Mancha；　who　once　was　called　the　Knight　of　the　Rueful
Countenance；　but　now　is　called　the　Knight　of　the　Lions；　is　a　gentleman
of　great　discretion　who　knows　Latin　and　his　mother　tongue　like　a
bachelor；　and　in　everything　that　he　deals　with　or　advises　proceeds
like　a　good　soldier；　and　has　all　the　laws　and　ordinances　of　what
they　call　combat　at　his　fingers'　ends；　so　you　have　nothing　to　do　but
to　let　yourselves　be　guided　by　what　he　says；　and　on　my　head　be　it　if
it　is　wrong。　Besides　which；　you　have　been　told　that　it　is　folly　to
take　offence　at　merely　hearing　a　bray。　I　remember　when　I　was　a　boy　I
brayed　as　often　as　I　had　a　fancy；　without　anyone　hindering　me；　and
so　elegantly　and　naturally　that　when　I　brayed　all　the　asses　in　the
town　would　bray；　but　I　was　none　the　less　for　that　the　son　of　my
parents　who　were　greatly　respected；　and　though　I　was　envied　because　of
the　gift　by　more　than　one　of　the　high　and　mighty　ones　of　the　town；　I
did　not　care　two　farthings　for　it；　and　that　you　may　see　I　am　telling
the　truth；　wait　a　bit　and　listen；　for　this　art；　like　swimming；　once
learnt　is　never　forgotten；〃　and　then；　taking　hold　of　his　nose；　he
began　to　bray　so　vigorously　that　all　the　valleys　around　rang　again。
　　One　of　those；　however；　that　stood　near　him；　fancying　he　was
mocking　them；　lifted　up　a　long　staff　he　had　in　his　hand　and　smote
him　such　a　blow　with　it　that　Sancho　dropped　helpless　to　the　ground。
Don　Quixote；　seeing　him　so　roughly　handled；　attacked　the　man　who　had
struck　him　lance　in　hand；　but　so　many　thrust　themselves　between　them
that　he　could　not　avenge　him。　Far　from　it；　finding　a　shower　of
stones　rained　upon　him；　and　crossbows　and　muskets　unnumbered
levelled　at　him；　he　wheeled　Rocinante　round　and；　as　fast　as　his　best
gallop　could　take　him；　fled　from　the　midst　of　them；　commending　himself
to　God　with　all　his　heart　to　deliver　him　out　of　this　peril；　in　dread
every　step　of　some　ball　coming　in　at　his　back　and　coming　out　at　his
breast；　and　every　minute　drawing　his　breath　to　see　whether　it　had　gone
from　him。　The　members　of　the　band；　however；　were　satisfied　with　seeing
him　take　to　flight；　and　did　not　fire　on　him。　They　put　up　Sancho；
scarcely　restored　to　his　senses；　on　his　ass；　and　let　him　go　after
his　master；　not　that　he　was　sufficiently　in　his　wits　to　guide　the
beast；　but　Dapple　followed　the　footsteps　of　Rocinante；　from　whom　he
could　not　remain　a　moment　separated。　Don　Quixote　having　got　some　way
off　looked　back；　and　seeing　Sancho　coming；　waited　for　him；　as　he
perceived　that　no　one　followed　him。　The　men　of　the　troop　stood　their
ground　till　night；　and　as　the　enemy　did　not　come　out　to　battle；　they
returned　to　their　town　exulting；　and　had　they　been　aware　of　the
ancient　custom　of　the　Greeks；　they　would　have　erected　a　trophy　on
the　spot。


　　CHAPTER　XXVIII
　　OF　MATTERS　THAT　BENENGELI　SAYS　HE　WHO　READS　THEM　WILL　KNOW；　IF　HE
READS　THEM　WITH　ATTENTION

　　WHEN　the　brave　man　flees；　treachery　is　manifest　and　it　is　for　wise
men　to　reserve　themselves　for　better　occasions。　This　proved　to　be
the　case　with　Don　Quixote；　who；　giving　way　before　the　fury　of　the
townsfolk　and　the　hostile　intentions　of　the　angry　troop；　took　to
flight　and；　without　a　thought　of　Sancho　or　the　danger　in　which　he
was　leaving　him；　retreated　to　such　a　distance　as　he　thought　made　him
safe。　Sancho；　lying　across　his　ass；　followed　him；　as　has　been　said；
and　at　length　came　up；　having　by　this　time　recovered　his　senses；　and
on　joining　him　let　himself　drop　off　Dapple　at　Rocinante's　feet；
sore；　bruised；　and　belaboured。　Don　Quixote　dismounted　to　examine　his
wounds；　but　finding　him　whole　from　head　to　foot；　he　said　to　him；
angrily　enough；　〃In　an　evil　hour　didst　thou　take　to　braying；　Sancho！
Where　hast　thou　learned　that　it　is　well　done　to　mention　the　rope　in
the　house　of　the　man　that　has　been　hanged？　To　the　music　of　brays
what　harmonies　couldst　thou　expect　to　get　but　cudgels？　Give　thanks
to　God；　Sancho；　that　they　signed　the　cross　on　thee　just　now　with　a
stick；　and　did　not　mark　thee　per　signum　crucis　with　a　cutlass。〃
　　〃I'm　not　equal　to　answering；〃　said　Sancho；　〃for　I　feel　as　if　I　was
speaking　through　my　shoulders；　let　us　mount　and　get　away　from　this；
I'll　keep　from　braying；　but　not　from　saying　that　knights…errant　fly
and　leave　their　good　squires　to　be　pounded　like　privet；　or　made　meal
of　at　the　hands　of　their　enemies。〃
　　〃He　does　not　fly　who　retires；〃　returned　Don　Quixote；　〃for　I　would
have　thee　know；　Sancho；　that　the　valour　which　is　not　based　upon　a
foundation　of　prudence　is　called　rashness；　and　the　exploits　of　the
rash　man　are　to　be　attributed　rather　to　good　fortune　than　to
courage；　and　so　I　own　that　I　retired；　but　not　that　I　fled；　and　therein
I　have　followed　the　example　of　many　valiant　men　who　have　reserved
themselves　for　better　times；　the　histories　are　full　of　instances　of
this；　but　as　it　would　not　be　any　good　to　thee　or　pleasure　to　me；　I
will　not　recount　them　to　thee　now。〃
　　Sancho　was　by　this　time　mounted　with　the　help　of　Don　Quixote；　who
then　himself　mounted　Rocinante；　and　at　a　leisurely　pace　they　proceeded
to　take　shelter　in　a　grove　which　was　in　sight　about　a　quarter　of　a
league　off。　Every　now　and　then　Sancho　gave　vent　to　deep　sighs　and
dismal　groans；　and　on　Don　Quixote　asking　him　what　caused　such　acute
suffering；　he　replied　that；　from　the　end　of　his　back…bone　up　to　the
nape　of　his　neck；　he　was　so　sore　that　it　nearly　drove　him　out　of　his
senses。
　　〃The　cause　of　that　soreness；〃　said　Don　Quixote；　〃will　be；　no
doubt；　that　the　staff　wherewith　they　smote　thee　being　a　very　long　one；
it　caught　thee　all　down　the　back；　where　all　the　parts　that　are　sore
are　situated；　and　had　it　reached　any　further　thou　wouldst　be　sorer
still。〃
　　〃By　God；〃　said　Sancho；　〃your　worship　has　relieved　me　of　a　great
doubt；　and　cleared　up　the　point　for　me　in　elegant　style！　Body　o'　me！
is　the　cause　of　my　soreness　such　a　mystery　that　there's　any　need　to
tell　me　I　am　sore　everywhere　the　staff　hit　me？　If　it　was　my　ankles
that　pained　me　there　might　be　something　in　going　divining　why　they
did；　but　it　is　not　much　to　divine　that　I'm　sore　where　they　thrashed
me。　By　my　faith；　master　mine；　the　ills　of　others　hang　by　a　hair；　every
day　I　am　discovering　more　and　more　how　little　I　have　to　hope　for
from　keeping　company　with　your　worship；　for　if　this　time　you　have
allowed　me　to　be　drubbed；　the　next　time；　or　a　hundred　times　more；
we'll　have　the　blanketings　of　the　other　day　over　again；　and　all　the
other　pranks　which；　if　they　have　fallen　on　my　shoulders　now；　will　be
thrown　in　my　teeth　by…and…by。　I　would　do　a　great　deal　better　（if　I　was
not　an　ignorant　brute　that　will　never　do　any　good　all　my　life）；　I
would　do　a　great　deal　better；　I　say；　to　go　home　to　my　wife　and
children　and　support　them　and　bring　them　up　on　what　God　may　please
to　give　me；　instead　of　following　your　worship　along　roads　that　lead
nowhere　and　paths　that　are　none　at　all；　with　little　to　drink　and
less　to　eat。　And　then　when　it　comes　to　sleeping！　Measure　out　seven
feet　on　the　earth；　brother　squire；　and　if　that's　not　enough　for　you；
take　as　many　more；