don quixote(堂·吉珂德)-第202章

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deal　in　preambles；　only　to　tell　your　woes　plainly　and
straightforwardly：　for　you　have　hearers　that　will　know　how；　if　not
to　remedy　them；　to　sympathise　with　them。〃
　　On　hearing　this；　the　Distressed　Duenna　made　as　though　she　would
throw　herself　at　Don　Quixote's　feet；　and　actually　did　fall　before　them
and　said；　as　she　strove　to　embrace　them；　〃Before　these　feet　and　legs　I
cast　myself；　O　unconquered　knight；　as　before；　what　they　are；　the
foundations　and　pillars　of　knight…errantry；　these　feet　I　desire　to
kiss；　for　upon　their　steps　hangs　and　depends　the　sole　remedy　for　my
misfortune；　O　valorous　errant；　whose　veritable　achievements　leave
behind　and　eclipse　the　fabulous　ones　of　the　Amadises；　Esplandians；　and
Belianises！〃　Then　turning　from　Don　Quixote　to　Sancho　Panza；　and
grasping　his　hands；　she　said；　〃O　thou；　most　loyal　squire　that　ever
served　knight…errant　in　this　present　age　or　ages　past；　whose
goodness　is　more　extensive　than　the　beard　of　Trifaldin　my　companion
here　of　present；　well　mayest　thou　boast　thyself　that；　in　serving　the
great　Don　Quixote；　thou　art　serving；　summed　up　in　one；　the　whole
host　of　knights　that　have　ever　borne　arms　in　the　world。　I　conjure
thee；　by　what　thou　owest　to　thy　most　loyal　goodness；　that　thou　wilt
become　my　kind　intercessor　with　thy　master；　that　he　speedily　give
aid　to　this　most　humble　and　most　unfortunate　countess。〃
　　To　this　Sancho　made　answer；　〃As　to　my　goodness；　senora；　being　as
long　and　as　great　as　your　squire's　beard；　it　matters　very　little　to
me；　may　I　have　my　soul　well　bearded　and　moustached　when　it　comes　to
quit　this　life；　that's　the　point；　about　beards　here　below　I　care
little　or　nothing；　but　without　all　these　blandishments　and　prayers；
I　will　beg　my　master　（for　I　know　he　loves　me；　and；　besides；　he　has
need　of　me　just　now　for　a　certain　business）　to　help　and　aid　your
worship　as　far　as　he　can；　unpack　your　woes　and　lay　them　before　us；　and
leave　us　to　deal　with　them；　for　we'll　be　all　of　one　mind。〃
　　The　duke　and　duchess；　as　it　was　they　who　had　made　the　experiment
of　this　adventure；　were　ready　to　burst　with　laughter　at　all　this；
and　between　themselves　they　commended　the　clever　acting　of　the
Trifaldi；　who；　returning　to　her　seat；　said；　〃Queen　Dona　Maguncia
reigned　over　the　famous　kingdom　of　Kandy；　which　lies　between　the　great
Trapobana　and　the　Southern　Sea；　two　leagues　beyond　Cape　Comorin。　She
was　the　widow　of　King　Archipiela；　her　lord　and　husband；　and　of　their
marriage　they　had　issue　the　Princess　Antonomasia；　heiress　of　the
kingdom；　which　Princess　Antonomasia　was　reared　and　brought　up　under　my
care　and　direction；　I　being　the　oldest　and　highest　in　rank　of　her
mother's　duennas。　Time　passed；　and　the　young　Antonomasia　reached　the
age　of　fourteen；　and　such　a　perfection　of　beauty；　that　nature　could
not　raise　it　higher。　Then；　it　must　not　be　supposed　her　intelligence
was　childish；　she　was　as　intelligent　as　she　was　fair；　and　she　was
fairer　than　all　the　world；　and　is　so　still；　unless　the　envious　fates
and　hard…hearted　sisters　three　have　cut　for　her　the　thread　of　life。
But　that　they　have　not；　for　Heaven　will　not　suffer　so　great　a　wrong　to
Earth；　as　it　would　be　to　pluck　unripe　the　grapes　of　the　fairest
vineyard　on　its　surface。　Of　this　beauty；　to　which　my　poor　feeble
tongue　has　failed　to　do　justice；　countless　princes；　not　only　of　that
country；　but　of　others；　were　enamoured；　and　among　them　a　private
gentleman；　who　was　at　the　court；　dared　to　raise　his　thoughts　to　the
heaven　of　so　great　beauty；　trusting　to　his　youth；　his　gallant　bearing；
his　numerous　accomplishments　and　graces；　and　his　quickness　and
readiness　of　wit；　for　I　may　tell　your　highnesses；　if　I　am　not　wearying
you；　that　he　played　the　guitar　so　as　to　make　it　speak；　and　he　was；
besides；　a　poet　and　a　great　dancer；　and　he　could　make　birdcages　so
well；　that　by　making　them　alone　he　might　have　gained　a　livelihood；　had
he　found　himself　reduced　to　utter　poverty；　and　gifts　and　graces　of
this　kind　are　enough　to　bring　down　a　mountain；　not　to　say　a　tender
young　girl。　But　all　his　gallantry；　wit；　and　gaiety；　all　his　graces　and
accomplishments；　would　have　been　of　little　or　no　avail　towards　gaining
the　fortress　of　my　pupil；　had　not　the　impudent　thief　taken　the
precaution　of　gaining　me　over　first。　First；　the　villain　and
heartless　vagabond　sought　to　win　my　good…will　and　purchase　my
compliance；　so　as　to　get　me；　like　a　treacherous　warder；　to　deliver
up　to　him　the　keys　of　the　fortress　I　had　in　charge。　In　a　word；　he
gained　an　influence　over　my　mind；　and　overcame　my　resolutions　with　I
know　not　what　trinkets　and　jewels　he　gave　me；　but　it　was　some　verses　I
heard　him　singing　one　night　from　a　grating　that　opened　on　the　street
where　he　lived；　that；　more　than　anything　else；　made　me　give　way　and
led　to　my　fall；　and　if　I　remember　rightly　they　ran　thus：

　　　　　From　that　sweet　enemy　of　mine
　　　　　　　My　bleeding　heart　hath　had　its　wound；
　　　　　　　And　to　increase　the　pain　I'm　bound
　　　　　To　suffer　and　to　make　no　sign。

The　lines　seemed　pearls　to　me　and　his　voice　sweet　as　syrup；　and
afterwards；　I　may　say　ever　since　then；　looking　at　the　misfortune
into　which　I　have　fallen；　I　have　thought　that　poets；　as　Plato　advised；
ought　to　he　banished　from　all　well…ordered　States；　at　least　the
amatory　ones；　for　they　write　verses；　not　like　those　of　'The　Marquis　of
Mantua；'　that　delight　and　draw　tears　from　the　women　and　children；
but　sharp…pointed　conceits　that　pierce　the　heart　like　soft　thorns；　and
like　the　lightning　strike　it；　leaving　the　raiment　uninjured。　Another
time　he　sang：

　　　　　Come　Death；　so　subtly　veiled　that　I
　　　　　　　Thy　coming　know　not；　how　or　when；
　　　　　　　Lest　it　should　give　me　life　again
　　　　　To　find　how　sweet　it　is　to　die。

…and　other　verses　and　burdens　of　the　same　sort；　such　as　enchant　when
sung　and　fascinate　when　written。　And　then；　when　they　condescend　to
compose　a　sort　of　verse　that　was　at　that　time　in　vogue　in　Kandy；　which
they　call　seguidillas！　Then　it　is　that　hearts　leap　and　laughter　breaks
forth；　and　the　body　grows　restless　and　all　the　senses　turn
quicksilver。　And　so　I　say；　sirs；　that　these　troubadours　richly　deserve
to　be　banished　to　the　isles　of　the　lizards。　Though　it　is　not　they　that
are　in　fault；　but　the　simpletons　that　extol　them；　and　the　fools　that
believe　in　them；　and　had　I　been　the　faithful　duenna　I　should　have
been；　his　stale　conceits　would　have　never　moved　me；　nor　should　I
have　been　taken　in　by　such　phrases　as　'in　death　I　live；'　'in　ice　I
burn；'　'in　flames　I　shiver；'　'hopeless　I　hope；'　'I　go　and　stay；'　and
paradoxes　of　that　sort　which　their　writings　are　full　of。　And　then　when
they　promise　the　Phoenix　of　Arabia；　the　crown　of　Ariadne；　the　horses
of　the　Sun；　the　pearls　of　the　South；　the　gold　of　Tibar；　and　the　balsam
of　Panchaia！　Then　it　is　they　give　a　loose　to　their　pens；　for　it
costs　them　little　to　make　promises　they　have　no　intention　or　power
of　fulfilling。　But　where　am　I　wandering　to？　Woe　is　me；　unfortunate
being！　What　madness　or　folly　leads　me　to　speak　of　the　faults　of
others；　when　there　is　so　much　to　be　said　about　my　own？　Again；　woe　is
me；　hapless　that　I　am！　it　was　not　verses　that　conquered　me；　but　my　own
simplicity；　it　was　not　music　made　me　yield；　but　my　own　imprudence；
my　own　great　ignorance　and　little　caution　opened　the　way　and　cleared
the　path　for　Don　Clavijo's　advances；　for　that　was　the　name　of　the
gentleman　I　have　referred　to；　and　so；　with　my　help　as　go…between；　he
found　his　way　many　a　time　into　the　chamber　of　the　deceived　Antonomasia
（deceived　not　by　him　but　by　me）　under　the　title　of　a　lawful　husband；
for；　sinner　though　I　was；　would　not　have　allowed　him　to　approach　the
edge　of　her　shoe…sole　without　being　her　husband。　No；　no；　not　that；
marriage　must　come　first　in　any　business　of　this　sort　that　I　take　in
hand。　But　there　was　one　hitch　in　this　case；　which　was　that　of
inequality　of　rank；　Don　Clavijo　being　a　private　gentleman；　and　the
Princess　Antonomasia；　as　I　said；　heiress　to　the　kingdom。　The
entanglement　remained　for　some　time　a　secret；　kept　hidden　by　my
cunning　precautions；　until　I　perceived　that　a　certain　expansion　of
waist　in　Antonomasia　must　before　long　disclose　it；　the　dread　of
which　made　us　all　there　take　counsel　together；　and　it　was　agreed
that　before　the